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308 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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325 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
335 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
337 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
345 @top The Gnus Newsreader
349 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
350 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
351 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
354 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
355 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
370 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
371 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
373 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
374 being accused of plagiarism:
376 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
377 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
378 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
379 can even read news with it!
381 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
382 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
383 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
384 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
385 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
388 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
389 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
391 @heading Other related manuals
393 @item Message manual: Composing messages
394 @item Emacs-MIME: Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
395 @item Sieve: Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
396 @item PGG: @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
397 @item SASL: @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
403 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
404 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
405 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
406 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
407 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
408 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
409 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
410 * Various:: General purpose settings.
411 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
412 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
413 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
414 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
415 * Key Index:: Key Index.
417 Other related manuals
419 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
420 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
421 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
422 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
423 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
426 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
430 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
431 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
432 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
433 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
434 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
435 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
436 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
437 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
438 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
439 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
440 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
444 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
445 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
446 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
450 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
451 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
452 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
453 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
454 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
455 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
456 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
457 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
458 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
459 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
460 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
461 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
462 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
463 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
464 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
465 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
466 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
467 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
471 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
472 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
473 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
477 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
478 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
479 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
480 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
481 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
485 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
486 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
487 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
488 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
489 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
493 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
494 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
495 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
496 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
497 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
498 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
499 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
500 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
501 * Threading:: How threads are made.
502 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
503 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
504 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
505 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
506 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
507 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
508 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
509 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
510 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
511 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
512 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
513 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
514 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
515 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
516 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
517 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
518 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
519 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
520 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
521 or reselecting the current group.
522 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
523 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
524 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
525 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
527 Summary Buffer Format
529 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
530 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
531 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
532 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
536 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
537 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
539 Reply, Followup and Post
541 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
542 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
543 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
544 * Canceling and Superseding::
548 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
549 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
550 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
551 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
552 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
553 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
557 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
558 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
560 Customizing Threading
562 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
563 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
564 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
565 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
569 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
570 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
571 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
572 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
573 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
574 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
578 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
579 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
580 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
584 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
585 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
586 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
587 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
588 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
589 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
590 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
591 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
592 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
593 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
594 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
596 Alternative Approaches
598 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
599 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
601 Various Summary Stuff
603 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
604 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
605 * Summary Generation Commands::
606 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
610 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
611 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
612 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
613 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
614 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
618 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
619 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
620 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
621 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
622 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
623 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
624 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
625 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
626 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
630 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
631 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
632 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
633 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
634 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
635 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
636 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
637 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
638 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
642 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
643 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
644 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
645 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
646 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
647 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
648 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
652 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
653 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
657 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
658 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
659 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
660 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
664 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
665 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
666 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
667 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
668 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
669 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
670 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
671 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
672 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
673 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
674 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
675 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
676 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
680 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
681 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
682 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
684 Choosing a Mail Back End
686 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
687 * Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
688 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
689 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
690 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
691 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
692 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
697 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
698 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
699 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
700 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
701 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
702 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
706 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
707 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
708 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
709 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
710 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
711 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
715 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
716 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
717 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
718 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
719 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
723 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
727 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
728 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
729 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
733 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
734 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
738 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
739 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
740 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
744 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
745 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
746 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
748 The Gnus Diary Library
750 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
751 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
752 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
753 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
757 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
758 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
759 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
760 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
761 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
762 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
763 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
764 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
765 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
766 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
767 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
768 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
769 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
770 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
774 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
775 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
776 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
780 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
781 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
782 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
786 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
787 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
788 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
789 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
790 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
791 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
792 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
793 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
794 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
795 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
796 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
797 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
798 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
799 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
800 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
801 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
805 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
806 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
807 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
811 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
812 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
813 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
814 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
815 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
816 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
817 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
818 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
819 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
820 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
821 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
822 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
823 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
824 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
825 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
826 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
827 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
828 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
829 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
830 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
831 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
832 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
836 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
837 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
838 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
839 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
840 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
841 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
842 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
843 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
847 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
848 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
849 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were
851 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
852 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
856 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
857 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
858 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
859 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
863 * Spam Package Introduction::
864 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
865 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
866 * Spam and Ham Processors::
867 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
869 * Extending the Spam package::
870 * Spam Statistics Package::
872 Spam Statistics Package
874 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
875 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
876 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
880 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
881 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
882 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
883 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
884 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
885 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
886 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
887 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
888 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
892 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
893 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
894 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
895 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
896 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
897 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
898 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
899 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
900 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
904 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
905 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
906 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
907 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
908 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
909 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
910 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
914 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
915 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
916 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
917 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
921 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
922 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
923 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
924 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
925 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
926 * Group Info:: The group info format.
927 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
928 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
929 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
933 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
934 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
935 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
936 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
937 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
938 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
942 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
943 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
947 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
948 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
954 @chapter Starting Gnus
957 If you haven't used Emacs much before using Gnus, read @ref{Emacs for
962 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
963 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
964 your Emacs. If not, you should customize the variable
965 @code{gnus-select-method} as described in @ref{Finding the News}. For a
966 minimal setup for posting should also customize the variables
967 @code{user-full-name} and @code{user-mail-address}.
969 @findex gnus-other-frame
970 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
971 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
972 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
974 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
975 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
976 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
978 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
979 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
982 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
983 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
984 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
985 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
986 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
987 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
988 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
989 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
990 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
991 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
995 @node Finding the News
996 @section Finding the News
999 First of all, you should know that there is a special buffer called
1000 @code{*Server*} that lists all the servers Gnus knows about. You can
1001 press @kbd{^} from the Group buffer to see it. In the Server buffer,
1002 you can press @kbd{RET} on a defined server to see all the groups it
1003 serves (subscribed or not!). You can also add or delete servers, edit
1004 a foreign server's definition, agentize or de-agentize a server, and
1005 do many other neat things. @xref{Server Buffer}.
1006 @xref{Foreign Groups}. @xref{Agent Basics}.
1008 @vindex gnus-select-method
1010 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
1011 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1012 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1013 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1016 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1017 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1020 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1023 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1026 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1029 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1030 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1031 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1032 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1034 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1036 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1037 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1038 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1039 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1040 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1041 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1042 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1044 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1045 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1046 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1047 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1049 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1050 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1051 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1052 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1053 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1054 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1055 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1056 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1057 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1060 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1062 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1063 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1064 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1065 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1066 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1067 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1069 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1071 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1072 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1073 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1074 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1075 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1076 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1079 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1080 you would typically set this variable to
1083 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1086 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1087 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1088 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1089 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1092 @node The First Time
1093 @section The First Time
1094 @cindex first time usage
1096 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1097 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1099 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1100 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1101 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1102 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1105 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1106 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1107 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1109 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1110 help you with most common problems.
1112 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1113 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1117 @node The Server is Down
1118 @section The Server is Down
1119 @cindex server errors
1121 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1122 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1123 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1125 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1126 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1127 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1128 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1129 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1130 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1131 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1133 @findex gnus-no-server
1134 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1136 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1137 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1138 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1139 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1140 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1141 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1142 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1146 @section Slave Gnusae
1149 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1150 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1151 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1152 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1154 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1155 @file{.newsrc} file.
1157 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1158 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1159 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1160 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1161 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1162 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1163 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1166 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1167 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1168 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1169 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1170 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1171 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1172 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1173 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1175 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1176 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1178 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1179 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1180 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1181 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1182 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1189 @cindex subscription
1191 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1192 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1193 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1194 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1195 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1196 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1197 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1198 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1199 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1202 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1203 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1204 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1208 @node Checking New Groups
1209 @subsection Checking New Groups
1211 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1212 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1213 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1214 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1215 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1216 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1217 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1218 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1219 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1220 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1222 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1223 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1224 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1225 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1226 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1227 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1228 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1229 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1230 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1231 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1232 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1234 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1235 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1236 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1237 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1238 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1239 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1242 @node Subscription Methods
1243 @subsection Subscription Methods
1245 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1246 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1247 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1249 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1250 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1252 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1256 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1257 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1258 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1259 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1260 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1262 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1264 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1265 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1267 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1268 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1269 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1271 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1272 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1273 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1274 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1275 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1276 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1277 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1278 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1279 up. Or something like that.
1281 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1282 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1283 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1284 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1285 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1287 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1288 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1289 Kill all new groups.
1291 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1292 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1293 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1294 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1295 topic parameter that looks like
1301 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1304 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1309 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1310 A closely related variable is
1311 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1312 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1313 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1314 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1317 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1318 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1319 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1320 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1323 @node Filtering New Groups
1324 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1326 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1327 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1328 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1331 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1334 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1335 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1336 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1337 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1338 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1339 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1340 subscribing these groups.
1341 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1342 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1344 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1345 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1346 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1347 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1348 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1349 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1350 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1351 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1353 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1354 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1355 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1356 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1357 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1358 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1359 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1360 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1361 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1362 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1365 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1366 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1369 @node Changing Servers
1370 @section Changing Servers
1371 @cindex changing servers
1373 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1374 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1375 very flaky and you want to use another.
1377 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1378 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1382 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1383 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1384 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1385 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1388 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1389 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1390 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1391 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1393 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1394 @findex gnus-change-server
1395 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1396 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1397 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1398 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1399 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1401 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1402 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1403 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1404 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1405 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1407 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1408 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1409 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1410 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1411 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1412 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1414 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1415 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1416 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1417 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1419 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1420 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1421 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1422 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1423 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1424 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1425 cache for all groups).
1429 @section Startup Files
1430 @cindex startup files
1435 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1436 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1437 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1440 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1441 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1442 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1443 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1444 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1445 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1446 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1448 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1449 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1450 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1451 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1452 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1453 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1455 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1456 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1457 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1458 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1459 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1460 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1461 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1462 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1463 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1464 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1465 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1468 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1469 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1470 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1471 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1472 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1473 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1474 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1475 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1476 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1477 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1478 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1479 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1481 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1482 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1483 @vindex version-control
1484 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1485 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1486 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1487 If you want version control for this file, set
1488 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1489 @code{version-control} variable.
1491 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1492 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1493 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1494 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1495 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1496 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1497 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1498 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1499 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1500 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1503 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1504 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1506 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1507 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1510 @vindex gnus-init-file
1511 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1512 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1513 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1514 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1515 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1516 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1517 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1518 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1519 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1520 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1521 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1522 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1523 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1528 @cindex dribble file
1531 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1532 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1533 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1534 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1535 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1538 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1539 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1542 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1543 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1544 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1546 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1547 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1548 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1549 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1550 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1551 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1553 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1554 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1555 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1558 @node The Active File
1559 @section The Active File
1561 @cindex ignored groups
1563 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1564 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1565 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1567 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1568 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1569 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1570 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1571 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1572 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1573 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1576 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1577 @c if you set it to anything else.
1579 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1581 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1582 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1583 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1585 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1586 you actually subscribe to.
1588 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1589 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1590 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1591 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1593 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1594 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1595 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1596 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1597 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1598 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1600 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1601 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1602 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1605 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1606 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1607 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1608 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1609 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1610 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1612 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1613 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1615 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1616 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1618 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1619 secondary select methods.
1622 @node Startup Variables
1623 @section Startup Variables
1627 @item gnus-load-hook
1628 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1629 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1630 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1631 times you start Gnus.
1633 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1634 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1635 A hook called as the first thing when Gnus is started.
1637 @item gnus-startup-hook
1638 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1639 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1641 @item gnus-started-hook
1642 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1643 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1646 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1647 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1648 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1649 generating the group buffer.
1651 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1652 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1653 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1654 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1655 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1656 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1657 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1658 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1660 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1661 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1662 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1663 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1664 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1665 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1667 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1668 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1669 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1671 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1672 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1673 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1675 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1676 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1677 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1678 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1684 @chapter Group Buffer
1685 @cindex group buffer
1687 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1689 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1690 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1691 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1692 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1693 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1694 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1695 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1696 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1697 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1698 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1699 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1700 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1701 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1702 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1703 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1704 @c human rights at 9...
1707 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1708 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1709 long as Gnus is active.
1713 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1714 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1715 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1716 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1717 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1718 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1719 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1720 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1726 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1727 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1728 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1729 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1730 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1731 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1732 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1733 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1734 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1735 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1736 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1737 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1738 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1739 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1740 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1741 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1742 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
1743 * Searching:: Mail search engines.
1744 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1748 @node Group Buffer Format
1749 @section Group Buffer Format
1752 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1753 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1754 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1757 You can customize the Group Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
1758 customize-apropos RET gnus-group-tool-bar}. This feature is only
1761 The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly depending on the
1762 cursor position. Therefore, moving around in the Group Buffer is
1763 slower. You can disable this via the variable
1764 @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}. Its default value depends on your
1767 @node Group Line Specification
1768 @subsection Group Line Specification
1769 @cindex group buffer format
1771 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1772 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1774 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1777 25: news.announce.newusers
1778 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1783 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1784 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1785 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1786 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1788 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1789 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1790 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1791 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1792 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1793 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1795 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1797 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1798 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1799 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1800 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1801 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1803 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1804 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1805 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1807 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1812 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1815 Whether the group is subscribed.
1818 Level of subscribedness.
1821 Number of unread articles.
1824 Number of dormant articles.
1827 Number of ticked articles.
1830 Number of read articles.
1833 Number of unseen articles.
1836 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1837 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1839 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1840 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1841 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1842 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1843 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1844 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1845 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job.
1847 The nnml backend (@pxref{Mail Spool}) has a feature called ``group
1848 compaction'' which circumvents this deficiency: the idea is to
1849 renumber all articles from 1, removing all gaps between numbers, hence
1850 getting a correct total count. Other backends may support this in the
1851 future. In order to keep your total article count relatively up to
1852 date, you might want to compact your groups (or even directly your
1853 server) from time to time. @xref{Misc Group Stuff}, @xref{Server Commands}.
1856 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1859 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1868 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1869 comment element in the group parameters.
1872 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1873 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1874 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1878 @samp{m} if moderated.
1881 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1887 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1893 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1897 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1900 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1901 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1902 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1903 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1904 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1907 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1909 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1913 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1916 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1920 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1921 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1922 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1923 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1926 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1927 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1928 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1929 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1930 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1931 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1936 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1937 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1938 group, or a bogus native group.
1941 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1942 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1943 @cindex group mode line
1945 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1946 The mode line can be changed by setting
1947 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1948 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1952 The native news server.
1954 The native select method.
1958 @node Group Highlighting
1959 @subsection Group Highlighting
1960 @cindex highlighting
1961 @cindex group highlighting
1963 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1964 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1965 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1966 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1967 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1969 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1973 (cond (window-system
1974 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1975 (defface my-group-face-1
1976 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1977 (defface my-group-face-2
1978 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1979 "Second group face")
1980 (defface my-group-face-3
1981 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1982 (defface my-group-face-4
1983 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1984 (defface my-group-face-5
1985 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1987 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1988 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1989 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1990 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1991 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1992 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1995 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1997 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
2004 The number of unread articles in the group.
2008 Whether the group is a mail group.
2010 The level of the group.
2012 The score of the group.
2014 The number of ticked articles in the group.
2016 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
2017 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
2019 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
2020 topic being inserted.
2023 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
2024 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
2025 functions for snarfing info on the group.
2027 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
2028 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
2029 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
2030 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
2031 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
2034 @node Group Maneuvering
2035 @section Group Maneuvering
2036 @cindex group movement
2038 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2039 expected, hopefully.
2045 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2046 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2047 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2053 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2054 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2055 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2059 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2060 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2064 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2065 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2069 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2070 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2071 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2075 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2076 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2077 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2080 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2086 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2087 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2088 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2093 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2094 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2095 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2099 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2100 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2101 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2104 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2105 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2106 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2107 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2110 @vindex gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit
2111 If @code{gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit} is @code{t}, when a summary is
2112 exited, the point in the group buffer is moved to the next unread group.
2113 Otherwise, the point is set to the group just exited. The default is
2116 @node Selecting a Group
2117 @section Selecting a Group
2118 @cindex group selection
2123 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2124 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2125 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2126 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2127 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2128 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2129 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2130 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2131 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2132 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2134 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2135 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2136 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2138 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2139 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2144 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2145 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2146 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2147 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2148 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2152 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2153 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2154 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2155 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2156 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2157 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2158 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2159 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2160 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2161 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2164 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2165 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2166 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2167 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2168 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2171 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2172 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2173 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2174 doing any processing of its contents
2175 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2176 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2177 manner will have no permanent effects.
2181 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2182 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2183 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2184 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2185 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2186 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2187 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2188 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2189 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2190 most recently will be fetched.
2192 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2193 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2194 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2197 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles
2198 In groups in some news servers, there might be a big gap between a few
2199 very old articles that will never be expired and the recent ones. In
2200 such a case, the server will return the data like @code{(1 . 30000000)}
2201 for the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, for example. Even if there
2202 are actually only the articles 1-10 and 29999900-30000000, Gnus doesn't
2203 know it at first and prepares for getting 30000000 articles. However,
2204 it will consume hundreds megabytes of memories and might make Emacs get
2205 stuck as the case may be. If you use such news servers, set the
2206 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} to a positive number.
2207 The value means that Gnus ignores articles other than this number of the
2208 latest ones in every group. For instance, the value 10000 makes Gnus
2209 get only the articles 29990001-30000000 (if the latest article number is
2210 30000000 in a group). Note that setting this variable to a number might
2211 prevent you from reading very old articles. The default value of the
2212 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} is @code{nil}, which
2213 means Gnus never ignores old articles.
2215 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2216 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2217 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2218 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2219 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2220 Which article this is controlled by the
2221 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2227 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2230 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2233 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2235 @item unseen-or-unread
2236 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2237 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2241 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2245 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2246 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2248 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2249 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2250 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2251 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2255 @node Subscription Commands
2256 @section Subscription Commands
2257 @cindex subscription
2265 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2266 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2267 Toggle subscription to the current group
2268 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2274 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2275 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2276 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2277 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2283 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2284 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2285 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2291 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2292 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2295 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2296 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2297 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2298 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2299 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2305 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2306 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2310 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2311 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2314 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2315 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2316 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2317 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2318 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2319 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2320 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2321 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2322 @file{.newsrc} file.
2326 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2336 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2337 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2338 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2339 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2340 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2341 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2346 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2347 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2348 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2352 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2353 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2354 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2356 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2357 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2358 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2359 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2360 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2361 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2368 @section Group Levels
2372 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2373 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2374 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2375 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2376 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2378 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2384 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2385 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2386 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2387 prompted for a level.
2390 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2391 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2392 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2393 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2394 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2395 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2396 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2397 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2398 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2399 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2400 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2401 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2402 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2403 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2404 reasons of efficiency.
2406 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2407 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2409 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2410 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2411 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2412 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2413 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2414 groups are hidden, in a way.
2416 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2417 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2418 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2419 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2420 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2421 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2423 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2424 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2425 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2426 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2427 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2428 list of killed groups.)
2430 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2431 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2432 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2434 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2435 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2436 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2437 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2438 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2439 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2440 relevant valid ranges.
2442 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2443 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2444 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2445 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2446 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2447 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2450 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2451 one with the best level.
2453 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2454 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2455 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2458 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2459 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2460 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2461 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2464 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2465 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2466 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2467 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2469 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2470 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2471 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2472 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2473 to 5. The default is 6.
2477 @section Group Score
2482 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2483 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2484 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2487 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2488 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2489 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2490 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2491 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2492 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2493 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2494 least significant part.))
2496 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2497 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2498 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2499 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2500 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2501 action after each summary exit, you can add
2502 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2503 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2504 slow things down somewhat.
2507 @node Marking Groups
2508 @section Marking Groups
2509 @cindex marking groups
2511 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2512 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2513 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2514 bidding on those groups.
2516 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2517 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2518 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2526 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2527 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2533 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2534 Remove the mark from the current group
2535 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2539 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2540 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2544 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2545 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2549 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2550 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2554 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2555 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2556 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2559 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2561 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2562 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2563 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2564 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2565 the command to be executed.
2568 @node Foreign Groups
2569 @section Foreign Groups
2570 @cindex foreign groups
2572 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2573 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2574 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2575 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2578 Changes from the group editing commands are stored in
2579 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} (@code{gnus-startup-file}). An alternative is the
2580 variable @code{gnus-parameters}, @xref{Group Parameters}.
2586 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2587 @cindex making groups
2588 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2589 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2590 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2594 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2595 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2596 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2600 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2601 @cindex renaming groups
2602 Rename the current group to something else
2603 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2604 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2610 @findex gnus-group-customize
2611 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2615 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2616 @cindex renaming groups
2617 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2618 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2622 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2623 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2624 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2628 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2629 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2630 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2634 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2636 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2637 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2642 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2643 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2647 @cindex (ding) archive
2648 @cindex archive group
2649 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2650 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2651 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2652 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2653 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2654 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2655 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2659 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2661 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2662 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2663 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2664 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2668 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2670 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2671 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2672 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2676 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2677 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2679 Make a group based on some file or other
2680 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2681 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2682 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2683 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2684 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2685 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2686 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2687 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2688 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2692 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2693 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2694 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2695 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2699 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2703 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2704 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2705 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2706 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2707 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2708 @xref{Web Searches}.
2710 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2711 to a particular group by using a match string like
2712 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2716 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2717 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2718 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2722 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2723 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2724 This function will delete the current group
2725 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2726 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2727 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2728 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2729 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2733 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2734 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2735 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2739 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2740 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2741 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2744 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2747 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2748 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2749 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2750 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2751 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2752 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2756 The following commands create ephemeral groups. They can be called not
2757 only from the Group buffer, but in any Gnus buffer.
2760 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2761 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2762 @vindex gnus-gmane-group-download-format
2763 Read an ephemeral group on Gmane.org. The articles are downloaded via
2764 HTTP using the URL specified by @code{gnus-gmane-group-download-format}.
2765 Gnus will prompt you for a group name, the start article number and an
2768 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2769 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2770 This command is similar to @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group}, but
2771 the group name and the article number and range are constructed from a
2772 given @acronym{URL}. Supported @acronym{URL} formats include e.g.
2773 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12300/focus=12399},
2774 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2775 @url{http://article.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2776 @url{http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/}, and
2777 @url{http://news.gmane.org/group/gmane.foo.bar/thread=12345}.
2779 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2780 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2781 Read an Emacs bug report in an ephemeral group. Gnus will prompt for a
2782 bug number. The default is the number at point. The @acronym{URL} is
2783 specified in @code{gnus-bug-group-download-format-alist}.
2785 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2786 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2787 Read a Debian bug report in an ephemeral group. Analog to
2788 @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group}.
2791 Some of these command are also useful for article buttons, @xref{Article
2799 '("#\\([0-9]+\\)\\>" 1
2800 (string-match "\\<emacs\\>" (or gnus-newsgroup-name ""))
2801 gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group 1))
2805 @node Group Parameters
2806 @section Group Parameters
2807 @cindex group parameters
2809 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2811 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2812 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2813 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2814 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2815 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2816 Additionally, you can set group parameters via the
2817 @code{gnus-parameters} variable, see below.
2819 Here's an example group parameter list:
2822 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2826 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2827 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2828 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2829 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2831 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2832 is an alist of regexps and values.
2834 The following group parameters can be used:
2839 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2842 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2845 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2846 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2847 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2848 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2849 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2851 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2852 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2853 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2854 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2855 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2856 list address instead.
2858 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2862 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2865 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2868 It is totally ignored
2869 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2870 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2872 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2873 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2874 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2875 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2876 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2878 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2879 @cindex mail list groups
2880 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2881 entering summary buffer.
2883 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2888 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2889 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2890 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2891 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2892 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2893 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2894 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2895 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2898 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2899 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2902 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2903 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2907 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2908 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2909 of whether it has any unread articles.
2911 This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
2912 @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
2914 @item broken-reply-to
2915 @cindex broken-reply-to
2916 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2917 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2918 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2919 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2920 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2921 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2925 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2926 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2930 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2931 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2932 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2937 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2938 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2939 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2940 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2941 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2942 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2943 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2945 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2946 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2947 doesn't accept articles.
2951 @cindex expiring mail
2952 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2953 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2954 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2956 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2959 @cindex total-expire
2960 @cindex expiring mail
2961 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2962 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2963 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2964 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2967 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2971 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2972 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2973 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2974 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2975 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2976 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2977 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2980 @cindex expiry-target
2981 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2982 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2985 @cindex score file group parameter
2986 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2987 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2988 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2991 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2992 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2993 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2994 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2997 @cindex admin-address
2998 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2999 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
3000 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
3001 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
3005 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
3006 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
3010 Display all articles, both read and unread.
3013 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
3014 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
3017 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
3021 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
3023 Here are some examples:
3027 Display only unread articles.
3030 Display everything except expirable articles.
3032 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
3033 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
3037 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
3038 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
3039 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
3040 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
3041 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
3045 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
3046 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
3047 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
3051 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
3052 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
3053 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
3057 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
3058 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
3059 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
3061 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
3063 @item ignored-charsets
3064 @cindex ignored-charset
3065 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
3066 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
3067 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
3069 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
3072 @cindex posting-style
3073 You can store additional posting style information for this group
3074 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
3075 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
3076 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
3077 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
3079 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
3080 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
3081 like this in the group parameters:
3086 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
3087 (signature "Funky Signature"))
3090 If you're using topics to organize your group buffer
3091 (@pxref{Group Topics}), note that posting styles can also be set in
3092 the topics parameters. Posting styles in topic parameters apply to all
3093 groups in this topic. More precisely, the posting-style settings for a
3094 group result from the hierarchical merging of all posting-style
3095 entries in the parameters of this group and all the topics it belongs
3101 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
3102 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
3106 If it is set, and the setting of @code{mail-sources} includes a
3107 @code{group} mail source (@pxref{Mail Sources}), the value is a
3108 mail source for this group.
3112 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
3113 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
3114 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
3115 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
3116 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
3120 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
3121 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
3122 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
3123 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3125 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3126 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3127 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3128 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3131 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
3132 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3136 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
3137 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
3138 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
3139 like the following is generated:
3142 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3143 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3147 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3148 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3150 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3151 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3153 @item (agent parameters)
3154 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3155 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3156 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3157 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3158 minimize the configuration effort.
3160 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3161 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3162 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3163 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3164 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3165 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3166 @code{eval}ed there.
3168 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer
3169 if and only if @var{variable} has been bound as a variable. Otherwise,
3170 only evaluating the form will take place. So, you may want to bind the
3171 variable in advance using @code{defvar} or other if the result of the
3172 form needs to be set to it.
3174 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3175 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3176 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3177 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3178 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3179 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3180 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3183 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3186 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3187 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3188 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3191 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3194 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3195 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3196 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3197 into the group parameters for the group.
3199 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3200 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3201 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group. If
3202 @code{dummy-variable} has been bound (see above), it will be set to the
3203 (meaningless) result of the @code{(ding)} form.
3205 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3206 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3207 following is added to a group parameter
3210 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3211 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3214 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3219 @vindex gnus-parameters
3220 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3221 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
3222 case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
3226 (setq gnus-parameters
3228 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3229 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3230 (gnus-summary-line-format
3231 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3235 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3239 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3243 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3246 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3247 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3249 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3250 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3251 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3252 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3253 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3254 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3255 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3256 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3257 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3258 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3259 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3260 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3262 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3263 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3264 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3265 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3266 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3267 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3268 weekly news RSS feed
3269 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3275 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3276 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3277 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3278 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3279 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3281 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3282 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3283 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3284 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3285 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3286 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3290 @node Listing Groups
3291 @section Listing Groups
3292 @cindex group listing
3294 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3302 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3303 List all groups that have unread articles
3304 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3305 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3306 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3307 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3314 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3315 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3316 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3317 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3318 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3319 unsubscribed groups).
3323 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3324 List all unread groups on a specific level
3325 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3326 with no unread articles.
3330 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3331 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3332 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3333 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3338 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3339 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3343 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3344 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3345 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3349 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3350 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3354 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3355 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3356 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3357 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3358 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3359 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3360 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3361 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3365 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3366 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3367 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3371 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3372 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3373 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3377 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3378 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3382 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3383 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3387 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3388 List groups limited within the current selection
3389 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3393 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3394 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3398 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3399 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3403 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3404 @cindex visible group parameter
3405 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3406 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3407 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3408 get the same effect.
3410 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3411 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3412 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3413 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3414 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3417 @node Sorting Groups
3418 @section Sorting Groups
3419 @cindex sorting groups
3421 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3422 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3423 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3424 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3425 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3426 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3431 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3432 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3433 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3435 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3436 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3437 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3439 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3440 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3441 Sort by group level.
3443 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3444 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3445 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3447 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3448 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3449 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3450 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3452 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3453 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3454 Sort by number of unread articles.
3456 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3457 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3458 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3460 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3461 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3462 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3467 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3468 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3472 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3473 some sorting criteria:
3477 @kindex G S a (Group)
3478 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3479 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3480 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3483 @kindex G S u (Group)
3484 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3485 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3486 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3489 @kindex G S l (Group)
3490 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3491 Sort the group buffer by group level
3492 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3495 @kindex G S v (Group)
3496 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3497 Sort the group buffer by group score
3498 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3501 @kindex G S r (Group)
3502 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3503 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3504 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3507 @kindex G S m (Group)
3508 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3509 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3510 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3513 @kindex G S n (Group)
3514 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3515 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3516 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3520 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3521 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3523 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3524 commands will sort in reverse order.
3526 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3530 @kindex G P a (Group)
3531 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3532 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3533 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3536 @kindex G P u (Group)
3537 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3538 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3539 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3542 @kindex G P l (Group)
3543 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3544 Sort the groups by group level
3545 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3548 @kindex G P v (Group)
3549 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3550 Sort the groups by group score
3551 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3554 @kindex G P r (Group)
3555 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3556 Sort the groups by group rank
3557 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3560 @kindex G P m (Group)
3561 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3562 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3563 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3566 @kindex G P n (Group)
3567 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3568 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3569 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3572 @kindex G P s (Group)
3573 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3574 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3578 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3582 @node Group Maintenance
3583 @section Group Maintenance
3584 @cindex bogus groups
3589 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3590 Find bogus groups and delete them
3591 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3595 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3596 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3597 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3598 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3599 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3603 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3604 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3605 @cindex expiring mail
3606 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3607 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3608 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3609 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3612 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3613 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3614 @cindex expiring mail
3615 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3616 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3621 @node Browse Foreign Server
3622 @section Browse Foreign Server
3623 @cindex foreign servers
3624 @cindex browsing servers
3629 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3630 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3631 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3632 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3635 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3636 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3637 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3638 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3640 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3645 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3646 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3650 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3651 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3654 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3655 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3656 Enter the current group and display the first article
3657 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3660 @kindex RET (Browse)
3661 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3662 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3666 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3667 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3668 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3674 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3675 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3679 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3680 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3684 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3685 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3686 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3691 @section Exiting Gnus
3692 @cindex exiting Gnus
3694 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3699 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3700 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3701 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3702 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3706 @findex gnus-group-exit
3707 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3708 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3712 @findex gnus-group-quit
3713 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3714 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3717 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3718 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3719 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3720 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3721 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3722 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3728 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3729 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3730 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3736 @section Group Topics
3739 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3740 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3741 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3742 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3743 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3744 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3748 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3749 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3760 2: alt.religion.emacs
3763 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3765 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3766 13: comp.sources.unix
3769 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3771 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3772 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3773 is a toggling command.)
3775 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3776 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3777 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3778 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3781 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3782 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3783 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3786 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3790 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3791 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3792 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3793 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3794 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3798 @node Topic Commands
3799 @subsection Topic Commands
3800 @cindex topic commands
3802 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3803 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3804 definitions slightly.
3806 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3807 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3808 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3809 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3810 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3811 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3813 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3820 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3821 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3822 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3826 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3828 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3829 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3830 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3831 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3834 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3835 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3836 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3837 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3841 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3842 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3843 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3844 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3850 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3851 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3852 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3856 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3857 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3858 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3861 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3862 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3863 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3864 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3865 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3867 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3868 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3872 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3873 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3880 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3882 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3883 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3884 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3885 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3886 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3887 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3891 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3897 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3898 Move the current group to some other topic
3899 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3900 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3904 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3905 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3909 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3910 Copy the current group to some other topic
3911 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3912 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3916 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3917 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3918 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3922 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3923 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3924 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3928 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3929 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3930 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3931 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3932 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3933 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3934 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3937 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3938 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3942 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3943 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3944 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3948 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3949 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3950 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3954 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3955 Toggle hiding empty topics
3956 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3960 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3961 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3962 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3963 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3966 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3967 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3968 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3969 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3970 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3973 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3974 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3975 @cindex expiring mail
3976 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3977 expiry process (if any)
3978 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3982 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3983 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3986 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3987 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3988 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3992 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3993 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3994 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3997 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3998 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3999 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
4002 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
4003 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
4004 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
4008 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
4009 @cindex group parameters
4010 @cindex topic parameters
4012 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
4013 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
4018 @node Topic Variables
4019 @subsection Topic Variables
4020 @cindex topic variables
4022 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
4023 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
4025 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
4026 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
4027 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4040 Number of groups in the topic.
4042 Number of unread articles in the topic.
4044 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
4047 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
4048 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
4049 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
4052 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
4053 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
4055 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
4056 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
4057 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
4061 @subsection Topic Sorting
4062 @cindex topic sorting
4064 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
4070 @kindex T S a (Topic)
4071 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
4072 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
4073 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
4076 @kindex T S u (Topic)
4077 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
4078 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
4079 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
4082 @kindex T S l (Topic)
4083 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
4084 Sort the current topic by group level
4085 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
4088 @kindex T S v (Topic)
4089 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
4090 Sort the current topic by group score
4091 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
4094 @kindex T S r (Topic)
4095 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
4096 Sort the current topic by group rank
4097 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
4100 @kindex T S m (Topic)
4101 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
4102 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
4103 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
4106 @kindex T S e (Topic)
4107 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
4108 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
4109 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
4112 @kindex T S s (Topic)
4113 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
4114 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
4115 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
4116 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
4120 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
4121 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
4125 @node Topic Topology
4126 @subsection Topic Topology
4127 @cindex topic topology
4130 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
4137 2: alt.religion.emacs
4140 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4142 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4143 13: comp.sources.unix
4147 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4148 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4149 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4154 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4155 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4159 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4160 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4161 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4162 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4163 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4164 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4166 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4167 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4168 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4171 @node Topic Parameters
4172 @subsection Topic Parameters
4173 @cindex topic parameters
4175 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4176 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4177 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4178 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4179 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4181 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4186 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4187 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4188 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4191 @item subscribe-level
4192 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4193 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4194 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4198 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4199 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4200 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4201 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4208 2: alt.religion.emacs
4212 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4214 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4215 13: comp.sources.unix
4220 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4221 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4222 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4223 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4224 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4225 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4227 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4228 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4229 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4230 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4231 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4233 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4234 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4235 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4236 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4237 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4238 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4239 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4240 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4243 @node Non-ASCII Group Names
4244 @section Accessing groups of non-English names
4245 @cindex non-ascii group names
4247 There are some news servers that provide groups of which the names are
4248 expressed with their native languages in the world. For instance, in a
4249 certain news server there are some newsgroups of which the names are
4250 spelled in Chinese, where people are talking in Chinese. You can, of
4251 course, subscribe to such news groups using Gnus. Currently Gnus
4252 supports non-@acronym{ASCII} group names not only with the @code{nntp}
4253 back end but also with the @code{nnml} back end and the @code{nnrss}
4256 Every such group name is encoded by a certain charset in the server
4257 side (in an @acronym{NNTP} server its administrator determines the
4258 charset, but for groups in the other back ends it is determined by you).
4259 Gnus has to display the decoded ones for you in the group buffer and the
4260 article buffer, and needs to use the encoded ones when communicating
4261 with servers. However, Gnus doesn't know what charset is used for each
4262 non-@acronym{ASCII} group name. The following two variables are just
4263 the ones for telling Gnus what charset should be used for each group:
4266 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4267 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4268 An alist of select methods and charsets. The default value is
4269 @code{nil}. The names of groups in the server specified by that select
4270 method are all supposed to use the corresponding charset. For example:
4273 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4274 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4277 Charsets specified for groups with this variable are preferred to the
4278 ones specified for the same groups with the
4279 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} variable (see below).
4281 A select method can be very long, like:
4285 (nntp-address "news.gmane.org")
4286 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
4287 (nntp-open-connection-function
4288 nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
4289 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
4290 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
4291 ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
4292 (nntp-via-address @dots{}))
4295 In that case, you can truncate it into @code{(nntp "gmane")} in this
4296 variable. That is, it is enough to contain only the back end name and
4299 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4300 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4301 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4302 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
4303 @code{((".*" . utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported,
4304 otherwise the default is @code{nil}. For example:
4307 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4308 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)
4312 Note that this variable is ignored if the match is made with
4313 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist}.
4316 Those two variables are used also to determine the charset for encoding
4317 and decoding non-@acronym{ASCII} group names that are in the back ends
4318 other than @code{nntp}. It means that it is you who determine it. If
4319 you do nothing, the charset used for group names in those back ends will
4320 all be @code{utf-8} because of the last element of
4321 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4323 There is one more important variable for non-@acronym{ASCII} group
4327 @item nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4328 @vindex nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4329 The value of this variable should be a coding system or @code{nil}. The
4330 default is @code{nil} in Emacs, or is the aliasee of the coding system
4331 named @code{file-name} (a certain coding system of which an alias is
4332 @code{file-name}) in XEmacs.
4334 The @code{nnml} back end, the @code{nnrss} back end, the @acronym{NNTP}
4335 marks feature (@pxref{NNTP marks}), the agent, and the cache use
4336 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names in those files and directories. This
4337 variable overrides the value of @code{file-name-coding-system} which
4338 specifies the coding system used when encoding and decoding those file
4339 names and directory names.
4341 In XEmacs (with the @code{mule} feature), @code{file-name-coding-system}
4342 is the only means to specify the coding system used to encode and decode
4343 file names. On the other hand, Emacs uses the value of
4344 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} if @code{file-name-coding-system}
4345 is @code{nil} or it is bound to the value of
4346 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} which is @code{nil}.
4348 Normally the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system} in Emacs or
4349 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} in XEmacs is initialized according
4350 to the locale, so you will need to do nothing if the value is suitable
4351 to encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4353 The value of this variable (or @code{default-file-name-coding-system})
4354 does not necessarily need to be the same value that is determined by
4355 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} and
4356 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4358 If @code{default-file-name-coding-system} or this variable is
4359 initialized by default to @code{iso-latin-1} for example, although you
4360 want to subscribe to the groups spelled in Chinese, that is the most
4361 typical case where you have to customize
4362 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}. The @code{utf-8} coding system is
4363 a good candidate for it. Otherwise, you may change the locale in your
4364 system so that @code{default-file-name-coding-system} or this variable
4365 may be initialized to an appropriate value.
4368 Note that when you copy or move articles from a non-@acronym{ASCII}
4369 group to another group, the charset used to encode and decode group
4370 names should be the same in both groups. Otherwise the Newsgroups
4371 header will be displayed incorrectly in the article buffer.
4378 * nnir:: Searching on IMAP, with swish, namazu, etc.
4379 * nnmairix:: Searching maildir, MH or mbox with Mairix.
4384 FIXME: This node is a stub.
4386 FIXME: Add a brief overview of Gnus search capabilities. A brief
4387 comparison of nnir, nnmairix, contrib/gnus-namazu would be nice
4390 FIXME: Explain difference to @ref{Searching for Articles}, add reference
4396 FIXME: As a first step, convert the commentary of @file{nnir} to texi.
4400 @subsection nnmairix
4404 This paragraph describes how to set up mairix and the back end
4405 @code{nnmairix} for indexing and searching your mail from within
4406 Gnus. Additionally, you can create permanent ``smart'' groups which are
4407 bound to mairix searches and are automatically updated.
4410 * About mairix:: About the mairix mail search engine
4411 * nnmairix requirements:: What you will need for using nnmairix
4412 * What nnmairix does:: What does nnmairix actually do?
4413 * Setting up mairix:: Set up your mairix installation
4414 * Configuring nnmairix:: Set up the nnmairix back end
4415 * nnmairix keyboard shortcuts:: List of available keyboard shortcuts
4416 * Propagating marks:: How to propagate marks from nnmairix groups
4417 * nnmairix tips and tricks:: Some tips, tricks and examples
4418 * nnmairix caveats:: Some more stuff you might want to know
4421 @c FIXME: The markup in this section might need improvement.
4422 @c E.g. adding @samp, @var, @file, @command, etc.
4423 @c Cf. (info "(texinfo)Indicating")
4426 @subsubsection About mairix
4428 Mairix is a tool for indexing and searching words in locally stored
4429 mail. It was written by Richard Curnow and is licensed under the
4430 GPL. Mairix comes with most popular GNU/Linux distributions, but it also
4431 runs under Windows (with cygwin), Mac OS X and Solaris. The homepage can
4433 @uref{http://www.rpcurnow.force9.co.uk/mairix/index.html}
4435 Though mairix might not be as flexible as other search tools like
4436 swish++ or namazu, which you can use via the @code{nnir} back end, it
4437 has the prime advantage of being incredibly fast. On current systems, it
4438 can easily search through headers and message bodies of thousands and
4439 thousands of mails in well under a second. Building the database
4440 necessary for searching might take a minute or two, but only has to be
4441 done once fully. Afterwards, the updates are done incrementally and
4442 therefore are really fast, too. Additionally, mairix is very easy to set
4445 For maximum speed though, mairix should be used with mails stored in
4446 @code{Maildir} or @code{MH} format (this includes the @code{nnml} back
4447 end), although it also works with mbox. Mairix presents the search
4448 results by populating a @emph{virtual} maildir/MH folder with symlinks
4449 which point to the ``real'' message files (if mbox is used, copies are
4450 made). Since mairix already presents search results in such a virtual
4451 mail folder, it is very well suited for using it as an external program
4452 for creating @emph{smart} mail folders, which represent certain mail
4453 searches. This is similar to a Kiboze group (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}),
4456 @node nnmairix requirements
4457 @subsubsection nnmairix requirements
4459 Mairix searches local mail---that means, mairix absolutely must have
4460 direct access to your mail folders. If your mail resides on another
4461 server (e.g. an @acronym{IMAP} server) and you happen to have shell
4462 access, @code{nnmairix} supports running mairix remotely, e.g. via ssh.
4464 Additionally, @code{nnmairix} only supports the following Gnus back
4465 ends: @code{nnml}, @code{nnmaildir}, and @code{nnimap}. You must use
4466 one of these back ends for using @code{nnmairix}. Other back ends, like
4467 @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnfolder} or @code{nnmh}, won't work.
4469 If you absolutely must use mbox and still want to use @code{nnmairix},
4470 you can set up a local @acronym{IMAP} server, which you then access via
4471 @code{nnimap}. This is a rather massive setup for accessing some mbox
4472 files, so just change to MH or Maildir already... However, if you're
4473 really, really passionate about using mbox, you might want to look into
4474 the package @file{mairix.el}, which comes with Emacs 23.
4476 @node What nnmairix does
4477 @subsubsection What nnmairix does
4479 The back end @code{nnmairix} enables you to call mairix from within Gnus,
4480 either to query mairix with a search term or to update the
4481 database. While visiting a message in the summary buffer, you can use
4482 several pre-defined shortcuts for calling mairix, e.g. to quickly
4483 search for all mails from the sender of the current message or to
4484 display the whole thread associated with the message, even if the
4485 mails are in different folders.
4487 Additionally, you can create permanent @code{nnmairix} groups which are bound
4488 to certain mairix searches. This way, you can easily create a group
4489 containing mails from a certain sender, with a certain subject line or
4490 even for one specific thread based on the Message-ID. If you check for
4491 new mail in these folders (e.g. by pressing @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g}), they
4492 automatically update themselves by calling mairix.
4494 You might ask why you need @code{nnmairix} at all, since mairix already
4495 creates the group, populates it with links to the mails so that you can
4496 then access it with Gnus, right? Well, this @emph{might} work, but often
4497 does not---at least not without problems. Most probably you will get
4498 strange article counts, and sometimes you might see mails which Gnus
4499 claims have already been canceled and are inaccessible. This is due to
4500 the fact that Gnus isn't really amused when things are happening behind
4501 its back. Another problem can be the mail back end itself, e.g. if you
4502 use mairix with an @acronym{IMAP} server (I had Dovecot complaining
4503 about corrupt index files when mairix changed the contents of the search
4504 group). Using @code{nnmairix} should circumvent these problems.
4506 @code{nnmairix} is not really a mail back end---it's actually more like
4507 a wrapper, sitting between a ``real'' mail back end where mairix stores
4508 the searches and the Gnus front end. You can choose between three
4509 different mail back ends for the mairix folders: @code{nnml},
4510 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnimap}. @code{nnmairix} will call the mairix
4511 binary so that the search results are stored in folders named
4512 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>} on this mail back end, but it will
4513 present these folders in the Gnus front end only with @code{<NAME>}.
4514 You can use an existing mail back end where you already store your mail,
4515 but if you're uncomfortable with @code{nnmairix} creating new mail
4516 groups alongside your other mail, you can also create e.g. a new
4517 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml} server exclusively for mairix, but then
4518 make sure those servers do not accidentally receive your new mail
4519 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). A special case exists if you want to use
4520 mairix remotely on an IMAP server with @code{nnimap}---here the mairix
4521 folders and your other mail must be on the same @code{nnimap} back end.
4523 @node Setting up mairix
4524 @subsubsection Setting up mairix
4526 First: create a backup of your mail folders (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}).
4528 Setting up mairix is easy: simply create a @file{.mairixrc} file with
4529 (at least) the following entries:
4532 # Your Maildir/MH base folder
4536 This is the base folder for your mails. All the following directories
4537 are relative to this base folder. If you want to use @code{nnmairix}
4538 with @code{nnimap}, this base directory has to point to the mail
4539 directory where the @acronym{IMAP} server stores the mail folders!
4542 maildir= ... your maildir folders which should be indexed ...
4543 mh= ... your nnml/mh folders which should be indexed ...
4544 mbox = ... your mbox files which should be indexed ...
4547 This specifies all your mail folders and mbox files (relative to the
4548 base directory!) you want to index with mairix. Note that the
4549 @code{nnml} back end saves mails in MH format, so you have to put those
4550 directories in the @code{mh} line. See the example at the end of this
4551 section and mairixrc's man-page for further details.
4557 @vindex nnmairix-group-prefix
4558 This should make sure that you don't accidentally index the mairix
4559 search results. You can change the prefix of these folders with the
4560 variable @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
4563 mformat= ... 'maildir' or 'mh' ...
4564 database= ... location of database file ...
4567 The @code{format} setting specifies the output format for the mairix
4568 search folder. Set this to @code{mh} if you want to access search results
4569 with @code{nnml}. Otherwise choose @code{maildir}.
4571 To summarize, here is my shortened @file{.mairixrc} file as an example:
4575 maildir=.personal:.work:.logcheck:.sent
4576 mh=../Mail/nnml/*...
4577 mbox=../mboxmail/mailarchive_year*
4580 database=~/.mairixdatabase
4583 In this case, the base directory is @file{~/Maildir}, where all my Maildir
4584 folders are stored. As you can see, the folders are separated by
4585 colons. If you wonder why every folder begins with a dot: this is
4586 because I use Dovecot as @acronym{IMAP} server, which again uses
4587 @code{Maildir++} folders. For testing nnmairix, I also have some
4588 @code{nnml} mail, which is saved in @file{~/Mail/nnml}. Since this has
4589 to be specified relative to the @code{base} directory, the @code{../Mail}
4590 notation is needed. Note that the line ends in @code{*...}, which means
4591 to recursively scan all files under this directory. Without the three
4592 dots, the wildcard @code{*} will not work recursively. I also have some
4593 old mbox files with archived mail lying around in @file{~/mboxmail}.
4594 The other lines should be obvious.
4596 See the man page for @code{mairixrc} for details and further options,
4597 especially regarding wildcard usage, which may be a little different
4598 than you are used to.
4600 Now simply call @code{mairix} to create the index for the first time.
4601 Note that this may take a few minutes, but every following index will do
4602 the updates incrementally and hence is very fast.
4604 @node Configuring nnmairix
4605 @subsubsection Configuring nnmairix
4607 In group mode, type @kbd{G b c}
4608 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). This will ask you for all
4609 necessary information and create a @code{nnmairix} server as a foreign
4610 server. You will have to specify the following:
4615 The @strong{name} of the @code{nnmairix} server---choose whatever you
4619 The name of the @strong{back end server} where mairix should store its
4620 searches. This must be a full server name, like @code{nnml:mymail}.
4621 Just hit @kbd{TAB} to see the available servers. Currently, servers
4622 which are accessed through @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnimap} and
4623 @code{nnml} are supported. As explained above, for locally stored
4624 mails, this can be an existing server where you store your mails.
4625 However, you can also create e.g. a new @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml}
4626 server exclusively for @code{nnmairix} in your secondary select methods
4627 (@pxref{Finding the News}). If you use a secondary @code{nnml} server
4628 just for mairix, make sure that you explicitly set the server variable
4629 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}, or you might loose mail
4630 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). If you want to use mairix remotely on an
4631 @acronym{IMAP} server, you have to choose the corresponding
4632 @code{nnimap} server here.
4635 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-search-options
4636 The @strong{command} to call the mairix binary. This will usually just
4637 be @code{mairix}, but you can also choose something like @code{ssh
4638 SERVER mairix} if you want to call mairix remotely, e.g. on your
4639 @acronym{IMAP} server. If you want to add some default options to
4640 mairix, you could do this here, but better use the variable
4641 @code{nnmairix-mairix-search-options} instead.
4644 The name of the @strong{default search group}. This will be the group
4645 where all temporary mairix searches are stored, i.e. all searches which
4646 are not bound to permanent @code{nnmairix} groups. Choose whatever you
4650 If the mail back end is @code{nnimap} or @code{nnmaildir}, you will be
4651 asked if you work with @strong{Maildir++}, i.e. with hidden maildir
4652 folders (=beginning with a dot). For example, you have to answer
4653 @samp{yes} here if you work with the Dovecot @acronym{IMAP}
4654 server. Otherwise, you should answer @samp{no} here.
4658 @node nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
4659 @subsubsection nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
4666 @kindex G b c (Group)
4667 @findex nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group
4668 Creates @code{nnmairix} server and default search group for this server
4669 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). You should have done
4670 this by now (@pxref{Configuring nnmairix}).
4673 @kindex G b s (Group)
4674 @findex nnmairix-search
4675 Prompts for query which is then sent to the mairix binary. Search
4676 results are put into the default search group which is automatically
4677 displayed (@code{nnmairix-search}).
4680 @kindex G b m (Group)
4681 @findex nnmairix-widget-search
4682 Allows you to create a mairix search or a permanent group more
4683 comfortably using graphical widgets, similar to a customization
4684 group. Just try it to see how it works (@code{nnmairix-widget-search}).
4687 @kindex G b i (Group)
4688 @findex nnmairix-search-interactive
4689 Another command for creating a mairix query more comfortably, but uses
4690 only the minibuffer (@code{nnmairix-search-interactive}).
4693 @kindex G b g (Group)
4694 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group
4695 Creates a permanent group which is associated with a search query
4696 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group}). The @code{nnmairix} back end
4697 automatically calls mairix when you update this group with @kbd{g} or
4701 @kindex G b q (Group)
4702 @findex nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group
4703 Changes the search query for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor
4704 (@code{nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group}).
4707 @kindex G b t (Group)
4708 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group
4709 Toggles the 'threads' parameter for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor,
4710 i.e. if you want see the whole threads of the found messages
4711 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group}).
4714 @kindex G b u (Group)
4715 @findex nnmairix-update-database
4716 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-update-options
4717 Calls mairix binary for updating the database
4718 (@code{nnmairix-update-database}). The default parameters are @code{-F}
4719 and @code{-Q} for making this as fast as possible (see variable
4720 @code{nnmairix-mairix-update-options} for defining these default
4724 @kindex G b r (Group)
4725 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group
4726 Keep articles in this @code{nnmairix} group always read or unread, or leave the
4727 marks unchanged (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group}).
4730 @kindex G b d (Group)
4731 @findex nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group
4732 Recreate @code{nnmairix} group on the ``real'' mail back end
4733 (@code{nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group}). You can do this if
4734 you always get wrong article counts with a @code{nnmairix} group.
4737 @kindex G b a (Group)
4738 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group
4739 Toggles the @code{allow-fast} parameters for group under cursor
4740 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group}). The default
4741 behavior of @code{nnmairix} is to do a mairix search every time you
4742 update or enter the group. With the @code{allow-fast} parameter set,
4743 mairix will only be called when you explicitly update the group, but not
4744 upon entering. This makes entering the group faster, but it may also
4745 lead to dangling symlinks if something changed between updating and
4746 entering the group which is not yet in the mairix database.
4749 @kindex G b p (Group)
4750 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group
4751 Toggle marks propagation for this group
4752 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group}). (@pxref{Propagating
4756 @kindex G b o (Group)
4757 @findex nnmairix-propagate-marks
4758 Manually propagate marks (@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks}); needed only when
4759 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} is set to @code{nil}.
4768 @kindex $ m (Summary)
4769 @findex nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article
4770 Allows you to create a mairix query or group based on the current
4771 message using graphical widgets (same as @code{nnmairix-widget-search})
4772 (@code{nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article}).
4775 @kindex $ g (Summary)
4776 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message
4777 Interactively creates a new search group with query based on the current
4778 message, but uses the minibuffer instead of graphical widgets
4779 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message}).
4782 @kindex $ t (Summary)
4783 @findex nnmairix-search-thread-this-article
4784 Searches thread for the current article
4785 (@code{nnmairix-search-thread-this-article}). This is effectively a
4786 shortcut for calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{m:msgid} of the
4787 current article and enabled threads.
4790 @kindex $ f (Summary)
4791 @findex nnmairix-search-from-this-article
4792 Searches all messages from sender of the current article
4793 (@code{nnmairix-search-from-this-article}). This is a shortcut for
4794 calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{f:From}.
4797 @kindex $ o (Summary)
4798 @findex nnmairix-goto-original-article
4799 (Only in @code{nnmairix} groups!) Tries determine the group this article
4800 originally came from and displays the article in this group, so that
4801 e.g. replying to this article the correct posting styles/group
4802 parameters are applied (@code{nnmairix-goto-original-article}). This
4803 function will use the registry if available, but can also parse the
4804 article file name as a fallback method.
4807 @kindex $ u (Summary)
4808 @findex nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article
4809 Remove possibly existing tick mark from original article
4810 (@code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article}). (@pxref{nnmairix
4815 @node Propagating marks
4816 @subsubsection Propagating marks
4818 First of: you really need a patched mairix binary for using the marks
4819 propagation feature efficiently. Otherwise, you would have to update
4820 the mairix database all the time. You can get the patch at
4822 @uref{http://www.randomsample.de/mairix-maildir-patch.tar}
4824 You need the mairix v0.21 source code for this patch; everything else
4825 is explained in the accompanied readme file. If you don't want to use
4826 marks propagation, you don't have to apply these patches, but they also
4827 fix some annoyances regarding changing maildir flags, so it might still
4830 With the patched mairix binary, you can use @code{nnmairix} as an
4831 alternative to mail splitting (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}). For
4832 example, instead of splitting all mails from @samp{david@@foobar.com}
4833 into a group, you can simply create a search group with the query
4834 @samp{f:david@@foobar.com}. This is actually what ``smart folders'' are
4835 all about: simply put everything in one mail folder and dynamically
4836 create searches instead of splitting. This is more flexible, since you
4837 can dynamically change your folders any time you want to. This also
4838 implies that you will usually read your mails in the @code{nnmairix}
4839 groups instead of your ``real'' mail groups.
4841 There is one problem, though: say you got a new mail from
4842 @samp{david@@foobar.com}; it will now show up in two groups, the
4843 ``real'' group (your INBOX, for example) and in the @code{nnmairix}
4844 search group (provided you have updated the mairix database). Now you
4845 enter the @code{nnmairix} group and read the mail. The mail will be
4846 marked as read, but only in the @code{nnmairix} group---in the ``real''
4847 mail group it will be still shown as unread.
4849 You could now catch up the mail group (@pxref{Group Data}), but this is
4850 tedious and error prone, since you may overlook mails you don't have
4851 created @code{nnmairix} groups for. Of course, you could first use
4852 @code{nnmairix-goto-original-article} (@pxref{nnmairix keyboard
4853 shortcuts}) and then read the mail in the original group, but that's
4854 even more cumbersome.
4856 Clearly, the easiest way would be if marks could somehow be
4857 automatically set for the original article. This is exactly what
4858 @emph{marks propagation} is about.
4860 Marks propagation is deactivated by default. You can activate it for a
4861 certain @code{nnmairix} group with
4862 @code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group} (bound to @kbd{G b
4863 p}). This function will warn you if you try to use it with your default
4864 search group; the reason is that the default search group is used for
4865 temporary searches, and it's easy to accidentally propagate marks from
4866 this group. However, you can ignore this warning if you really want to.
4868 With marks propagation enabled, all the marks you set in a @code{nnmairix}
4869 group should now be propagated to the original article. For example,
4870 you can now tick an article (by default with @kbd{!}) and this mark should
4871 magically be set for the original article, too.
4873 A few more remarks which you may or may not want to know:
4875 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close
4876 Marks will not be set immediately, but only upon closing a group. This
4877 not only makes marks propagation faster, it also avoids problems with
4878 dangling symlinks when dealing with maildir files (since changing flags
4879 will change the file name). You can also control when to propagate marks
4880 via @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} (see the doc-string for
4883 Obviously, @code{nnmairix} will have to look up the original group for every
4884 article you want to set marks for. If available, @code{nnmairix} will first use
4885 the registry for determining the original group. The registry is very
4886 fast, hence you should really, really enable the registry when using
4887 marks propagation. If you don't have to worry about RAM and disc space,
4888 set @code{gnus-registry-max-entries} to a large enough value; to be on
4889 the safe side, choose roughly the amount of mails you index with mairix.
4891 @vindex nnmairix-only-use-registry
4892 If you don't want to use the registry or the registry hasn't seen the
4893 original article yet, @code{nnmairix} will use an additional mairix
4894 search for determining the file name of the article. This, of course, is
4895 way slower than the registry---if you set hundreds or even thousands of
4896 marks this way, it might take some time. You can avoid this situation by
4897 setting @code{nnmairix-only-use-registry} to t.
4899 Maybe you also want to propagate marks the other way round, i.e. if you
4900 tick an article in a "real" mail group, you'd like to have the same
4901 article in a @code{nnmairix} group ticked, too. For several good
4902 reasons, this can only be done efficiently if you use maildir. To
4903 immediately contradict myself, let me mention that it WON'T work with
4904 @code{nnmaildir}, since @code{nnmaildir} stores the marks externally and
4905 not in the file name. Therefore, propagating marks to @code{nnmairix}
4906 groups will usually only work if you use an IMAP server which uses
4907 maildir as its file format.
4909 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups
4910 If you work with this setup, just set
4911 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t} and see what
4912 happens. If you don't like what you see, just set it to @code{nil} again. One
4913 problem might be that you get a wrong number of unread articles; this
4914 usually happens when you delete or expire articles in the original
4915 groups. When this happens, you can recreate the @code{nnmairix} group on the
4916 back end using @kbd{G b d}.
4918 @node nnmairix tips and tricks
4919 @subsubsection nnmairix tips and tricks
4925 @findex nnmairix-update-groups
4926 I put all my important mail groups at group level 1. The mairix groups
4927 have group level 5, so they do not get checked at start up (@pxref{Group
4930 I use the following to check for mails:
4933 (defun my-check-mail-mairix-update (level)
4935 ;; if no prefix given, set level=1
4936 (gnus-group-get-new-news (or level 1))
4937 (nnmairix-update-groups "mairixsearch" t t)
4938 (gnus-group-list-groups))
4940 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map "g" 'my-check-mail-mairix-update)
4943 Instead of @samp{"mairixsearch"} use the name of your @code{nnmairix}
4944 server. See the doc string for @code{nnmairix-update-groups} for
4948 Example: search group for ticked articles
4950 For example, you can create a group for all ticked articles, where the
4951 articles always stay unread:
4953 Hit @kbd{G b g}, enter group name (e.g. @samp{important}), use
4954 @samp{F:f} as query and do not include threads.
4956 Now activate marks propagation for this group by using @kbd{G b p}. Then
4957 activate the always-unread feature by using @kbd{G b r} twice.
4959 So far so good---but how do you remove the tick marks in the @code{nnmairix}
4960 group? There are two options: You may simply use
4961 @code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article} (bound to @kbd{$ u}) to remove
4962 tick marks from the original article. The other possibility is to set
4963 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t}, but see the above
4964 comments about this option. If it works for you, the tick marks should
4965 also exist in the @code{nnmairix} group and you can remove them as usual,
4966 e.g. by marking an article as read.
4968 When you have removed a tick mark from the original article, this
4969 article should vanish from the @code{nnmairix} group after you have updated the
4970 mairix database and updated the group. Fortunately, there is a function
4971 for doing exactly that: @code{nnmairix-update-groups}. See the previous code
4972 snippet and the doc string for details.
4975 Dealing with auto-subscription of mail groups
4977 As described before, all @code{nnmairix} groups are in fact stored on
4978 the mail back end in the form @samp{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can
4979 see them when you enter the back end server in the server buffer. You
4980 should not subscribe these groups! Unfortunately, these groups will
4981 usually get @emph{auto-subscribed} when you use @code{nnmaildir} or
4982 @code{nnml}, i.e. you will suddenly see groups of the form
4983 @samp{zz_mairix*} pop up in your group buffer. If this happens to you,
4984 simply kill these groups with C-k. For avoiding this, turn off
4985 auto-subscription completely by setting the variable
4986 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups} to @code{nil} (@pxref{Filtering New
4987 Groups}), or if you like to keep this feature use the following kludge
4988 for turning it off for all groups beginning with @samp{zz_}:
4991 (setq gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
4992 "^\\(nnml\\|nnfolder\\|nnmbox\\|nnmh\\|nnbabyl\\|nnmaildir\\).*:\\([^z]\\|z$\\|\\z[^z]\\|zz$\\|zz[^_]\\|zz_$\\).*")
4997 @node nnmairix caveats
4998 @subsubsection nnmairix caveats
5002 You can create a secondary @code{nnml} server just for nnmairix, but then
5003 you have to explicitly set the corresponding server variable
5004 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}. Otherwise, new mail might get
5005 put into this secondary server (and would never show up again). Here's
5006 an example server definition:
5009 (nnml "mairix" (nnml-directory "mairix") (nnml-get-new-mail nil))
5012 (The @code{nnmaildir} back end also has a server variabe
5013 @code{get-new-mail}, but its default value is @code{nil}, so you don't
5014 have to explicitly set it if you use a @code{nnmaildir} server just for
5018 If you use the Gnus registry: don't use the registry with
5019 @code{nnmairix} groups (put them in
5020 @code{gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups}). Be @emph{extra careful} if
5021 you use @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}; mails which are
5022 split into @code{nnmairix} groups are usually gone for good as soon as
5023 you check the group for new mail (yes, it has happened to me...).
5026 Therefore: @emph{Never ever} put ``real'' mails into @code{nnmairix}
5027 groups (you shouldn't be able to, anyway).
5030 If you use the Gnus agent (@pxref{Gnus Unplugged}): don't agentize
5031 @code{nnmairix} groups (though I have no idea what happens if you do).
5034 mairix does only support us-ascii characters.
5037 @code{nnmairix} uses a rather brute force method to force Gnus to
5038 completely reread the group on the mail back end after mairix was
5039 called---it simply deletes and re-creates the group on the mail
5040 back end. So far, this has worked for me without any problems, and I
5041 don't see how @code{nnmairix} could delete other mail groups than its
5042 own, but anyway: you really should have a backup of your mail
5046 All necessary information is stored in the group parameters
5047 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). This has the advantage that no active file
5048 is needed, but also implies that when you kill a @code{nnmairix} group,
5049 it is gone for good.
5052 @findex nnmairix-purge-old-groups
5053 If you create and kill a lot of @code{nnmairix} groups, the
5054 ``zz_mairix-*'' groups will accumulate on the mail back end server. To
5055 delete old groups which are no longer needed, call
5056 @code{nnmairix-purge-old-groups}. Note that this assumes that you don't
5057 save any ``real'' mail in folders of the form
5058 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can change the prefix of
5059 @code{nnmairix} groups by changing the variable
5060 @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
5063 The following only applies if you @emph{don't} use the mentioned patch
5064 for mairix (@pxref{Propagating marks}):
5066 A problem can occur when using @code{nnmairix} with maildir folders and
5067 comes with the fact that maildir stores mail flags like @samp{Seen} or
5068 @samp{Replied} by appending chars @samp{S} and @samp{R} to the message
5069 file name, respectively. This implies that currently you would have to
5070 update the mairix database not only when new mail arrives, but also when
5071 mail flags are changing. The same applies to new mails which are indexed
5072 while they are still in the @samp{new} folder but then get moved to
5073 @samp{cur} when Gnus has seen the mail. If you don't update the database
5074 after this has happened, a mairix query can lead to symlinks pointing to
5075 non-existing files. In Gnus, these messages will usually appear with
5076 ``(none)'' entries in the header and can't be accessed. If this happens
5077 to you, using @kbd{G b u} and updating the group will usually fix this.
5081 @node Misc Group Stuff
5082 @section Misc Group Stuff
5085 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
5086 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
5087 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
5088 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
5089 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
5096 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
5097 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
5098 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
5101 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
5104 (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
5107 On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
5108 @xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
5112 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
5113 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
5114 @xref{Server Buffer}.
5118 @findex gnus-group-post-news
5119 Start composing a message (a news by default)
5120 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
5121 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5122 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
5123 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
5124 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
5128 @findex gnus-group-mail
5129 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
5130 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
5131 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5132 @xref{Composing Messages}.
5136 @findex gnus-group-news
5137 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
5138 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
5139 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
5141 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5142 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5143 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5144 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5145 for this to work though.
5149 @findex gnus-group-compact-group
5151 Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
5152 Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
5153 gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
5158 Variables for the group buffer:
5162 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
5163 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
5164 is called after the group buffer has been
5167 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
5168 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
5169 is called after the group buffer is
5170 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
5173 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
5174 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
5175 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
5176 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
5178 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
5179 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
5180 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
5181 whether they are empty or not.
5185 @node Scanning New Messages
5186 @subsection Scanning New Messages
5187 @cindex new messages
5188 @cindex scanning new news
5194 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
5195 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
5196 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
5197 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
5198 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
5199 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
5204 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
5205 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
5206 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
5207 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
5208 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
5209 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
5210 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
5212 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
5213 @cindex activating groups
5215 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
5216 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
5221 @findex gnus-group-restart
5222 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
5223 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
5224 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
5228 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
5229 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
5231 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
5232 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
5236 @node Group Information
5237 @subsection Group Information
5238 @cindex group information
5239 @cindex information on groups
5246 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
5247 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
5250 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
5251 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
5252 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
5253 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
5254 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
5255 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
5256 used for fetching the file.
5258 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
5259 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
5263 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
5264 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
5266 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
5267 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
5270 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
5271 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
5272 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
5276 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
5277 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
5278 @cindex control message
5279 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
5280 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
5281 group if given a prefix argument.
5283 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
5284 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
5285 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
5286 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
5288 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
5289 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
5290 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
5294 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
5296 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
5297 @cindex describing groups
5298 @cindex group description
5299 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
5300 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
5301 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
5305 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
5306 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
5307 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
5314 @findex gnus-version
5315 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
5319 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
5320 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
5323 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
5326 @findex gnus-info-find-node
5327 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
5331 @node Group Timestamp
5332 @subsection Group Timestamp
5334 @cindex group timestamps
5336 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
5337 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
5338 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
5341 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
5344 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
5346 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
5347 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
5350 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5351 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
5354 This will result in lines looking like:
5357 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
5358 0: custom 19961002T012713
5361 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
5362 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
5366 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5367 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
5370 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
5371 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
5375 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5376 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
5377 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
5378 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
5380 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
5386 @subsection File Commands
5387 @cindex file commands
5393 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
5394 @vindex gnus-init-file
5395 @cindex reading init file
5396 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
5397 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
5401 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
5402 @cindex saving .newsrc
5403 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
5404 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
5405 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
5408 @c @kindex Z (Group)
5409 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
5410 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
5415 @node Sieve Commands
5416 @subsection Sieve Commands
5417 @cindex group sieve commands
5419 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
5420 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
5421 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
5422 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
5423 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
5425 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5426 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
5427 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
5428 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
5429 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
5430 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
5431 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
5432 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
5433 regenerate the Sieve script.
5435 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
5436 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
5437 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
5438 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
5439 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
5440 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
5441 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
5442 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
5443 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
5444 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
5447 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
5448 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
5453 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
5459 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
5460 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5461 @cindex generating sieve script
5462 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
5463 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
5467 @findex gnus-sieve-update
5468 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5469 @cindex updating sieve script
5470 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
5471 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
5472 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
5477 @node Summary Buffer
5478 @chapter Summary Buffer
5479 @cindex summary buffer
5481 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
5482 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
5484 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
5485 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
5487 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
5489 You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
5490 customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
5494 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
5495 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
5496 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
5498 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
5502 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
5503 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
5504 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
5505 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
5506 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
5507 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
5508 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
5509 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
5510 * Threading:: How threads are made.
5511 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
5512 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
5513 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
5514 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
5515 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
5516 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
5517 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
5518 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
5519 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
5520 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
5521 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
5522 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
5523 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
5524 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
5525 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
5526 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
5527 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
5528 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
5529 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
5530 or reselecting the current group.
5531 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
5532 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
5533 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
5534 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
5538 @node Summary Buffer Format
5539 @section Summary Buffer Format
5540 @cindex summary buffer format
5544 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
5545 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
5546 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
5552 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
5553 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
5554 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
5555 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
5558 @findex mail-extract-address-components
5559 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
5560 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
5561 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
5562 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
5563 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
5564 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
5565 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
5566 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
5567 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
5568 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
5571 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
5572 'mail-extract-address-components)
5575 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
5576 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
5577 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
5578 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
5581 @node Summary Buffer Lines
5582 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
5584 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5585 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
5586 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
5587 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
5588 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
5590 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
5591 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
5592 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
5593 possible to change this. Just write a new function
5594 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
5595 @xref{Positioning Point}.
5597 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
5599 The following format specification characters and extended format
5600 specification(s) are understood:
5606 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
5607 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
5609 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
5610 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
5611 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
5613 Full @code{From} header.
5615 The name (from the @code{From} header).
5617 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
5620 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
5621 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
5622 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
5623 may be more thorough.
5625 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
5628 Number of lines in the article.
5630 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
5631 in some methods (like nnfolder).
5633 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
5634 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
5636 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
5638 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
5639 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
5652 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
5653 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
5654 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
5655 line-drawing glyphs.
5657 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
5658 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
5659 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
5660 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
5662 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
5663 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
5664 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
5665 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
5667 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
5668 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
5669 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
5670 instead. The default is @samp{}.
5672 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
5673 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
5674 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
5676 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
5677 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
5678 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
5680 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
5681 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
5682 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
5684 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
5685 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
5686 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
5691 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
5692 pushes everything after it off the screen).
5694 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
5695 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
5697 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
5698 for adopted articles.
5700 One space for each thread level.
5702 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
5704 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
5707 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
5708 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
5709 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
5712 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
5714 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
5715 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
5716 default level. If the difference between
5717 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
5718 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
5726 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
5728 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
5734 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
5735 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
5737 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
5738 article has any children.
5744 Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
5746 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
5747 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
5749 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
5750 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
5751 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
5752 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
5753 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
5754 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
5757 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
5758 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
5759 There can only be one such area.
5761 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
5762 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
5763 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
5764 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
5765 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
5766 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
5768 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
5769 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
5771 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
5774 @node To From Newsgroups
5775 @subsection To From Newsgroups
5779 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
5780 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
5781 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
5782 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
5783 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
5787 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
5788 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
5789 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
5793 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5794 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
5797 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
5798 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
5801 @findex gnus-extra-header
5802 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
5803 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
5804 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
5807 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
5811 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5812 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
5813 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
5814 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
5815 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
5816 headers are used instead.
5818 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
5819 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
5820 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
5821 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
5822 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
5823 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
5827 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
5828 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
5829 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
5830 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
5831 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
5832 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
5835 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5836 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
5837 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
5838 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
5840 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
5844 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5846 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
5847 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
5848 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
5849 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5853 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
5856 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
5857 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
5860 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
5861 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
5862 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
5868 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
5869 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
5872 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
5873 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
5875 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
5876 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
5877 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
5878 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
5880 Here are the elements you can play with:
5886 Unprefixed group name.
5888 Current article number.
5890 Current article score.
5894 Number of unread articles in this group.
5896 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
5899 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
5900 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
5901 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
5902 and no unselected ones.
5904 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
5905 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
5907 Subject of the current article.
5909 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
5911 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
5913 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5915 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5917 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
5919 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
5923 @node Summary Highlighting
5924 @subsection Summary Highlighting
5928 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5929 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5930 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
5931 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
5932 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5934 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
5935 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
5936 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
5937 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5939 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
5940 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
5941 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
5942 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
5944 @item gnus-summary-highlight
5945 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
5946 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
5947 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
5948 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
5949 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
5952 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
5953 ((> score default) . bold))
5955 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
5956 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
5960 @node Summary Maneuvering
5961 @section Summary Maneuvering
5962 @cindex summary movement
5964 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
5965 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
5967 None of these commands select articles.
5972 @kindex M-n (Summary)
5973 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
5974 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
5975 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
5976 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
5980 @kindex M-p (Summary)
5981 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
5982 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
5983 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
5984 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
5987 @kindex G g (Summary)
5988 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
5989 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
5990 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
5993 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
5994 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
5995 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5996 to the group buffer.
5998 Variables related to summary movement:
6002 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
6003 @item gnus-auto-select-next
6004 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
6005 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
6006 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
6007 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
6008 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
6009 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
6010 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
6011 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
6012 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
6013 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
6014 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
6015 @pxref{Group Levels}.
6017 @item gnus-auto-select-same
6018 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
6019 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
6020 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
6021 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
6022 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
6023 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
6025 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
6027 @item gnus-summary-check-current
6028 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
6029 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
6030 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
6031 Instead, they will choose the current article.
6033 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
6034 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
6035 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
6036 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
6037 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
6038 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
6039 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
6040 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
6043 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
6044 the given number of lines from the top.
6049 @node Choosing Articles
6050 @section Choosing Articles
6051 @cindex selecting articles
6054 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
6055 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
6059 @node Choosing Commands
6060 @subsection Choosing Commands
6062 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
6063 and they all select and display an article.
6065 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
6066 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
6070 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
6071 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
6072 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
6073 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
6075 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
6076 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
6077 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
6082 @kindex G n (Summary)
6083 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
6084 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
6085 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
6090 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
6091 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
6092 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
6097 @kindex G N (Summary)
6098 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
6099 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
6104 @kindex G P (Summary)
6105 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
6106 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
6109 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
6110 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
6111 Go to the next article with the same subject
6112 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
6115 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
6116 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
6117 Go to the previous article with the same subject
6118 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
6122 @kindex G f (Summary)
6124 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
6125 Go to the first unread article
6126 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
6130 @kindex G b (Summary)
6132 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
6133 Go to the unread article with the highest score
6134 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
6135 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
6140 @kindex G l (Summary)
6141 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
6142 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
6145 @kindex G o (Summary)
6146 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
6148 @cindex article history
6149 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
6150 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
6151 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
6152 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
6153 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
6154 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
6159 @kindex G j (Summary)
6160 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
6161 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
6162 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
6167 @node Choosing Variables
6168 @subsection Choosing Variables
6170 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
6173 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
6174 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
6175 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
6176 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
6177 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
6178 the server and display it in the article buffer.
6180 @item gnus-select-article-hook
6181 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
6182 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
6183 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
6184 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
6187 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
6188 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
6189 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
6190 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
6191 @findex gnus-unread-mark
6192 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
6193 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
6194 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
6195 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
6196 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
6197 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
6198 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
6199 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
6200 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
6205 @node Paging the Article
6206 @section Scrolling the Article
6207 @cindex article scrolling
6212 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
6213 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
6214 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
6215 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
6216 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
6218 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
6219 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
6220 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
6221 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
6222 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
6223 what is considered uninteresting with
6224 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
6225 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
6228 @kindex DEL (Summary)
6229 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
6230 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
6233 @kindex RET (Summary)
6234 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
6235 Scroll the current article one line forward
6236 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
6239 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
6240 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
6241 Scroll the current article one line backward
6242 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
6246 @kindex A g (Summary)
6248 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
6249 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
6250 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
6251 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
6252 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
6253 the way it came from the server.
6255 @cindex charset, view article with different charset
6256 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
6257 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
6258 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
6261 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
6266 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
6271 @kindex A < (Summary)
6272 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
6273 Scroll to the beginning of the article
6274 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
6279 @kindex A > (Summary)
6280 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
6281 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
6285 @kindex A s (Summary)
6287 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
6288 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
6289 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
6293 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
6294 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
6299 @node Reply Followup and Post
6300 @section Reply, Followup and Post
6303 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
6304 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
6305 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
6306 * Canceling and Superseding::
6310 @node Summary Mail Commands
6311 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
6313 @cindex composing mail
6315 Commands for composing a mail message:
6321 @kindex S r (Summary)
6323 @findex gnus-summary-reply
6324 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
6325 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
6326 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
6327 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
6332 @kindex S R (Summary)
6333 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
6334 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
6335 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
6336 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
6337 command uses the process/prefix convention.
6340 @kindex S w (Summary)
6341 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
6342 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
6343 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
6344 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
6345 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
6346 present, that's used instead.
6349 @kindex S W (Summary)
6350 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
6351 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
6352 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
6353 the process/prefix convention.
6356 @kindex S v (Summary)
6357 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
6358 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
6359 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
6360 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
6361 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
6362 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
6365 @kindex S V (Summary)
6366 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
6367 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
6368 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
6369 command uses the process/prefix convention.
6372 @kindex S B r (Summary)
6373 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
6374 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
6375 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
6376 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
6377 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
6378 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
6379 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
6382 @kindex S B R (Summary)
6383 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
6384 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
6385 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
6386 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
6390 @kindex S o m (Summary)
6391 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
6392 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
6393 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
6394 Forward the current article to some other person
6395 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
6396 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
6397 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
6398 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
6399 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
6400 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
6401 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
6402 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
6403 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
6409 @kindex S m (Summary)
6410 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
6411 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
6412 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
6413 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
6414 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
6419 @kindex S i (Summary)
6420 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
6421 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
6422 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
6423 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
6425 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
6426 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
6427 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
6428 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
6429 for this to work though.
6432 @kindex S D b (Summary)
6433 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
6434 @cindex bouncing mail
6435 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
6436 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
6437 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
6438 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
6439 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
6440 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
6441 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
6442 very well fail, though.
6445 @kindex S D r (Summary)
6446 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
6447 Not to be confused with the previous command,
6448 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
6449 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
6450 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
6451 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
6452 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
6453 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
6454 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
6456 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
6457 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
6458 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
6459 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
6460 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
6462 This command understands the process/prefix convention
6463 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6466 @kindex S D e (Summary)
6467 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
6469 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
6470 if it were a new message before resending.
6473 @kindex S O m (Summary)
6474 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
6475 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
6476 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
6477 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6480 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
6481 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
6482 @cindex crossposting
6483 @cindex excessive crossposting
6484 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
6485 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
6487 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
6488 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
6489 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
6490 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
6491 command understands the process/prefix convention
6492 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
6496 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
6497 Manual}, for more information.
6500 @node Summary Post Commands
6501 @subsection Summary Post Commands
6503 @cindex composing news
6505 Commands for posting a news article:
6511 @kindex S p (Summary)
6512 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
6513 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
6514 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
6515 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
6516 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
6521 @kindex S f (Summary)
6522 @findex gnus-summary-followup
6523 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
6524 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
6528 @kindex S F (Summary)
6530 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
6531 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
6532 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
6533 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
6534 process/prefix convention.
6537 @kindex S n (Summary)
6538 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
6539 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
6540 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
6543 @kindex S N (Summary)
6544 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
6545 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
6546 message through mail and include the original message
6547 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
6548 the process/prefix convention.
6551 @kindex S o p (Summary)
6552 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
6553 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
6554 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
6555 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
6556 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
6557 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
6558 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
6559 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
6560 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
6561 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
6562 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
6563 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
6566 @kindex S O p (Summary)
6567 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
6569 @cindex making digests
6570 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
6571 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
6572 process/prefix convention.
6575 @kindex S u (Summary)
6576 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
6577 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
6578 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
6579 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
6582 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
6583 Manual}, for more information.
6586 @node Summary Message Commands
6587 @subsection Summary Message Commands
6591 @kindex S y (Summary)
6592 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
6593 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
6594 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
6595 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
6596 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6601 @node Canceling and Superseding
6602 @subsection Canceling Articles
6603 @cindex canceling articles
6604 @cindex superseding articles
6606 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
6607 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
6609 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
6611 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
6613 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
6614 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
6615 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
6616 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
6617 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
6618 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6620 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
6621 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
6624 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
6625 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
6626 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
6628 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
6629 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
6630 message, Message Manual}).
6632 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
6633 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
6634 your original article.
6636 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
6638 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
6639 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
6640 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
6643 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
6644 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
6645 have posted almost the same article twice.
6647 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
6648 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
6649 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
6650 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
6651 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
6652 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
6653 header by substituting one of those words for the word
6654 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
6655 you would do normally. The previous article will be
6656 canceled/superseded.
6658 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
6660 @node Delayed Articles
6661 @section Delayed Articles
6662 @cindex delayed sending
6663 @cindex send delayed
6665 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
6666 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
6667 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
6668 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
6671 (gnus-delay-initialize)
6674 @findex gnus-delay-article
6675 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
6676 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
6677 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
6678 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
6682 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
6683 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
6684 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
6685 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
6688 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
6689 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
6690 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
6693 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
6694 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
6695 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
6696 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
6697 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
6698 that means a time tomorrow.
6701 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
6702 couple of variables:
6705 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
6706 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
6707 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
6708 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
6710 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
6711 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
6712 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
6713 formats described above.
6715 @item gnus-delay-group
6716 @vindex gnus-delay-group
6717 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
6718 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
6719 value is @code{"delayed"}.
6721 @item gnus-delay-header
6722 @vindex gnus-delay-header
6723 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
6724 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
6725 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
6728 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
6729 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
6730 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
6731 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
6732 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
6734 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
6735 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
6736 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
6737 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
6738 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
6739 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
6740 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
6743 @item gnus-delay-initialize
6744 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
6745 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
6746 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
6747 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
6748 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
6749 argument is ignored.
6751 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
6752 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
6753 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
6757 @node Marking Articles
6758 @section Marking Articles
6759 @cindex article marking
6760 @cindex article ticking
6763 There are several marks you can set on an article.
6765 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
6766 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
6767 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
6769 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
6772 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
6776 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
6777 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
6778 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
6779 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
6780 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
6781 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
6785 @node Unread Articles
6786 @subsection Unread Articles
6788 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
6793 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
6794 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
6796 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
6797 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
6798 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
6799 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
6800 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
6801 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
6802 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
6805 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
6806 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
6808 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
6809 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
6810 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
6811 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
6815 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
6816 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
6818 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
6823 @subsection Read Articles
6824 @cindex expirable mark
6826 All the following marks mark articles as read.
6831 @vindex gnus-del-mark
6832 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
6833 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
6836 @vindex gnus-read-mark
6837 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
6840 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
6841 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
6842 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
6845 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
6846 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
6849 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
6850 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
6853 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
6854 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
6857 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
6858 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
6861 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
6862 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
6865 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
6866 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
6869 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
6870 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
6874 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
6875 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
6876 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
6880 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
6881 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
6883 One more special mark, though:
6887 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
6888 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
6890 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
6891 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
6892 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
6893 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
6899 @subsection Other Marks
6900 @cindex process mark
6903 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
6909 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
6910 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
6911 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
6912 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
6913 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
6916 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
6917 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
6918 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
6919 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
6922 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
6923 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
6924 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
6927 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
6928 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
6929 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6932 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
6933 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
6934 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
6935 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
6938 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
6939 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
6940 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
6941 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
6942 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
6943 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
6946 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
6947 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
6948 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
6949 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
6952 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
6953 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
6954 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
6955 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
6956 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
6960 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
6961 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
6962 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
6963 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
6964 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
6965 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
6968 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
6969 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
6970 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
6971 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
6972 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
6973 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
6977 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
6978 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
6979 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
6980 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
6981 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
6984 @vindex gnus-process-mark
6985 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
6986 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
6987 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
6988 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
6989 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
6993 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
6994 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
6995 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
6997 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
6998 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6999 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
7003 @subsection Setting Marks
7004 @cindex setting marks
7006 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
7011 @kindex M c (Summary)
7012 @kindex M-u (Summary)
7013 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
7014 @cindex mark as unread
7015 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
7016 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
7022 @kindex M t (Summary)
7023 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
7024 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
7025 @xref{Article Caching}.
7030 @kindex M ? (Summary)
7031 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
7032 Mark the current article as dormant
7033 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
7037 @kindex M d (Summary)
7039 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
7040 Mark the current article as read
7041 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
7045 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
7046 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
7047 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
7052 @kindex M k (Summary)
7053 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
7054 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
7055 and then select the next unread article
7056 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
7060 @kindex M K (Summary)
7061 @kindex C-k (Summary)
7062 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
7063 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
7064 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
7067 @kindex M C (Summary)
7068 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
7069 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
7070 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
7073 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
7074 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
7075 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
7076 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
7079 @kindex M H (Summary)
7080 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
7081 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
7082 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
7085 @kindex M h (Summary)
7086 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
7087 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
7088 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
7091 @kindex C-w (Summary)
7092 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
7093 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
7094 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
7097 @kindex M V k (Summary)
7098 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
7099 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
7100 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
7104 @kindex M e (Summary)
7106 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
7107 Mark the current article as expirable
7108 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
7111 @kindex M b (Summary)
7112 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
7113 Set a bookmark in the current article
7114 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
7117 @kindex M B (Summary)
7118 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
7119 Remove the bookmark from the current article
7120 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
7123 @kindex M V c (Summary)
7124 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
7125 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
7126 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
7129 @kindex M V u (Summary)
7130 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
7131 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
7132 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
7135 @kindex M V m (Summary)
7136 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
7137 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
7138 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
7139 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
7142 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
7143 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
7144 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
7145 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
7146 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
7147 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
7148 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
7149 The default is @code{t}.
7152 @node Generic Marking Commands
7153 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
7155 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
7156 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
7157 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
7158 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
7159 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
7162 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
7163 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
7166 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
7167 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
7168 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
7169 to list in this manual.
7171 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
7172 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
7173 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
7174 article, you could say something like:
7178 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
7179 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
7180 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
7188 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
7189 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
7193 @node Setting Process Marks
7194 @subsection Setting Process Marks
7195 @cindex setting process marks
7197 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
7198 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
7199 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
7200 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
7201 articles into the cache. For more information,
7202 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
7209 @kindex M P p (Summary)
7210 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
7211 Mark the current article with the process mark
7212 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
7213 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
7217 @kindex M P u (Summary)
7218 @kindex M-# (Summary)
7219 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
7220 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
7223 @kindex M P U (Summary)
7224 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
7225 Remove the process mark from all articles
7226 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
7229 @kindex M P i (Summary)
7230 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
7231 Invert the list of process marked articles
7232 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
7235 @kindex M P R (Summary)
7236 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
7237 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
7238 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
7241 @kindex M P G (Summary)
7242 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
7243 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
7244 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
7247 @kindex M P r (Summary)
7248 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
7249 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
7252 @kindex M P g (Summary)
7253 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
7254 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
7257 @kindex M P t (Summary)
7258 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7259 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
7260 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7263 @kindex M P T (Summary)
7264 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7265 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
7266 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7269 @kindex M P v (Summary)
7270 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
7271 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
7272 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
7275 @kindex M P s (Summary)
7276 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
7277 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
7280 @kindex M P S (Summary)
7281 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
7282 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
7283 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
7286 @kindex M P a (Summary)
7287 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
7288 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
7291 @kindex M P b (Summary)
7292 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
7293 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
7294 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
7297 @kindex M P k (Summary)
7298 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
7299 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
7300 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
7303 @kindex M P y (Summary)
7304 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
7305 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
7306 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
7309 @kindex M P w (Summary)
7310 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
7311 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
7312 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
7316 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
7317 set process marks based on article body contents.
7324 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
7325 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
7326 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
7329 Limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched from
7330 the servers. These commands don't query the server for additional
7337 @kindex / / (Summary)
7338 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
7339 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
7340 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
7344 @kindex / a (Summary)
7345 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
7346 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
7347 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
7351 @kindex / R (Summary)
7352 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
7353 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
7354 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
7358 @kindex / A (Summary)
7359 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
7360 Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
7361 header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
7362 given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
7365 @kindex / S (Summary)
7366 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
7367 Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
7368 threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
7369 limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
7372 @kindex / x (Summary)
7373 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
7374 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
7375 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
7376 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
7381 @kindex / u (Summary)
7383 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
7384 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
7385 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
7386 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
7387 dormant articles will also be excluded.
7390 @kindex / m (Summary)
7391 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
7392 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
7393 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
7396 @kindex / t (Summary)
7397 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
7398 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
7399 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
7400 articles younger than that number of days.
7403 @kindex / n (Summary)
7404 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
7405 With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
7406 articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
7407 instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
7410 @kindex / w (Summary)
7411 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
7412 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
7413 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
7417 @kindex / . (Summary)
7418 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
7419 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
7420 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
7423 @kindex / v (Summary)
7424 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
7425 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
7426 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
7429 @kindex / p (Summary)
7430 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
7431 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
7432 group parameter predicate
7433 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
7434 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
7437 @kindex / r (Summary)
7438 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
7439 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
7440 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
7445 @kindex M S (Summary)
7446 @kindex / E (Summary)
7447 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
7448 Include all expunged articles in the limit
7449 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
7452 @kindex / D (Summary)
7453 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
7454 Include all dormant articles in the limit
7455 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
7458 @kindex / * (Summary)
7459 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
7460 Include all cached articles in the limit
7461 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
7464 @kindex / d (Summary)
7465 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
7466 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
7467 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
7470 @kindex / M (Summary)
7471 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
7472 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
7475 @kindex / T (Summary)
7476 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
7477 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
7480 @kindex / c (Summary)
7481 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
7482 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
7483 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
7486 @kindex / C (Summary)
7487 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
7488 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
7489 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
7490 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
7493 @kindex / b (Summary)
7494 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
7495 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
7496 certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
7497 prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
7498 requires selecting each article to find the matches.
7501 @kindex / h (Summary)
7502 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
7503 Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
7504 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
7509 The following commands aren't limiting commands, but use the @kbd{/}
7514 @kindex / N (Summary)
7515 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
7516 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
7517 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
7520 @kindex / o (Summary)
7521 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
7522 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
7523 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
7531 @cindex article threading
7533 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
7534 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
7535 hierarchical fashion.
7537 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
7538 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
7539 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
7540 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
7541 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
7542 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
7543 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
7545 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
7549 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
7552 A tree-like article structure.
7555 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
7558 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
7559 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
7560 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
7561 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
7562 called loose threads.
7564 @item thread gathering
7565 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
7567 @item sparse threads
7568 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
7569 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
7575 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
7576 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
7580 @node Customizing Threading
7581 @subsection Customizing Threading
7582 @cindex customizing threading
7585 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
7586 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
7587 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
7588 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
7593 @subsubsection Loose Threads
7596 @cindex loose threads
7599 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
7600 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
7601 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
7602 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
7603 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
7604 read or killed the root in a previous session.
7606 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
7607 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
7608 There are four possible values:
7612 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
7613 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
7614 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
7615 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
7616 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
7621 @cindex adopting articles
7626 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
7627 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
7628 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
7629 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
7632 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
7633 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
7634 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
7635 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
7636 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
7637 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
7638 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
7639 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
7640 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
7641 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
7644 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
7645 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
7646 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
7650 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
7651 display them after one another.
7654 Don't gather loose threads.
7657 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
7658 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
7659 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
7660 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
7661 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
7662 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
7663 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
7664 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
7665 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
7666 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
7667 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
7669 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
7670 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
7671 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
7674 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
7675 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
7676 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
7677 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
7678 simplification is used.
7680 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7681 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7682 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
7683 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
7685 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
7687 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7693 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
7694 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
7695 "answer" "reference" "announce"
7696 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
7701 (mapconcat 'identity
7702 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
7704 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
7707 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
7710 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
7711 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
7712 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
7713 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
7714 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
7715 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
7717 Useful functions to put in this list include:
7720 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
7721 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
7722 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
7724 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
7725 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
7728 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
7729 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
7730 Remove excessive whitespace.
7732 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
7733 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
7734 Remove all whitespace.
7737 You may also write your own functions, of course.
7740 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
7741 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
7742 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
7743 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
7744 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
7745 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
7746 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
7747 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
7749 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7750 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7751 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
7752 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
7753 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
7754 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
7755 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
7756 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
7757 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
7761 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7762 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7763 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
7764 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
7766 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7767 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7768 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
7771 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
7775 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7776 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
7782 @node Filling In Threads
7783 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
7786 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
7787 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
7788 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
7789 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
7790 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
7791 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
7792 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
7793 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
7794 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
7795 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
7796 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
7797 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
7800 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
7801 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
7802 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
7804 The server has to support @acronym{NOV} for any of this to work.
7806 @cindex Gmane, gnus-fetch-old-headers
7807 This feature can seriously impact performance it ignores all locally
7808 cached header entries. Setting it to @code{t} for groups for a server
7809 that doesn't expire articles (such as news.gmane.org), leads to very
7810 slow summary generation.
7812 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7813 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7814 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
7817 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
7818 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
7819 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
7820 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
7821 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
7822 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
7823 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
7824 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
7825 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
7826 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
7827 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
7828 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
7829 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
7830 @code{nil} by default.
7832 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
7833 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
7834 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
7835 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
7836 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
7837 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
7838 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
7840 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
7841 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
7842 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
7847 @node More Threading
7848 @subsubsection More Threading
7851 @item gnus-show-threads
7852 @vindex gnus-show-threads
7853 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
7854 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
7855 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
7856 slower and more awkward.
7858 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7859 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7860 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
7863 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
7864 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
7865 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
7870 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7871 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
7872 gnus-article-unseen-p))
7875 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
7876 unread, but you get my drift.)
7879 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
7880 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
7881 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
7882 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
7883 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
7884 threads are expunged.
7886 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
7887 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
7888 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
7891 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7892 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7893 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
7894 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
7895 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
7896 result in a new thread.
7898 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
7899 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
7900 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
7903 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7904 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7905 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
7906 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
7907 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
7908 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
7909 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
7910 Setting this variable to an alternate value
7911 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
7912 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
7913 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
7918 @node Low-Level Threading
7919 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
7923 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
7924 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
7925 Hook run before parsing any headers.
7927 @item gnus-alter-header-function
7928 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
7929 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
7930 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
7931 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
7932 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
7933 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
7934 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
7935 meaningful. Here's one example:
7938 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
7940 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
7941 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
7943 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
7945 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
7952 @node Thread Commands
7953 @subsection Thread Commands
7954 @cindex thread commands
7960 @kindex T k (Summary)
7961 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
7962 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
7963 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
7964 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
7965 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
7970 @kindex T l (Summary)
7971 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
7972 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
7973 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
7974 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
7977 @kindex T i (Summary)
7978 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
7979 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
7980 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
7983 @kindex T # (Summary)
7984 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7985 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
7986 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7989 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
7990 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7991 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
7992 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7995 @kindex T T (Summary)
7996 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
7997 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
8000 @kindex T s (Summary)
8001 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
8002 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
8003 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
8006 @kindex T h (Summary)
8007 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
8008 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
8011 @kindex T S (Summary)
8012 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
8013 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
8016 @kindex T H (Summary)
8017 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
8018 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
8021 @kindex T t (Summary)
8022 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
8023 Re-thread the current article's thread
8024 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
8025 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
8028 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
8029 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
8030 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
8031 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
8034 @kindex T M-^ (Summary)
8035 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
8036 Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
8037 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
8041 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
8042 understand the numeric prefix.
8047 @kindex T n (Summary)
8049 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
8051 @kindex M-down (Summary)
8052 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
8053 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
8056 @kindex T p (Summary)
8058 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
8060 @kindex M-up (Summary)
8061 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
8062 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
8065 @kindex T d (Summary)
8066 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
8067 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
8070 @kindex T u (Summary)
8071 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
8072 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
8075 @kindex T o (Summary)
8076 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
8077 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
8080 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
8081 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
8082 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
8083 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
8084 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
8085 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
8086 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
8087 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
8088 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
8089 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
8090 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
8091 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
8095 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
8096 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
8098 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
8099 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
8100 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
8101 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
8102 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
8103 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
8104 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
8105 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
8106 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
8107 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
8108 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
8109 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
8110 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
8111 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
8112 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
8114 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
8115 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
8116 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
8117 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
8118 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date},
8119 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
8120 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
8121 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
8122 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
8123 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
8125 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
8126 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
8127 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
8129 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
8130 last function in the list. You should probably always include
8131 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
8132 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
8133 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
8134 ascending article order.
8136 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
8137 by number, you could do something like:
8140 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
8141 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
8142 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
8143 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
8146 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
8147 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
8148 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
8149 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
8150 which the articles arrived.
8152 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
8156 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
8157 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
8158 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
8161 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
8162 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
8163 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
8164 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
8167 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
8168 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
8169 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-date
8170 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
8171 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
8172 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
8173 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
8174 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
8175 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-number
8176 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
8177 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
8178 variable. It is very similar to the
8179 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
8180 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
8181 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
8182 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
8183 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
8184 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
8185 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
8187 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
8191 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
8192 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
8193 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
8196 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
8197 @xref{Group Parameters}.
8200 @node Asynchronous Fetching
8201 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
8202 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
8203 @cindex article pre-fetch
8206 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
8207 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
8208 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
8209 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
8210 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
8212 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
8213 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
8215 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
8216 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
8217 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
8218 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
8219 connection is blocked.
8221 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
8222 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
8223 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
8224 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
8226 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
8227 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
8228 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
8229 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
8232 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
8235 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
8236 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
8237 happen automatically.
8239 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
8240 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
8241 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
8242 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
8243 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
8244 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
8245 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
8247 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
8248 @findex gnus-async-unread-p
8249 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
8250 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
8251 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
8252 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
8253 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
8254 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
8255 article data structure as the only parameter.
8257 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
8258 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
8261 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
8262 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
8263 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
8264 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
8267 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
8270 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
8271 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
8272 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
8274 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
8275 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
8276 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
8277 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
8281 Remove articles when they are read.
8284 Remove articles when exiting the group.
8287 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
8289 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
8290 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
8291 @c from the next group.
8294 @node Article Caching
8295 @section Article Caching
8296 @cindex article caching
8299 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
8300 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
8301 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
8302 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
8303 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
8305 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
8307 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8308 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
8309 @vindex gnus-use-cache
8310 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
8311 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
8312 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
8313 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
8314 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
8316 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
8317 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
8318 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
8319 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
8320 as dormant, and don't worry.
8322 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
8324 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
8325 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
8326 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
8327 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
8328 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
8329 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
8330 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
8331 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
8332 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
8333 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
8335 @findex gnus-jog-cache
8336 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
8337 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
8338 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
8339 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
8340 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
8341 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
8342 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
8343 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
8344 not then be downloaded by this command.
8346 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
8347 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
8348 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
8349 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
8350 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
8351 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
8353 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
8354 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
8355 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
8356 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
8357 variables, the group is not cached.
8359 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
8360 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
8361 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
8362 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
8363 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
8364 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
8365 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
8366 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
8367 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
8370 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
8371 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
8372 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
8373 where, isn't that cool?
8375 @node Persistent Articles
8376 @section Persistent Articles
8377 @cindex persistent articles
8379 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
8380 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
8381 useful in my opinion.
8383 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
8384 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
8385 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
8386 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
8387 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
8388 the expiry going on at the news server.
8390 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
8391 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
8392 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
8398 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
8399 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
8402 @kindex M-* (Summary)
8403 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
8404 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
8405 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
8409 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
8411 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
8412 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
8413 interested in persistent articles:
8416 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
8419 @node Sticky Articles
8420 @section Sticky Articles
8421 @cindex sticky articles
8423 When you select an article the current article buffer will be reused
8424 according to the value of the variable
8425 @code{gnus-single-article-buffer}. If its value is non-@code{nil} (the
8426 default) all articles reuse the same article buffer. Else each group
8427 has its own article buffer.
8429 This implies that it's not possible to have more than one article buffer
8430 in a group at a time. But sometimes you might want to display all the
8431 latest emails from your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle and
8432 your 17 cousins to coordinate the next christmas party.
8434 That's where sticky articles come in handy. A sticky article buffer
8435 basically is a normal article buffer, but it won't be reused when you
8436 select another article. You can make an article sticky with:
8440 @kindex A S (Summary)
8441 @findex gnus-sticky-article
8442 Make the current article sticky. If a prefix arg is given, ask for a
8443 name for this sticky article buffer.
8446 To close a sticky article buffer you can use these commands:
8452 Puts this sticky article buffer at the end of the list of all buffers.
8456 @findex gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffer
8457 Kills this sticky article buffer.
8460 To kill all sticky article buffers you can use:
8462 @defun gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffers ARG
8463 Kill all sticky article buffers.
8464 If a prefix ARG is given, ask for confirmation.
8467 @node Article Backlog
8468 @section Article Backlog
8470 @cindex article backlog
8472 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
8473 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
8474 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
8475 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
8476 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
8477 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
8478 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
8479 increase memory usage some.
8481 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
8482 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
8483 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
8484 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
8485 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
8486 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
8487 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
8489 The default value is 20.
8492 @node Saving Articles
8493 @section Saving Articles
8494 @cindex saving articles
8496 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
8497 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
8498 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
8499 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
8500 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
8502 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
8503 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
8504 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
8506 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
8507 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
8508 unwanted headers before saving the article.
8510 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
8511 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
8512 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
8513 deleted before saving.
8519 @kindex O o (Summary)
8521 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
8522 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
8523 Save the current article using the default article saver
8524 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
8527 @kindex O m (Summary)
8528 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
8529 Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
8530 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
8533 @kindex O r (Summary)
8534 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
8535 Save the current article in Rmail format
8536 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}). This is mbox since Emacs 23,
8537 Babyl in older versions.
8540 @kindex O f (Summary)
8541 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
8542 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
8543 Save the current article in plain file format
8544 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
8547 @kindex O F (Summary)
8548 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
8549 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
8550 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
8553 @kindex O b (Summary)
8554 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
8555 Save the current article body in plain file format
8556 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
8559 @kindex O h (Summary)
8560 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
8561 Save the current article in mh folder format
8562 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
8565 @kindex O v (Summary)
8566 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
8567 Save the current article in a VM folder
8568 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
8572 @kindex O p (Summary)
8574 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
8575 @vindex gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command
8576 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
8577 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
8578 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
8579 complete headers in the piped output. The symbolic prefix @code{r} is
8580 special; it lets this command pipe a raw article including all headers.
8581 The @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} variable can be set
8582 to a string containing the default command and options (default
8586 @kindex O P (Summary)
8587 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
8588 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
8589 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
8590 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
8591 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
8592 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
8593 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
8597 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
8598 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
8599 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
8600 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
8601 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
8602 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
8603 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
8604 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
8605 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
8606 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
8607 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
8608 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
8612 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
8613 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
8614 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
8615 functions below, or you can create your own.
8619 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
8620 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
8621 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
8622 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8623 This is the default format, that used by the Rmail package. Since Emacs
8624 23, Rmail uses standard mbox format. Before this, it used the
8625 @dfn{Babyl} format. Accordingly, this command writes mbox format since
8626 Emacs 23, unless appending to an existing Babyl file. In older versions
8627 of Emacs, it always uses Babyl format. Uses the function in the
8628 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8629 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
8631 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
8632 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
8633 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
8634 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
8635 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8636 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
8638 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
8639 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
8640 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
8641 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8642 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
8643 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8644 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8646 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
8647 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
8648 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
8649 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
8650 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8651 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8653 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
8654 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
8655 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
8656 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8657 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8659 @item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
8660 @findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
8661 Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
8662 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
8663 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8664 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8666 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
8667 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
8668 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
8669 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
8670 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
8673 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
8674 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
8675 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
8676 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
8677 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
8679 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
8680 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
8681 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
8682 reader to use this setting.
8684 @item gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
8685 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
8686 Pipe the article to a shell command. This function takes optional two
8687 arguments COMMAND and RAW. Valid values for COMMAND include:
8691 The executable command name and possibly arguments.
8693 You will be prompted for the command in the minibuffer.
8694 @item the symbol @code{default}@*
8695 It will be replaced with the command which the variable
8696 @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} holds or the command
8697 last used for saving.
8700 Non-@code{nil} value for RAW overrides @code{:decode} and
8701 @code{:headers} properties (see below) and the raw article including all
8702 headers will be piped.
8705 The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
8709 The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
8710 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
8711 @code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
8712 @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file},
8713 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}, and
8714 @code{gnus-summary-save-in-pipe}.
8717 The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
8718 overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
8719 articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
8720 @code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
8721 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
8722 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
8725 The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
8726 specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
8727 @code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
8728 headers should be saved.
8731 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
8732 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
8733 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
8734 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
8737 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
8738 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
8739 available functions that generate names:
8743 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
8744 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
8745 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8747 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
8748 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8749 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8751 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
8752 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
8753 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8755 @item gnus-plain-save-name
8756 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8757 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8759 @item gnus-sender-save-name
8760 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
8761 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
8764 @vindex gnus-split-methods
8765 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
8766 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
8767 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
8768 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
8772 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
8773 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
8774 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
8775 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
8778 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
8779 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
8780 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
8781 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
8782 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
8783 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
8784 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
8785 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
8786 called returns a string or a list of strings.
8788 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
8789 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
8790 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
8791 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
8793 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
8794 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
8795 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
8798 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
8799 lots of mail groups called things like
8800 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
8801 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
8802 following will do just that:
8805 (defun my-save-name (group)
8806 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
8807 (substring group (match-end 0))))
8809 (setq gnus-split-methods
8810 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
8815 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8816 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
8817 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
8818 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
8819 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
8820 all the files in the top level directory
8821 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
8822 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
8823 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
8824 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
8826 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
8827 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
8828 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
8829 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
8830 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
8833 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
8837 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
8838 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
8839 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
8842 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
8843 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
8844 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
8845 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
8848 @node Decoding Articles
8849 @section Decoding Articles
8850 @cindex decoding articles
8852 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
8853 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
8856 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
8857 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
8858 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
8859 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
8860 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
8861 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
8865 @cindex article series
8866 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
8867 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
8868 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
8869 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
8870 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
8872 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
8873 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
8874 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
8876 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
8877 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
8878 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
8880 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
8881 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
8882 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
8885 @node Uuencoded Articles
8886 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
8888 @cindex uuencoded articles
8893 @kindex X u (Summary)
8894 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
8895 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
8896 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
8899 @kindex X U (Summary)
8900 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
8901 Uudecodes and saves the current series
8902 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8905 @kindex X v u (Summary)
8906 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
8907 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
8910 @kindex X v U (Summary)
8911 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
8912 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
8913 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
8917 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
8918 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
8919 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
8920 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
8921 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8923 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
8924 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
8925 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
8926 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
8929 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
8930 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
8931 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
8932 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
8933 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
8934 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
8938 @node Shell Archives
8939 @subsection Shell Archives
8941 @cindex shell archives
8942 @cindex shared articles
8944 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
8945 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
8946 some commands to deal with these:
8951 @kindex X s (Summary)
8952 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
8953 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
8956 @kindex X S (Summary)
8957 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
8958 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
8961 @kindex X v s (Summary)
8962 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
8963 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
8966 @kindex X v S (Summary)
8967 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
8968 Unshars, views and saves the current series
8969 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
8973 @node PostScript Files
8974 @subsection PostScript Files
8980 @kindex X p (Summary)
8981 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
8982 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
8985 @kindex X P (Summary)
8986 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
8987 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
8988 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
8991 @kindex X v p (Summary)
8992 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
8993 View the current PostScript series
8994 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
8997 @kindex X v P (Summary)
8998 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
8999 View and save the current PostScript series
9000 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
9005 @subsection Other Files
9009 @kindex X o (Summary)
9010 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
9011 Save the current series
9012 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
9015 @kindex X b (Summary)
9016 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
9017 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
9018 doesn't really work yet.
9021 @kindex X Y (Summary)
9022 @findex gnus-uu-decode-yenc
9023 yEnc-decode the current series and save it (@code{gnus-uu-decode-yenc}).
9027 @node Decoding Variables
9028 @subsection Decoding Variables
9030 Adjective, not verb.
9033 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
9034 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
9035 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
9039 @node Rule Variables
9040 @subsubsection Rule Variables
9041 @cindex rule variables
9043 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
9044 variables are of the form
9047 (list '(regexp1 command2)
9054 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
9055 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
9057 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
9058 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
9061 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
9062 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
9065 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
9066 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
9067 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
9068 user and default view rules.
9070 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
9071 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
9072 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
9077 @node Other Decode Variables
9078 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
9081 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
9083 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
9084 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
9085 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
9086 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
9087 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
9091 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
9092 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
9095 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
9096 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
9097 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
9100 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
9101 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
9102 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
9103 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
9104 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
9107 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
9108 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
9109 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
9111 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
9112 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
9113 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
9114 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
9115 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
9118 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
9119 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
9120 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
9122 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
9123 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
9124 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
9125 looking for files to display.
9127 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
9128 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
9129 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
9132 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
9133 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
9134 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
9137 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
9138 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
9139 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
9142 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
9143 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
9144 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
9147 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
9148 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
9149 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
9150 decoded articles as unread.
9152 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
9153 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
9154 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
9155 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
9157 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
9158 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
9159 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
9161 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
9162 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
9164 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
9165 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
9166 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
9167 @code{metamail} for viewing.
9169 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
9170 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
9171 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
9172 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
9173 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
9174 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
9175 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
9176 simply dropped them.
9181 @node Uuencoding and Posting
9182 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
9186 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
9187 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
9188 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
9189 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
9190 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
9191 for you when you post the article.
9193 @item gnus-uu-post-length
9194 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
9195 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
9196 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
9198 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
9199 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
9200 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
9201 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
9202 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
9203 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
9204 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
9206 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
9207 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
9208 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
9209 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
9210 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
9211 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
9212 Default is @code{t}.
9218 @subsection Viewing Files
9219 @cindex viewing files
9220 @cindex pseudo-articles
9222 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
9223 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
9224 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
9225 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
9226 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
9227 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
9228 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
9230 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
9231 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
9232 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
9233 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
9235 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
9236 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
9237 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
9239 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
9240 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
9241 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
9242 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
9243 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
9245 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
9246 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
9247 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
9248 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
9249 a list of parameters to that command.
9251 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
9252 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
9253 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
9255 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
9256 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
9257 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
9260 @node Article Treatment
9261 @section Article Treatment
9263 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
9264 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
9265 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
9266 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
9267 these articles easier.
9270 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
9271 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
9272 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
9273 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
9274 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
9275 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
9276 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
9277 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
9278 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
9279 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
9280 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
9284 @node Article Highlighting
9285 @subsection Article Highlighting
9286 @cindex highlighting
9288 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
9289 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
9294 @kindex W H a (Summary)
9295 @findex gnus-article-highlight
9296 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
9297 Do much highlighting of the current article
9298 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
9299 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
9302 @kindex W H h (Summary)
9303 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
9304 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
9305 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
9306 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
9307 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
9308 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
9309 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
9310 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
9311 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
9312 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
9313 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
9316 @kindex W H c (Summary)
9317 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
9318 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
9320 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
9323 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
9325 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
9326 If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
9327 25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
9329 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
9330 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
9331 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
9333 @item gnus-cite-face-list
9334 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
9335 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
9336 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
9337 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
9338 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
9340 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
9341 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
9342 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
9344 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
9345 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
9346 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
9348 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
9349 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
9350 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
9351 that it's a citation.
9353 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
9354 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
9355 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
9357 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
9358 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
9359 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
9361 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
9362 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
9363 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
9364 cited text belonging to the attribution.
9366 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
9367 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
9368 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
9369 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
9370 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
9377 @kindex W H s (Summary)
9378 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9379 @vindex gnus-signature-face
9380 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
9381 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
9382 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
9383 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
9384 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
9389 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
9392 @node Article Fontisizing
9393 @subsection Article Fontisizing
9395 @cindex article emphasis
9397 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
9398 @kindex W e (Summary)
9399 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
9400 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
9401 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
9402 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
9404 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
9405 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
9406 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
9407 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
9408 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
9409 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
9410 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
9411 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
9415 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
9416 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
9417 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
9426 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
9427 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
9428 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
9429 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
9430 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
9431 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
9432 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
9433 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
9434 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
9435 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
9436 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
9437 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
9438 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
9440 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
9441 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
9442 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
9446 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
9449 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
9451 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
9452 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
9453 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
9454 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
9456 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
9459 @node Article Hiding
9460 @subsection Article Hiding
9461 @cindex article hiding
9463 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
9464 too much cruft in most articles.
9469 @kindex W W a (Summary)
9470 @findex gnus-article-hide
9471 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
9472 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
9473 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
9476 @kindex W W h (Summary)
9477 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
9478 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
9482 @kindex W W b (Summary)
9483 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9484 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
9485 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
9488 @kindex W W s (Summary)
9489 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
9490 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
9494 @kindex W W l (Summary)
9495 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
9496 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
9497 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
9498 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
9499 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
9500 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
9501 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
9505 @item gnus-list-identifiers
9506 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
9507 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
9508 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
9513 @kindex W W P (Summary)
9514 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
9515 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
9516 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
9519 @kindex W W B (Summary)
9520 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
9521 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
9522 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9525 @cindex stripping advertisements
9526 @cindex advertisements
9527 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
9528 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
9529 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
9530 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
9531 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
9532 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
9533 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
9534 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
9535 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
9536 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
9539 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
9540 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
9541 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
9545 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9546 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9547 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
9548 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
9549 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
9550 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
9551 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
9552 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
9553 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
9554 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
9555 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
9558 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
9559 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
9565 @kindex W W c (Summary)
9566 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
9567 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
9568 customizing the hiding:
9572 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
9573 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
9574 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
9575 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
9576 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
9577 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
9578 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
9583 Starting point of the hidden text.
9585 Ending point of the hidden text.
9587 Number of characters in the hidden region.
9589 Number of lines of hidden text.
9592 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
9593 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
9594 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
9595 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
9596 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
9601 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
9602 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
9604 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
9605 following two variables:
9608 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
9609 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
9610 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
9611 50), hide the cited text.
9613 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
9614 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
9615 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
9620 @kindex W W C (Summary)
9621 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
9622 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
9623 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
9624 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
9625 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
9629 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
9630 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
9631 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
9633 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
9634 citation customization.
9636 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
9640 @node Article Washing
9641 @subsection Article Washing
9643 @cindex article washing
9645 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
9646 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
9648 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
9649 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
9652 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
9653 articles by default.
9658 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
9659 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
9663 Force redisplaying of the current article
9664 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
9665 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
9666 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
9667 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
9670 @kindex W l (Summary)
9671 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
9672 Remove page breaks from the current article
9673 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
9677 @kindex W r (Summary)
9678 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
9679 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
9680 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
9681 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
9682 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
9683 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
9685 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
9686 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
9687 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
9688 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
9691 @kindex W m (Summary)
9692 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
9693 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
9696 @kindex W i (Summary)
9697 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
9698 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
9699 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
9700 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
9701 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
9702 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
9707 @kindex W t (Summary)
9709 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
9710 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
9711 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
9714 @kindex W v (Summary)
9715 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
9716 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
9717 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
9720 @kindex W o (Summary)
9721 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
9722 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
9725 @kindex W d (Summary)
9726 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
9727 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
9729 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
9731 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
9732 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
9733 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
9734 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
9737 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
9738 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
9739 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
9740 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
9743 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
9744 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
9745 @cindex Outlook Express
9746 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
9747 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
9748 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
9751 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
9752 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
9753 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
9754 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
9755 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
9756 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
9757 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
9758 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
9759 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
9760 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
9763 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
9764 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
9765 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
9766 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
9769 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
9770 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
9771 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
9772 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
9775 @kindex W w (Summary)
9776 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
9777 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
9779 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
9783 @kindex W Q (Summary)
9784 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
9785 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
9788 @kindex W C (Summary)
9789 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
9790 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
9791 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
9794 @kindex W c (Summary)
9795 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
9796 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
9797 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
9798 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
9799 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
9802 @kindex W q (Summary)
9803 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
9804 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
9805 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
9806 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
9807 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
9808 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
9809 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9810 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9811 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9814 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
9815 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
9816 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
9817 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
9818 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
9819 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9820 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9821 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9824 @kindex W Z (Summary)
9825 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
9826 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
9827 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
9828 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
9831 @kindex W A (Summary)
9832 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
9833 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
9834 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
9835 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
9836 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
9839 @kindex W u (Summary)
9840 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
9841 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
9842 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
9843 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
9844 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
9847 @kindex W h (Summary)
9848 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
9849 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
9850 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9851 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
9853 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
9854 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
9855 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
9857 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
9858 The default is to use the function specified by
9859 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
9860 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
9861 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
9862 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
9870 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
9872 @item w3m-standalone
9873 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
9876 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
9879 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
9882 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
9887 @kindex W b (Summary)
9888 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
9889 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
9890 @xref{Article Buttons}.
9893 @kindex W B (Summary)
9894 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
9895 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
9896 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
9899 @kindex W p (Summary)
9900 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
9901 Verify a signed control message
9902 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
9903 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
9904 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
9905 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
9906 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
9907 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
9910 @kindex W s (Summary)
9911 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
9912 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
9913 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
9914 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
9917 @kindex W a (Summary)
9918 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
9919 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
9920 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
9923 @kindex W E l (Summary)
9924 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
9925 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
9926 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
9929 @kindex W E m (Summary)
9930 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
9931 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
9932 lines with a single empty line.
9933 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
9936 @kindex W E t (Summary)
9937 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
9938 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
9939 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
9942 @kindex W E a (Summary)
9943 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
9944 Do all the three commands above
9945 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
9948 @kindex W E A (Summary)
9949 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
9950 Remove all blank lines
9951 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
9954 @kindex W E s (Summary)
9955 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
9956 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
9957 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
9960 @kindex W E e (Summary)
9961 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
9962 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
9963 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
9967 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
9970 @node Article Header
9971 @subsection Article Header
9973 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
9978 @kindex W G u (Summary)
9979 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
9980 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
9983 @kindex W G n (Summary)
9984 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
9985 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
9986 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
9989 @kindex W G f (Summary)
9990 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
9991 Fold all the message headers
9992 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
9995 @kindex W E w (Summary)
9996 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
9997 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
9998 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
10003 @node Article Buttons
10004 @subsection Article Buttons
10007 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
10008 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
10009 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
10010 button on these references.
10012 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
10013 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
10014 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
10015 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
10016 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
10020 @item gnus-button-alist
10021 @vindex gnus-button-alist
10022 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
10025 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
10031 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
10032 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
10033 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
10034 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
10035 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
10038 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
10039 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
10040 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
10043 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
10044 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
10045 avoid false matches. Often variables named
10046 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
10047 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
10049 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
10052 This function will be called when you click on this button.
10055 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
10056 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
10060 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
10063 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
10066 @item gnus-header-button-alist
10067 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
10068 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
10069 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
10070 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
10073 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
10076 @var{header} is a regular expression.
10079 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
10082 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
10083 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
10085 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
10087 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
10088 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
10089 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
10090 default values of the variables above.
10092 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
10094 @item gnus-button-man-handler
10095 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
10096 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
10097 argument with a string naming the man page.
10099 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
10101 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
10102 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
10103 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
10105 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
10106 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
10107 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
10108 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
10109 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
10110 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
10111 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
10112 @code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
10113 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
10114 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
10115 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
10116 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
10118 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
10119 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
10120 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
10121 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
10122 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
10125 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
10126 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
10127 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
10128 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
10130 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
10132 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
10133 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
10134 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
10135 argument, the string naming the URL.
10137 @item gnus-ctan-url
10138 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
10139 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
10140 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
10144 @item gnus-article-button-face
10145 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
10146 Face used on buttons.
10148 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
10149 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
10150 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
10154 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
10157 @node Article Button Levels
10158 @subsection Article button levels
10159 @cindex button levels
10160 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
10161 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
10162 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
10163 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
10164 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
10165 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
10166 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
10167 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
10170 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
10171 (setq gnus-parameters
10172 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
10173 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
10174 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
10179 @item gnus-button-browse-level
10180 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
10181 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
10182 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
10183 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
10184 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
10186 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
10187 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
10188 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
10189 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
10190 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
10191 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
10192 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
10193 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
10194 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
10195 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
10196 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
10197 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
10198 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
10200 @item gnus-button-man-level
10201 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
10202 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
10203 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
10205 @item gnus-button-message-level
10206 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
10207 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
10208 Related variables and functions include
10209 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
10210 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
10211 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
10212 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
10214 @item gnus-button-tex-level
10215 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
10216 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
10217 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
10218 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
10219 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
10220 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
10226 @subsection Article Date
10228 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
10229 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
10230 when the article was sent.
10235 @kindex W T u (Summary)
10236 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
10237 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
10238 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
10241 @kindex W T i (Summary)
10242 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
10244 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
10245 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
10248 @kindex W T l (Summary)
10249 @findex gnus-article-date-local
10250 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
10253 @kindex W T p (Summary)
10254 @findex gnus-article-date-english
10255 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
10256 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
10259 @kindex W T s (Summary)
10260 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
10261 @findex gnus-article-date-user
10262 @findex format-time-string
10263 Display the date using a user-defined format
10264 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
10265 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
10266 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
10267 for a list of possible format specs.
10270 @kindex W T e (Summary)
10271 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
10272 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
10273 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
10274 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
10275 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
10278 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
10281 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
10282 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
10283 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
10286 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
10287 into wonderful absurdities.
10289 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
10292 (gnus-start-date-timer)
10295 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
10296 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
10300 @kindex W T o (Summary)
10301 @findex gnus-article-date-original
10302 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
10303 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
10304 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
10305 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
10306 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
10310 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
10311 preferred format automatically.
10314 @node Article Display
10315 @subsection Article Display
10320 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
10321 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
10323 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
10324 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
10326 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
10327 headers (@pxref{Face}).
10329 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
10330 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
10332 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
10333 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
10335 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
10336 they'll be removed.
10340 @kindex W D x (Summary)
10341 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
10342 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
10343 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
10346 @kindex W D d (Summary)
10347 @findex gnus-article-display-face
10348 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
10349 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
10352 @kindex W D s (Summary)
10353 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
10354 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
10357 @kindex W D f (Summary)
10358 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
10359 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
10362 @kindex W D m (Summary)
10363 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
10364 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
10365 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
10368 @kindex W D n (Summary)
10369 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
10370 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
10371 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
10374 @kindex W D D (Summary)
10375 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
10376 Remove all images from the article buffer
10377 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
10383 @node Article Signature
10384 @subsection Article Signature
10386 @cindex article signature
10388 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
10389 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
10390 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
10391 that says what is to be considered a signature is
10392 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
10393 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
10394 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
10395 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
10396 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
10399 (setq gnus-signature-separator
10400 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
10401 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
10402 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
10403 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
10404 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
10405 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
10406 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
10409 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
10412 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
10413 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
10414 signature when displaying articles.
10418 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
10421 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
10424 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
10425 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
10427 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
10428 in question is not a signature.
10431 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
10432 listed above. Here's an example:
10435 (setq gnus-signature-limit
10436 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
10439 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
10440 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
10441 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
10442 signature after all.
10445 @node Article Miscellanea
10446 @subsection Article Miscellanea
10450 @kindex A t (Summary)
10451 @findex gnus-article-babel
10452 Translate the article from one language to another
10453 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
10458 @node MIME Commands
10459 @section MIME Commands
10460 @cindex MIME decoding
10461 @cindex attachments
10462 @cindex viewing attachments
10464 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
10465 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
10470 @kindex b (Summary)
10471 @kindex K v (Summary)
10472 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
10475 @kindex K o (Summary)
10476 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
10479 @kindex K O (Summary)
10480 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
10481 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
10482 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
10485 @kindex K r (Summary)
10486 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
10489 @kindex K d (Summary)
10490 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
10494 @kindex K c (Summary)
10495 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
10498 @kindex K e (Summary)
10499 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
10502 @kindex K i (Summary)
10503 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
10506 @kindex K | (Summary)
10507 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
10510 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
10515 @kindex K H (Summary)
10516 @findex gnus-article-browse-html-article
10517 View @samp{text/html} parts of the current article with a WWW browser.
10518 Inline images embedded in a message using the @code{cid} scheme, as they
10519 are generally considered to be safe, will be processed properly. The
10520 message header is added to the beginning of every @acronym{HTML} part
10521 unless the prefix argument is given.
10523 Warning: Spammers use links to images (using the @code{http} scheme) in
10524 @acronym{HTML} articles to verify whether you have read the message. As
10525 this command passes the @acronym{HTML} content to the browser without
10526 eliminating these ``web bugs'' you should only use it for mails from
10529 If you always want to display @acronym{HTML} parts in the browser, set
10530 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} to @code{nil}.
10532 This command creates temporary files to pass @acronym{HTML} contents
10533 including images if any to the browser, and deletes them when exiting
10534 the group (if you want).
10537 @kindex K b (Summary)
10538 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
10539 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
10543 @kindex K m (Summary)
10544 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
10545 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
10546 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
10547 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
10548 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
10551 @kindex X m (Summary)
10552 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
10553 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
10554 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
10555 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10558 @kindex M-t (Summary)
10559 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
10560 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
10561 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
10564 @kindex W M w (Summary)
10565 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
10566 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
10567 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
10570 @kindex W M c (Summary)
10571 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
10572 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
10573 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
10575 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
10576 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
10577 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
10578 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
10579 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
10580 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
10583 @kindex W M v (Summary)
10584 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
10585 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
10586 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
10590 Relevant variables:
10593 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
10594 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
10595 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10596 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
10599 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
10602 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
10606 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
10607 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
10608 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
10609 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
10610 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
10611 default is @code{t}.
10613 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
10614 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
10617 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
10618 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
10619 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
10620 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
10621 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
10622 single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
10623 for encoding in Gnus.
10625 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
10626 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
10627 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10628 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
10629 displayed or this variable is overridden by
10630 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
10631 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
10632 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
10634 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
10635 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
10636 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10637 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
10638 displayed. This variable overrides
10639 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
10640 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
10643 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
10644 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
10645 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
10647 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
10648 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
10649 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
10650 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
10651 Emacs MIME Manual}).
10653 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
10654 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
10655 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
10656 default value is @code{nil}.
10658 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
10659 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
10660 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
10661 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
10662 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
10663 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
10664 save all jpegs into some directory).
10666 Here's an example function the does the latter:
10669 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
10670 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
10672 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
10673 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
10674 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
10675 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
10676 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
10679 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
10680 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
10681 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
10683 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
10684 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
10685 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
10687 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
10688 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
10689 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
10691 If displaying @samp{text/html} is discouraged, see
10692 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
10693 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
10694 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
10695 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
10697 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
10698 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
10699 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
10700 overrides @code{nil} values of
10701 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
10702 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
10704 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10705 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10706 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
10707 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
10709 Ready-made functions include@*
10710 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
10711 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
10712 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
10713 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
10714 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
10715 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
10716 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
10717 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
10718 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10719 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10720 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10721 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10723 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
10724 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
10726 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
10727 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
10728 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
10731 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10732 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10733 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10734 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
10738 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
10747 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
10748 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
10749 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
10750 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
10751 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
10752 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
10753 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
10755 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
10756 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
10757 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
10758 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
10760 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
10761 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
10762 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
10763 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
10764 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
10765 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
10766 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
10767 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
10768 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
10770 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
10771 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
10772 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
10773 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
10774 quoted-printable header encoding.
10776 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
10777 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
10778 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
10782 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
10785 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
10786 means encode all charsets),
10788 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
10789 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
10790 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
10797 @cindex coding system aliases
10798 @cindex preferred charset
10800 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
10801 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
10802 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
10804 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
10806 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
10807 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
10810 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
10811 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
10814 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
10815 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
10817 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
10820 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
10823 This will almost do the right thing.
10825 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
10829 (codepage-setup 1251)
10830 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
10834 @node Article Commands
10835 @section Article Commands
10842 @kindex A P (Summary)
10843 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
10844 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
10845 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
10846 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
10847 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
10848 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
10853 @node Summary Sorting
10854 @section Summary Sorting
10855 @cindex summary sorting
10857 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
10858 can't really see why you'd want that.
10863 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10864 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
10865 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
10867 @item C-c C-s C-m C-n
10868 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10869 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number
10870 Sort by most recent article number
10871 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number}).
10874 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
10875 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
10876 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
10879 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
10880 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
10881 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
10884 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
10885 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
10886 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
10889 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
10890 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
10891 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
10893 @item C-c C-s C-m C-d
10894 @kindex C-c C-s C-m C-d (Summary)
10895 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date
10896 Sort by most recent date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date}).
10899 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
10900 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
10901 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
10904 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
10905 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
10906 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
10909 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
10910 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
10911 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
10914 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
10915 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
10916 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
10919 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
10920 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
10921 Sort using the default sorting method
10922 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
10925 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
10926 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
10927 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
10928 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
10929 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
10932 If a prefix argument if given, the sort order is reversed.
10935 @node Finding the Parent
10936 @section Finding the Parent
10937 @cindex parent articles
10938 @cindex referring articles
10942 @kindex ^ (Summary)
10943 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
10944 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
10945 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
10946 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
10947 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
10948 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
10949 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
10950 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
10951 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
10953 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
10954 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
10955 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
10956 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
10957 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
10960 @item A R (Summary)
10961 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
10962 @kindex A R (Summary)
10963 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
10964 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
10966 @item A T (Summary)
10967 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
10968 @kindex A T (Summary)
10969 Display the full thread where the current article appears
10970 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
10971 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
10972 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
10973 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
10974 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
10975 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
10977 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
10978 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
10979 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
10980 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
10981 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
10982 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
10984 @item M-^ (Summary)
10985 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
10986 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
10988 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
10989 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
10990 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
10991 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
10992 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
10993 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
10995 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
10996 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
10997 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
11000 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
11001 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
11002 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
11003 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
11004 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
11005 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
11008 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
11009 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
11010 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
11013 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
11014 then ask Google if that fails:
11017 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
11019 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
11022 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
11023 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
11024 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
11025 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
11026 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
11027 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
11028 not support this at all.
11031 @node Alternative Approaches
11032 @section Alternative Approaches
11034 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
11035 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
11038 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
11039 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
11043 @node Pick and Read
11044 @subsection Pick and Read
11045 @cindex pick and read
11047 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
11048 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
11049 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
11050 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
11052 @findex gnus-pick-mode
11053 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
11054 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
11055 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
11056 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
11057 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
11059 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
11064 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
11065 Pick the article or thread on the current line
11066 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
11067 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
11068 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
11069 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
11070 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
11071 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
11074 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
11075 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
11076 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
11077 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
11081 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
11082 Unpick the thread or article
11083 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
11084 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
11085 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
11086 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
11087 the thread or article at that line.
11091 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
11092 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
11093 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
11094 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
11095 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
11096 will still be visible when you are reading.
11100 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
11101 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
11102 which is mapped to the same function
11103 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
11105 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
11108 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
11111 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
11112 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
11114 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
11115 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
11116 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
11118 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
11119 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
11120 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
11121 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
11122 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
11123 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
11124 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
11127 @node Binary Groups
11128 @subsection Binary Groups
11129 @cindex binary groups
11131 @findex gnus-binary-mode
11132 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
11133 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
11134 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
11135 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
11136 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
11137 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
11140 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
11141 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
11142 command, when you have turned on this mode
11143 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
11145 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
11146 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
11150 @section Tree Display
11153 @vindex gnus-use-trees
11154 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
11155 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
11156 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
11157 in the tree buffer.
11159 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
11162 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
11163 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
11164 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
11166 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
11167 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
11168 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
11169 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
11170 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
11172 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
11173 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
11174 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
11175 default is @code{modeline}.
11177 @item gnus-tree-line-format
11178 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
11179 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
11180 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
11181 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
11182 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
11183 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
11189 The name of the poster.
11191 The @code{From} header.
11193 The number of the article.
11195 The opening bracket.
11197 The closing bracket.
11202 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
11204 Variables related to the display are:
11207 @item gnus-tree-brackets
11208 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
11209 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
11210 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
11212 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
11213 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
11214 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
11216 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
11218 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
11219 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
11220 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
11221 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
11225 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
11226 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
11227 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
11228 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
11229 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
11230 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
11231 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
11232 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
11233 other windows displayed next to it.
11235 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
11239 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
11240 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
11243 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
11244 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
11245 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
11246 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
11247 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
11248 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
11249 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
11253 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
11256 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
11266 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
11271 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
11272 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
11274 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
11276 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
11282 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
11283 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
11284 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11287 (setq gnus-use-trees t
11288 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
11289 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
11290 (gnus-add-configuration
11294 (summary 0.75 point)
11299 @xref{Window Layout}.
11302 @node Mail Group Commands
11303 @section Mail Group Commands
11304 @cindex mail group commands
11306 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
11307 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
11309 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
11310 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11315 @kindex B e (Summary)
11316 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
11317 @cindex expiring mail
11318 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
11319 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
11320 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
11321 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
11324 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
11325 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
11326 @cindex expiring mail
11327 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
11328 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
11329 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
11330 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
11333 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
11334 @cindex deleting mail
11335 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
11336 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
11337 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
11338 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
11339 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
11342 @kindex B m (Summary)
11344 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
11345 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
11346 Move the article from one mail group to another
11347 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
11348 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
11351 @kindex B c (Summary)
11353 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
11354 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
11355 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
11356 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
11357 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
11360 @kindex B B (Summary)
11361 @cindex crosspost mail
11362 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
11363 Crosspost the current article to some other group
11364 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
11365 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
11366 be properly updated.
11369 @kindex B i (Summary)
11370 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
11371 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
11372 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
11373 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
11376 @kindex B I (Summary)
11377 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
11378 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
11379 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
11380 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
11383 @kindex B r (Summary)
11384 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
11385 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
11386 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
11387 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
11388 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
11389 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
11390 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
11391 (which is the default).
11395 @kindex B w (Summary)
11396 @kindex e (Summary)
11397 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
11398 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
11399 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
11400 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
11401 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
11402 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
11403 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
11406 @kindex B q (Summary)
11407 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
11408 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
11409 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
11410 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
11413 @kindex B t (Summary)
11414 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
11415 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
11416 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
11419 @kindex B p (Summary)
11420 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
11421 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
11422 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
11423 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
11424 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
11425 article from your news server (or rather, from
11426 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
11427 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
11428 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
11429 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
11430 just not have arrived yet.
11433 @kindex K E (Summary)
11434 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
11435 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
11436 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
11437 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
11438 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
11442 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
11443 @cindex moving articles
11444 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
11445 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
11446 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
11447 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
11448 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
11449 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
11450 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
11453 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
11454 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
11455 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
11456 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
11460 @node Various Summary Stuff
11461 @section Various Summary Stuff
11464 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
11465 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
11466 * Summary Generation Commands::
11467 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
11471 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
11472 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
11473 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
11474 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
11475 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
11476 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
11478 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
11479 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
11480 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
11483 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
11484 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
11485 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
11487 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
11488 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
11489 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
11490 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
11491 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
11492 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
11495 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
11496 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
11497 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
11498 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
11499 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
11501 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
11502 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
11503 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
11506 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
11507 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
11508 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
11509 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
11510 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
11511 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
11512 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
11513 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
11514 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
11515 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
11517 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
11518 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
11519 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
11520 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
11521 list of articles to be selected.
11523 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
11524 the list in one particular group:
11527 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
11528 (if (string= group "some.group")
11529 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
11533 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
11534 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
11535 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
11536 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
11537 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
11540 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
11541 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
11542 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
11543 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
11544 variable will be used instead.
11546 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
11547 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
11548 buffers. For example:
11551 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
11552 '(message-use-followup-to
11553 (gnus-visible-headers .
11554 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
11557 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
11559 @vindex gnus-propagate-marks
11560 @item gnus-propagate-marks
11561 If non-@code{nil}, propagate marks to the backends for possible
11562 storing. @xref{NNTP marks}, and friends, for a more fine-grained
11568 @node Summary Group Information
11569 @subsection Summary Group Information
11574 @kindex H f (Summary)
11575 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
11576 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
11577 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
11578 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
11579 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
11580 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
11581 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
11582 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
11583 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
11586 @kindex H d (Summary)
11587 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
11588 Give a brief description of the current group
11589 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
11590 rereading the description from the server.
11593 @kindex H h (Summary)
11594 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
11595 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
11596 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
11599 @kindex H i (Summary)
11600 @findex gnus-info-find-node
11601 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
11605 @node Searching for Articles
11606 @subsection Searching for Articles
11611 @kindex M-s (Summary)
11612 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
11613 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
11614 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
11617 @kindex M-r (Summary)
11618 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
11619 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
11620 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
11623 @kindex M-S (Summary)
11624 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
11625 Repeat the previous search forwards
11626 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
11629 @kindex M-R (Summary)
11630 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
11631 Repeat the previous search backwards
11632 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
11635 @kindex & (Summary)
11636 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
11637 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
11638 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
11639 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
11640 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
11641 search backward instead.
11643 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
11644 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
11647 @kindex M-& (Summary)
11648 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
11649 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
11650 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
11653 @node Summary Generation Commands
11654 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
11659 @kindex Y g (Summary)
11660 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
11661 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
11664 @kindex Y c (Summary)
11665 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
11666 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11667 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
11670 @kindex Y d (Summary)
11671 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
11672 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11673 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
11676 @kindex Y t (Summary)
11677 @findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
11678 Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11679 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
11684 @node Really Various Summary Commands
11685 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
11691 @kindex C-d (Summary)
11692 @kindex A D (Summary)
11693 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
11694 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
11695 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
11696 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
11697 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
11698 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
11699 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
11700 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
11703 @vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
11704 The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
11705 article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
11710 Select the next article.
11713 Select the next unread article.
11715 @item next-noselect
11716 Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
11718 @item next-unread-noselect
11719 Move the cursor to the next unread article.
11722 If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
11723 article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
11726 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
11727 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
11728 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
11729 several documents into one biiig group
11730 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
11731 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
11732 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
11733 command understands the process/prefix convention
11734 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11737 @kindex C-t (Summary)
11738 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
11739 Toggle truncation of summary lines
11740 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
11741 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
11742 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
11745 @kindex = (Summary)
11746 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
11747 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
11748 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
11751 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
11752 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
11753 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11754 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
11757 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
11758 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
11759 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11760 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
11765 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
11766 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
11767 @cindex summary exit
11768 @cindex exiting groups
11770 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
11771 group and return you to the group buffer.
11778 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
11779 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
11780 @kindex q (Summary)
11781 @findex gnus-summary-exit
11782 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
11783 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
11784 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
11785 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
11786 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
11787 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
11788 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
11789 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
11790 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
11791 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
11792 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
11796 @kindex Z E (Summary)
11797 @kindex Q (Summary)
11798 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
11799 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
11800 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
11804 @kindex Z c (Summary)
11805 @kindex c (Summary)
11806 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
11807 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
11808 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
11809 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
11812 @kindex Z C (Summary)
11813 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
11814 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
11815 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
11818 @kindex Z n (Summary)
11819 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
11820 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
11821 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
11824 @kindex Z p (Summary)
11825 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
11826 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
11827 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
11831 @kindex Z R (Summary)
11832 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
11833 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
11834 Exit this group, and then enter it again
11835 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
11836 all articles, both read and unread.
11840 @kindex Z G (Summary)
11841 @kindex M-g (Summary)
11842 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
11843 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
11844 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
11845 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
11846 articles, both read and unread.
11849 @kindex Z N (Summary)
11850 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
11851 Exit the group and go to the next group
11852 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
11855 @kindex Z P (Summary)
11856 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
11857 Exit the group and go to the previous group
11858 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
11861 @kindex Z s (Summary)
11862 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
11863 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
11864 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
11865 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
11866 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
11869 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
11870 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
11871 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
11872 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
11874 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
11875 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
11876 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
11877 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
11878 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
11879 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
11880 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
11881 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
11882 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
11883 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
11884 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
11885 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
11887 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
11889 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
11890 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
11891 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
11892 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
11893 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
11894 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
11895 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
11896 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
11897 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
11900 @node Crosspost Handling
11901 @section Crosspost Handling
11905 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
11906 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
11907 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
11908 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
11909 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
11910 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
11913 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
11914 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
11915 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
11916 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
11917 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
11919 @cindex cross-posting
11921 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
11922 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
11923 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
11924 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
11925 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
11926 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
11927 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
11928 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
11929 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
11930 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
11931 the cross reference mechanism.
11933 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
11934 @cindex overview.fmt
11935 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
11936 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
11937 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
11938 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
11939 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
11940 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
11943 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
11944 set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
11945 considerably. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
11949 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
11952 @node Duplicate Suppression
11953 @section Duplicate Suppression
11955 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
11956 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
11957 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
11958 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
11963 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
11964 is evil and not very common.
11967 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
11968 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
11971 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
11972 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
11975 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
11978 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
11979 well, but these four are the most common situations.
11981 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
11982 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
11983 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
11984 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
11985 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
11986 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
11987 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
11990 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
11991 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
11992 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
11993 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
11994 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
11995 saw the article in.
11998 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
11999 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
12000 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
12002 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
12003 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
12004 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
12005 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
12006 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
12007 session are suppressed.
12009 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
12010 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
12011 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
12012 suppression list. The default is 10000.
12014 @item gnus-duplicate-file
12015 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
12016 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
12017 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
12020 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
12021 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
12022 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
12023 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
12024 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
12025 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
12026 to you to figure out, I think.
12031 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
12032 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
12033 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
12038 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
12039 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
12040 to GnuPG included with Emacs is called EasyPG (@pxref{Top, ,EasyPG,
12041 epa, EasyPG Assistant user's manual}), but PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg,
12042 PGG Manual}), Mailcrypt, and gpg.el are also supported.
12045 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
12046 or newer is recommended.
12050 The variables that control security functionality on reading/composing
12054 @item mm-verify-option
12055 @vindex mm-verify-option
12056 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
12057 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
12058 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
12060 @item mm-decrypt-option
12061 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
12062 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
12063 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
12064 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
12066 @item mm-sign-option
12067 @vindex mm-sign-option
12068 Option of creating signed parts. @code{nil}, use default signing
12069 keys; @code{guided}, ask user to select signing keys from the menu.
12071 @item mm-encrypt-option
12072 @vindex mm-encrypt-option
12073 Option of creating encrypted parts. @code{nil}, use the first
12074 public-key matching the @samp{From:} header as the recipient;
12075 @code{guided}, ask user to select recipient keys from the menu.
12078 @vindex mml1991-use
12079 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
12080 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but @code{pgg},
12081 @code{mailcrypt}, and @code{gpg} are also supported although
12082 deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available interface in
12086 @vindex mml2015-use
12087 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
12088 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but
12089 @code{pgg}, @code{mailcrypt}, and @code{gpg} are also supported
12090 although deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available
12091 interface in this order.
12095 By default the buttons that display security information are not
12096 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
12097 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
12098 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
12099 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
12100 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
12101 how to customize these variables to always display security
12104 @cindex snarfing keys
12105 @cindex importing PGP keys
12106 @cindex PGP key ring import
12107 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
12108 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
12109 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
12110 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
12111 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
12112 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
12113 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
12114 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
12115 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
12118 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
12121 This happens to also be the default action defined in
12122 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
12124 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
12125 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
12126 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
12129 @section Mailing List
12130 @cindex mailing list
12133 @kindex A M (summary)
12134 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
12135 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
12136 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
12137 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
12140 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
12145 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
12146 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
12147 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
12150 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
12151 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
12152 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
12155 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
12156 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
12157 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
12161 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
12162 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
12163 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
12166 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
12167 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
12168 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
12171 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
12172 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
12173 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
12178 @node Article Buffer
12179 @chapter Article Buffer
12180 @cindex article buffer
12182 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
12183 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
12184 tell Gnus otherwise.
12187 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
12188 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
12189 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
12190 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
12191 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
12195 @node Hiding Headers
12196 @section Hiding Headers
12197 @cindex hiding headers
12198 @cindex deleting headers
12200 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
12201 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
12203 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
12204 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
12205 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
12206 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
12207 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
12208 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
12209 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
12210 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
12211 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
12213 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
12217 @item gnus-visible-headers
12218 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
12219 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
12220 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
12221 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
12223 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
12224 the article and the subject, you'd say:
12227 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
12230 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
12233 @item gnus-ignored-headers
12234 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
12235 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
12236 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
12237 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
12238 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
12240 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
12241 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
12244 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
12247 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
12250 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
12251 variable will have no effect.
12255 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
12256 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
12257 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
12258 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
12259 the headers are to be displayed.
12261 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
12262 and then the subject, you might say something like:
12265 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
12268 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
12269 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
12271 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
12272 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
12273 You can hide further boring headers by setting
12274 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
12275 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
12276 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
12277 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
12280 These conditions are:
12283 Remove all empty headers.
12285 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
12286 @code{Newsgroups} header.
12288 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
12289 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
12292 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
12295 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
12296 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
12298 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
12299 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
12301 Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
12302 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
12304 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
12307 Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
12309 Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
12312 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
12315 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
12316 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
12319 This is also the default value for this variable.
12323 @section Using MIME
12324 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12326 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
12327 while people stand around yawning.
12329 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
12330 while all newsreaders die of fear.
12332 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
12333 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
12334 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
12336 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
12337 @findex gnus-display-mime
12338 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
12339 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
12340 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
12341 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
12343 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
12344 @acronym{MIME} button:
12347 @findex gnus-article-press-button
12348 @item RET (Article)
12349 @kindex RET (Article)
12350 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
12351 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
12352 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
12353 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
12354 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
12355 object is displayed inline.
12357 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
12358 @item M-RET (Article)
12359 @kindex M-RET (Article)
12361 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
12362 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
12364 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
12366 @kindex t (Article)
12367 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
12368 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
12370 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
12372 @kindex C (Article)
12373 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
12374 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
12376 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
12378 @kindex o (Article)
12379 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
12380 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
12382 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
12383 @item C-o (Article)
12384 @kindex C-o (Article)
12385 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
12386 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
12387 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
12388 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
12389 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
12390 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
12392 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
12394 @kindex r (Article)
12395 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
12396 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
12397 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
12399 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
12401 @kindex d (Article)
12402 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
12403 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
12404 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
12406 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
12408 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
12410 @kindex c (Article)
12411 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
12412 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
12413 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
12414 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
12415 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
12416 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
12417 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
12418 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
12420 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
12422 @kindex p (Article)
12423 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
12424 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
12425 @file{.mailcap} file.
12427 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
12429 @kindex i (Article)
12430 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
12431 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as @samp{text/plain}. If given a prefix, insert
12432 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
12433 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
12434 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
12435 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
12436 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
12437 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
12438 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
12440 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
12442 @kindex E (Article)
12443 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
12444 viewer is available, use an external viewer
12445 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
12447 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
12449 @kindex e (Article)
12450 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
12451 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
12453 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
12455 @kindex | (Article)
12456 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
12458 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
12460 @kindex . (Article)
12461 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
12462 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
12467 If you have @code{w3m} installed on your system, Gnus can display
12468 @acronum{HTML} articles in the article buffer. The following
12469 variables are relevant:
12472 @item gnus-html-cache-directory
12473 @vindex gnus-html-cache-directory
12474 Gnus will download and cache images according to how
12475 @code{mm-w3m-safe-url-regexp} is set. These images will be stored in
12478 @item gnus-html-cache-size
12479 @vindex gnus-html-cache-size
12480 When @code{gnus-html-cache-size} bytes have been used in that
12481 directory, the oldest files will be deleted. The default is 500MB.
12483 @item gnus-html-frame-width
12484 @vindex gnus-html-frame-width
12485 The width to use when rendering HTML. The default is 70.
12490 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
12491 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
12492 @acronym{MIME} manual.
12494 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
12495 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
12496 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
12497 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
12498 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
12499 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
12500 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
12501 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
12502 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
12504 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
12506 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
12509 @node Customizing Articles
12510 @section Customizing Articles
12511 @cindex article customization
12513 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
12514 exist. You can call these functions interactively
12515 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
12516 called automatically when you select the articles.
12518 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
12519 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
12520 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
12521 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
12523 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
12524 for sensible values.
12528 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
12531 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
12534 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
12537 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
12540 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
12543 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
12547 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
12548 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
12549 regexps in the list.
12552 A list where the first element is not a string:
12554 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
12555 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
12556 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
12560 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
12565 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
12566 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
12567 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
12568 considered to contain just a single part.
12570 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
12571 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
12572 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
12573 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
12574 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
12575 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
12576 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
12579 @c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
12580 @c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
12582 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
12583 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
12584 @vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
12585 @vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
12586 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
12587 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
12588 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
12589 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
12590 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
12591 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
12592 @vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
12593 @vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
12594 @vindex gnus-treat-date-english
12595 @vindex gnus-treat-date-iso8601
12596 @vindex gnus-treat-date-lapsed
12597 @vindex gnus-treat-date-local
12598 @vindex gnus-treat-date-original
12599 @vindex gnus-treat-date-user-defined
12600 @vindex gnus-treat-date-ut
12601 @vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
12602 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
12603 @vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
12604 @vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
12605 @vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
12606 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12607 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12608 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12609 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12610 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12611 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12612 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12613 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12614 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12615 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12616 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12617 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12618 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12619 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12620 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12621 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12622 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
12623 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12624 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12625 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12626 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12627 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12630 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
12631 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
12632 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
12633 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
12636 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
12637 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
12639 @xref{Article Buttons}.
12641 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
12642 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
12643 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
12644 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
12645 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
12646 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
12647 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
12648 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
12649 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
12650 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
12652 @xref{Article Washing}.
12654 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
12655 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
12656 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
12657 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
12658 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
12659 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
12660 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
12662 @xref{Article Date}.
12664 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
12665 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
12666 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
12670 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
12672 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
12674 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
12675 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
12676 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
12680 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12681 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
12685 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12686 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
12690 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12691 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
12692 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12693 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
12694 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12695 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
12696 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12697 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
12698 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12699 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
12700 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12701 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
12702 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12703 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
12704 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12705 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
12706 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12707 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
12708 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12709 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
12711 @xref{Article Hiding}.
12713 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12714 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
12715 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12716 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
12717 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12718 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
12720 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
12722 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12723 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
12724 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
12725 @item gnus-treat-translate
12726 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
12727 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12728 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
12730 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12731 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
12732 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12733 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
12734 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12735 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
12736 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12737 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
12739 @xref{Article Header}.
12744 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
12745 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
12746 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
12747 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
12748 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
12752 @node Article Keymap
12753 @section Article Keymap
12755 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
12756 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
12757 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
12758 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
12761 @kindex v (Article)
12762 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
12763 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
12764 command or better use it as a prefix key.
12766 A few additional keystrokes are available:
12771 @kindex SPACE (Article)
12772 @findex gnus-article-next-page
12773 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
12774 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
12777 @kindex DEL (Article)
12778 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
12779 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
12780 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
12783 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
12784 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
12785 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
12786 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
12787 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
12790 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
12791 @findex gnus-article-mail
12792 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
12793 given a prefix, include the mail.
12796 @kindex s (Article)
12797 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
12798 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
12799 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
12802 @kindex ? (Article)
12803 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
12804 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
12805 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
12808 @kindex TAB (Article)
12809 @findex gnus-article-next-button
12810 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
12811 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
12814 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
12815 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
12816 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
12819 @kindex R (Article)
12820 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
12821 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
12822 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If the region is active,
12823 only yank the text in the region.
12826 @kindex S W (Article)
12827 @findex gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original
12828 Send a wide reply to the current article and yank the current article
12829 (@code{gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original}). If the region is
12830 active, only yank the text in the region.
12833 @kindex F (Article)
12834 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
12835 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
12836 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If the region is active,
12837 only yank the text in the region.
12844 @section Misc Article
12848 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
12849 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
12850 @cindex article buffers, several
12851 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
12852 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
12855 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
12856 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
12857 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12858 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
12859 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
12861 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
12862 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
12863 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
12864 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
12865 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
12866 the contents of the article buffer.
12868 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
12869 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
12870 Hook called in article mode buffers.
12872 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12873 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12874 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
12875 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
12877 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
12878 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
12879 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
12880 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
12882 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
12883 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
12884 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
12885 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
12886 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
12887 with two extensions:
12892 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
12893 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
12894 performed. The characters and their meaning:
12899 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
12902 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
12905 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
12906 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
12907 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
12910 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
12913 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
12916 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasized strings in the article buffer.
12921 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
12925 @vindex gnus-break-pages
12927 @item gnus-break-pages
12928 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
12929 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
12930 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
12931 paging will not be done.
12933 @item gnus-page-delimiter
12934 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
12935 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
12939 @cindex internationalized domain names
12940 @vindex gnus-use-idna
12941 @item gnus-use-idna
12942 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
12943 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
12944 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
12945 for how to compose such messages. This requires
12946 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
12947 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
12952 @node Composing Messages
12953 @chapter Composing Messages
12954 @cindex composing messages
12957 @cindex sending mail
12962 @cindex using s/mime
12963 @cindex using smime
12965 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
12966 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
12967 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
12968 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
12969 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
12970 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
12973 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
12974 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
12975 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
12976 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
12977 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
12978 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
12979 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
12980 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
12981 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
12984 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
12985 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
12991 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
12994 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
12995 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
12996 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
12997 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
12998 @code{nil} include all headers.
13000 @item gnus-add-to-list
13001 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
13002 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
13003 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
13005 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
13006 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
13007 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
13008 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
13009 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
13010 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
13011 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
13012 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
13014 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
13015 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
13017 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
13018 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
13019 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
13020 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
13021 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
13026 @node Posting Server
13027 @section Posting Server
13029 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
13030 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
13032 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
13034 It can be quite complicated.
13036 @vindex gnus-post-method
13037 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
13038 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
13039 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
13040 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
13041 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
13042 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
13043 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
13044 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
13045 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
13048 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
13051 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
13052 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
13053 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
13054 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
13056 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
13057 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
13059 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
13060 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
13063 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
13064 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
13066 @vindex message-send-mail-function
13067 When sending mail, Message invokes the function specified by the
13068 variable @code{message-send-mail-function}. Gnus tries to set it to a
13069 value suitable for your system.
13070 @xref{Mail Variables, ,Mail Variables,message,Message manual}, for more
13073 @node POP before SMTP
13074 @section POP before SMTP
13075 @cindex pop before smtp
13076 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
13077 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
13079 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
13080 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
13081 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
13082 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
13083 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13086 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
13087 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
13091 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
13092 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
13093 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
13094 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
13095 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
13096 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
13097 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
13098 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
13100 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
13101 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
13102 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
13103 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
13104 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
13105 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
13108 (setq mail-source-primary-source
13109 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13110 :password "secret"))
13114 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
13115 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
13118 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
13120 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
13121 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13122 :password "secret")))
13123 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
13126 @node Mail and Post
13127 @section Mail and Post
13129 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
13133 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
13134 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
13135 @cindex mailing lists
13137 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
13138 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
13139 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
13140 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
13141 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
13142 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
13143 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
13144 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
13145 still a pain, though.
13147 @item gnus-user-agent
13148 @vindex gnus-user-agent
13151 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
13152 User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
13153 symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
13154 version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
13155 (show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
13156 configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
13157 string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
13161 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
13162 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
13163 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
13166 @findex ispell-message
13168 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
13171 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
13172 you're in, you could say something like the following:
13175 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
13179 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
13180 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
13182 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
13185 Modify to suit your needs.
13187 @vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
13188 If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is t, different levels of
13189 citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
13192 @node Archived Messages
13193 @section Archived Messages
13194 @cindex archived messages
13195 @cindex sent messages
13197 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
13198 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
13199 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
13200 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
13203 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
13204 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
13207 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
13208 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
13209 use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
13210 actually being used it is expanded into:
13213 (nnfolder "archive"
13214 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
13215 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
13216 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
13217 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
13221 @vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
13222 Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
13223 so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
13224 @code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
13225 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
13226 since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
13227 even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
13228 afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
13229 mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
13230 saved method to reflect always the value of
13231 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
13232 @code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
13233 value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
13236 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
13237 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
13238 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
13239 directory chosen, you could say something like:
13242 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
13243 '(nnfolder "archive"
13244 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
13245 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
13246 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
13249 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
13251 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
13252 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
13253 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
13255 This variable can be used to do the following:
13259 Messages will be saved in that group.
13261 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
13262 message will not be stored in the select method given by
13263 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
13264 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
13265 has the default value shown above. Then setting
13266 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
13267 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
13268 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
13271 @item a list of strings
13272 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
13274 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
13275 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
13278 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
13283 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
13285 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
13288 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
13290 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
13293 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
13295 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13296 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
13297 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
13298 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
13301 More complex stuff:
13303 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13304 '((if (message-news-p)
13309 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
13310 messages in one file per month:
13313 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13314 '((if (message-news-p)
13316 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
13319 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
13320 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
13322 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
13323 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
13324 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
13325 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
13326 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
13327 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
13328 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
13329 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
13330 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
13331 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
13333 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
13334 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
13335 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
13336 this will disable archiving.
13339 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
13340 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
13341 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
13342 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
13343 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
13346 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
13347 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
13348 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
13351 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
13352 but the latter is the preferred method.
13354 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
13355 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
13356 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
13358 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
13359 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
13360 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
13361 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
13362 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
13363 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
13364 changed in the future.
13369 @node Posting Styles
13370 @section Posting Styles
13371 @cindex posting styles
13374 All them variables, they make my head swim.
13376 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
13377 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
13378 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
13381 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
13382 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
13383 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
13384 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
13385 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
13390 (signature "Peace and happiness")
13391 (organization "What me?"))
13393 (signature "Death to everybody"))
13394 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
13395 (organization "Emacs is it")))
13398 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
13399 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
13400 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
13401 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
13402 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
13403 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
13404 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
13405 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
13407 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
13408 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
13409 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
13410 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
13411 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
13412 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
13413 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
13414 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
13415 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
13416 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
13417 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
13418 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
13419 said to @dfn{match}.
13421 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
13422 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
13423 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
13424 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
13425 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
13426 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
13427 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
13428 name can be one of:
13431 @item @code{signature}
13432 @item @code{signature-file}
13433 @item @code{x-face-file}
13434 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
13435 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
13439 Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
13440 @code{message-signature-directory}.
13442 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
13443 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
13444 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
13445 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
13446 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
13448 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
13449 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
13450 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
13451 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
13452 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
13453 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
13454 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
13455 references chars lines xref extra.
13457 @vindex message-reply-headers
13459 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
13460 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
13461 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
13463 @findex message-mail-p
13464 @findex message-news-p
13466 So here's a new example:
13469 (setq gnus-posting-styles
13471 (signature-file "~/.signature")
13473 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
13474 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
13475 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
13477 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
13478 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
13479 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
13480 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
13481 (signature my-news-signature))
13482 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
13483 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
13484 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
13485 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
13486 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
13487 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
13488 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
13489 (address "user@@bar.foo")
13490 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
13491 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
13493 (From (with-current-buffer gnus-article-buffer
13494 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
13496 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
13499 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
13500 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
13501 if you fill many roles.
13502 You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
13503 @xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
13509 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
13510 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
13511 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
13512 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
13513 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
13515 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
13516 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
13517 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
13518 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
13519 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
13523 @vindex nndraft-directory
13524 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
13525 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
13526 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
13527 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
13528 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
13529 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
13531 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
13532 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
13533 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
13534 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
13535 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
13536 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
13537 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
13538 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
13539 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
13541 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
13542 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
13543 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
13544 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
13545 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
13546 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
13547 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
13548 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
13549 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
13550 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
13551 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
13552 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
13553 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
13554 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
13556 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
13557 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
13558 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
13560 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
13561 @kindex D e (Draft)
13562 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
13563 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
13564 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
13566 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
13569 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
13570 @kindex D s (Draft)
13571 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
13572 @kindex D S (Draft)
13573 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
13574 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
13575 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
13576 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
13577 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
13580 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
13581 @kindex D t (Draft)
13582 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
13583 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
13584 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
13587 @node Rejected Articles
13588 @section Rejected Articles
13589 @cindex rejected articles
13591 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
13592 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
13593 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
13594 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
13596 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
13597 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
13598 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
13599 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
13600 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
13602 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
13603 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
13604 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
13606 @node Signing and encrypting
13607 @section Signing and encrypting
13609 @cindex using s/mime
13610 @cindex using smime
13612 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
13613 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
13614 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
13615 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
13617 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
13618 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
13619 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
13620 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
13621 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
13622 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
13623 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
13624 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
13625 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
13626 automatically encrypted messages.
13628 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
13629 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
13630 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
13635 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
13636 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
13638 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13641 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
13642 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13644 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13647 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
13648 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13650 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13653 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
13654 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
13656 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13659 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
13660 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
13662 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13665 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
13666 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
13668 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13671 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
13672 @findex mml-unsecure-message
13673 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
13677 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
13679 @node Select Methods
13680 @chapter Select Methods
13681 @cindex foreign groups
13682 @cindex select methods
13684 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
13685 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
13686 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
13687 personal mail group.
13689 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
13690 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
13691 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
13692 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
13693 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
13694 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
13696 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
13697 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
13699 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
13702 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
13703 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
13704 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
13705 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
13706 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
13708 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
13711 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
13712 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
13713 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
13714 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
13715 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
13716 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
13717 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
13718 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
13719 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
13723 @node Server Buffer
13724 @section Server Buffer
13726 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
13727 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
13728 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
13729 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
13730 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
13731 back end represents a virtual server.
13733 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
13734 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
13735 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
13736 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
13738 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
13739 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
13740 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
13741 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
13742 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
13743 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
13744 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
13746 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
13747 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
13750 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
13751 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
13752 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
13753 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
13754 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
13755 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
13756 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
13759 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
13760 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
13763 @node Server Buffer Format
13764 @subsection Server Buffer Format
13765 @cindex server buffer format
13767 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
13768 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
13769 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
13770 variable, with some simple extensions:
13775 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
13778 The name of this server.
13781 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
13784 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
13787 Whether this server is agentized.
13790 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
13791 The mode line can also be customized by using the
13792 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
13793 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
13803 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
13806 @node Server Commands
13807 @subsection Server Commands
13808 @cindex server commands
13814 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
13815 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
13816 command or better use it as a prefix key.
13820 @findex gnus-server-add-server
13821 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
13825 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
13826 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
13829 @kindex SPACE (Server)
13830 @findex gnus-server-read-server
13831 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
13835 @findex gnus-server-exit
13836 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
13840 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
13841 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
13845 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
13846 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
13850 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
13851 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
13855 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
13856 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
13860 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
13861 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
13862 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
13867 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
13868 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
13869 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
13870 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
13874 @findex gnus-server-compact-server
13876 Compact all groups in the server under point
13877 (@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
13878 nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
13879 hence getting a correct total article count.
13884 @node Example Methods
13885 @subsection Example Methods
13887 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
13890 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
13893 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
13899 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
13900 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
13903 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
13904 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
13906 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
13907 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
13911 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
13914 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
13915 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
13917 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
13918 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
13919 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
13923 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
13926 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
13929 Here's the method for a public spool:
13933 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
13934 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
13940 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
13941 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
13942 on the firewall machine and connect with
13943 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} from there to the
13944 @acronym{NNTP} server.
13945 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
13946 should probably look something like this:
13950 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)
13951 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
13952 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host"))
13955 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
13956 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
13957 configuration to the example above:
13960 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13963 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
13964 an indirect connection:
13967 (setq gnus-select-method
13969 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
13970 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
13971 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
13972 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13973 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C"))
13974 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)))
13977 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
13978 provide automatic authorization, of course.
13980 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
13981 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
13982 netcat connection to the news server as follows:
13986 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13987 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
13988 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13992 @node Creating a Virtual Server
13993 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
13995 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
13996 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
13998 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
13999 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
14000 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
14002 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
14004 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
14005 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
14006 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
14007 will contain the following:
14017 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
14018 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
14021 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
14022 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
14023 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
14026 @node Server Variables
14027 @subsection Server Variables
14028 @cindex server variables
14029 @cindex server parameters
14031 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
14032 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
14033 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
14034 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
14035 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
14037 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
14038 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
14039 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
14040 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
14041 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
14042 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
14043 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
14044 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
14045 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
14049 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
14050 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
14051 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
14054 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
14056 @node Servers and Methods
14057 @subsection Servers and Methods
14059 Wherever you would normally use a select method
14060 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
14061 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
14062 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
14066 @node Unavailable Servers
14067 @subsection Unavailable Servers
14069 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
14070 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
14071 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
14072 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
14073 actually the case or not.
14075 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
14076 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
14077 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
14078 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
14079 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
14080 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
14081 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
14082 it will regard that server as ``down''.
14084 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
14085 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
14087 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
14088 with the following commands:
14094 @findex gnus-server-open-server
14095 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
14096 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
14100 @findex gnus-server-close-server
14101 Close the connection (if any) to the server
14102 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
14106 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
14107 Mark the current server as unreachable
14108 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
14111 @kindex M-o (Server)
14112 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
14113 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
14114 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
14117 @kindex M-c (Server)
14118 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
14119 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
14120 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
14124 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
14125 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
14126 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
14130 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
14131 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
14137 @section Getting News
14138 @cindex reading news
14139 @cindex news back ends
14141 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
14142 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
14143 or it can read from a local spool.
14146 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
14147 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
14155 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
14156 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
14157 server as the, uhm, address.
14159 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
14160 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
14161 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
14162 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14164 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
14165 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
14166 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
14168 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
14173 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
14174 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
14175 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
14177 @cindex authentication
14178 @cindex nntp authentication
14179 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
14180 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
14181 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
14182 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
14183 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
14184 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
14185 present in this hook.
14187 @item nntp-authinfo-function
14188 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
14189 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
14190 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
14191 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
14192 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
14193 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
14194 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
14195 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
14196 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
14197 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
14198 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
14202 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
14205 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
14207 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
14208 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
14209 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
14210 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
14211 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
14212 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
14213 @samp{force} is explained below.
14217 Here's an example file:
14220 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
14221 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
14224 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
14225 have to be first, for instance.
14227 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
14228 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
14229 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
14230 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
14231 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
14232 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
14233 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
14235 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
14236 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
14242 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
14243 previously mentioned.
14245 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
14247 @item nntp-server-action-alist
14248 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
14249 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
14250 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
14251 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
14254 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
14255 '(("innd" (ding))))
14258 You probably don't want to do that, though.
14260 The default value is
14263 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
14264 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
14265 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
14268 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
14269 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
14271 @item nntp-maximum-request
14272 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
14273 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
14274 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
14275 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
14276 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
14277 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
14278 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
14280 @item nntp-connection-timeout
14281 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
14282 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
14283 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
14284 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
14285 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
14286 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
14287 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
14288 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
14289 no timeouts are done.
14291 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
14292 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
14293 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
14294 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
14297 @item nntp-xover-commands
14298 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
14299 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
14301 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
14302 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
14306 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
14307 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
14308 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
14309 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
14310 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
14311 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
14312 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
14313 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
14314 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
14315 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
14316 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
14318 @item nntp-xref-number-is-evil
14319 @vindex nntp-xref-number-is-evil
14320 When Gnus refers to an article having the @code{Message-ID} that a user
14321 specifies or having the @code{Message-ID} of the parent article of the
14322 current one (@pxref{Finding the Parent}), Gnus sends a @code{HEAD}
14323 command to the @acronym{NNTP} server to know where it is, and the server
14324 returns the data containing the pairs of a group and an article number
14325 in the @code{Xref} header. Gnus normally uses the article number to
14326 refer to the article if the data shows that that article is in the
14327 current group, while it uses the @code{Message-ID} otherwise. However,
14328 some news servers, e.g., ones running Diablo, run multiple engines
14329 having the same articles but article numbers are not kept synchronized
14330 between them. In that case, the article number that appears in the
14331 @code{Xref} header varies by which engine is chosen, so you cannot refer
14332 to the parent article that is in the current group, for instance. If
14333 you connect to such a server, set this variable to a non-@code{nil}
14334 value, and Gnus never uses article numbers. For example:
14337 (setq gnus-select-method
14339 (nntp-address "newszilla.example.com")
14340 (nntp-xref-number-is-evil t)
14344 The default value of this server variable is @code{nil}.
14346 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
14347 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
14348 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
14350 @item nntp-record-commands
14351 @vindex nntp-record-commands
14352 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
14353 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
14354 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
14355 that doesn't seem to work.
14357 @item nntp-open-connection-function
14358 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
14359 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
14360 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
14361 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
14362 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
14363 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
14364 indirect ones (three pre-made).
14366 @item nntp-never-echoes-commands
14367 @vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
14368 Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
14369 reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
14370 to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
14371 @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
14372 example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
14373 @code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
14374 overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
14376 @item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
14377 @vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
14378 List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
14379 you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
14380 not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
14381 @code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
14382 default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
14384 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
14385 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
14386 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
14387 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
14388 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
14389 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
14390 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
14393 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
14396 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
14397 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
14402 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
14403 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
14404 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
14405 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
14409 @node Direct Functions
14410 @subsubsection Direct Functions
14411 @cindex direct connection functions
14413 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
14414 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
14415 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
14416 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14419 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
14420 @item nntp-open-network-stream
14421 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
14424 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
14425 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
14426 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
14427 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
14428 installed. You then define a server as follows:
14431 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
14432 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
14434 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
14435 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
14436 (nntp-port-number 563)
14437 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
14440 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
14441 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
14442 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
14443 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
14444 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
14445 then define a server as follows:
14448 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
14449 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
14451 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
14452 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
14453 (nntp-port-number 563)
14454 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
14457 @findex nntp-open-netcat-stream
14458 @item nntp-open-netcat-stream
14459 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server using the @code{netcat}
14460 program. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have
14461 the default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
14462 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
14463 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
14464 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
14468 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14469 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
14470 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
14473 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
14474 session, which is not a good idea.
14476 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
14477 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
14478 Like @code{nntp-open-netcat-stream}, but uses @code{telnet} rather than
14479 @code{netcat}. @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things
14480 like line-end-conversion, but sometimes netcat is simply
14481 not available. The previous example would turn into:
14485 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14486 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
14487 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
14488 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
14493 @node Indirect Functions
14494 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
14495 @cindex indirect connection functions
14497 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
14498 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14499 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
14500 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
14501 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
14502 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14505 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
14506 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
14507 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then uses @code{netcat} to connect
14508 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
14509 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
14511 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
14514 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
14515 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
14516 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
14517 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
14519 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14520 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14521 List of strings to be used as the switches to
14522 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
14523 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
14524 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections.
14527 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
14528 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
14529 Does essentially the same, but uses @code{telnet} instead of @samp{netcat}
14530 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
14531 @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things like
14532 line-end-conversion, but sometimes @code{netcat} is simply not available.
14534 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
14537 @item nntp-telnet-command
14538 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
14539 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
14540 intermediate host. The default is @samp{telnet}.
14542 @item nntp-telnet-switches
14543 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
14544 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14545 @code{nntp-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{("-8")}.
14547 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
14548 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
14549 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
14550 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
14552 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14553 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14554 List of strings to be used as the switches to
14555 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. If you use @samp{ssh}, you may need to set
14556 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
14557 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
14558 host. The default is @code{nil}.
14561 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14562 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14564 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
14565 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
14566 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
14567 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
14569 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
14572 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
14573 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
14574 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
14577 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
14578 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
14579 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14580 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
14582 @item nntp-via-user-password
14583 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
14584 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
14586 @item nntp-via-envuser
14587 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
14588 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
14589 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
14590 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
14592 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
14593 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
14594 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
14595 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
14599 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14600 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14604 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
14609 @item nntp-via-user-name
14610 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
14611 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
14613 @item nntp-via-address
14614 @vindex nntp-via-address
14615 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
14620 @node Common Variables
14621 @subsubsection Common Variables
14623 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
14624 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
14625 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
14626 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
14627 variables individually).
14631 @item nntp-pre-command
14632 @vindex nntp-pre-command
14633 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
14634 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
14635 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
14636 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
14639 @vindex nntp-address
14640 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14642 @item nntp-port-number
14643 @vindex nntp-port-number
14644 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14645 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
14646 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
14647 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
14648 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
14649 not work with named ports.
14651 @item nntp-end-of-line
14652 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
14653 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
14654 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
14655 using a non native telnet connection function.
14657 @item nntp-netcat-command
14658 @vindex nntp-netcat-command
14659 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
14660 @samp{netcat}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
14661 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14664 @item nntp-netcat-switches
14665 @vindex nntp-netcat-switches
14666 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-netcat-command}. The default
14672 @subsubsection NNTP marks
14673 @cindex storing NNTP marks
14675 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
14676 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
14677 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
14678 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
14679 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
14680 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
14681 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
14682 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
14684 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
14685 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
14686 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
14687 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
14688 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
14690 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
14691 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
14692 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
14693 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
14694 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
14695 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
14696 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
14698 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
14699 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
14700 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
14706 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
14707 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
14708 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
14709 default is @code{nil}.
14711 @item nntp-marks-directory
14712 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
14713 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
14719 @subsection News Spool
14723 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
14724 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
14725 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
14728 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
14729 anything else) as the address.
14731 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
14732 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
14733 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
14734 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
14738 @item nnspool-inews-program
14739 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
14740 Program used to post an article.
14742 @item nnspool-inews-switches
14743 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
14744 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
14746 @item nnspool-spool-directory
14747 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
14748 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
14749 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
14751 @item nnspool-nov-directory
14752 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
14753 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
14754 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
14756 @item nnspool-lib-dir
14757 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
14758 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
14760 @item nnspool-active-file
14761 @vindex nnspool-active-file
14762 The name of the active file.
14764 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
14765 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
14766 The name of the group descriptions file.
14768 @item nnspool-history-file
14769 @vindex nnspool-history-file
14770 The name of the news history file.
14772 @item nnspool-active-times-file
14773 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
14774 The name of the active date file.
14776 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
14777 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
14778 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
14781 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14782 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14784 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
14785 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
14786 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
14793 @section Getting Mail
14794 @cindex reading mail
14797 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
14801 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
14802 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
14803 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
14804 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
14805 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
14806 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
14807 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
14808 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
14809 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
14810 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
14811 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
14812 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
14813 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
14817 @node Mail in a Newsreader
14818 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
14820 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
14821 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
14822 of a culture shock.
14824 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
14825 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
14827 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
14828 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
14829 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
14830 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
14832 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
14834 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
14835 deleted? How awful!
14837 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
14838 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
14839 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
14840 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
14843 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
14844 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
14845 they want to treat a message.
14847 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
14848 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
14849 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
14850 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
14851 archived somewhere else.
14853 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
14854 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
14855 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
14856 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
14857 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
14859 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
14860 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
14861 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
14863 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
14864 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
14867 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
14868 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
14869 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
14870 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
14871 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
14873 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
14874 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
14875 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
14876 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
14877 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
14878 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
14882 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
14883 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
14885 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
14886 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
14887 and things will happen automatically.
14889 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
14890 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14893 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
14896 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
14897 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
14898 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
14899 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
14900 like any other group.
14902 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
14905 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14906 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14907 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14911 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
14912 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
14913 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
14916 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
14917 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
14918 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
14921 @node Splitting Mail
14922 @subsection Splitting Mail
14923 @cindex splitting mail
14924 @cindex mail splitting
14925 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
14927 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
14928 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
14929 to be split into groups.
14932 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14933 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14934 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14935 ("mail.other" "")))
14938 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
14939 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
14940 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
14941 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
14942 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
14943 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
14944 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
14947 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
14951 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
14952 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14954 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14955 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
14956 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
14957 mail belongs in that group.
14959 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
14960 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
14961 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
14962 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
14963 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
14964 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
14965 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
14966 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
14967 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
14968 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
14970 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
14971 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
14972 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
14973 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
14974 thinks should carry this mail message.
14976 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
14977 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
14978 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
14979 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
14981 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
14982 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
14983 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
14984 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
14985 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
14987 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
14990 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
14991 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
14992 links. If that's the case for you, set
14993 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
14994 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
14996 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
14997 @findex nnmail-split-history
14998 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
14999 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
15000 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
15001 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
15004 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
15005 Header lines longer than the value of
15006 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
15009 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
15010 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
15011 By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
15012 non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
15013 articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
15014 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
15015 In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
15016 variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
15017 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
15018 value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
15019 string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
15020 charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
15022 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
15023 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
15024 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
15025 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
15026 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
15027 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
15028 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
15029 other kinds of entries.)
15031 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
15032 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
15033 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
15034 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
15035 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
15036 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
15037 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
15038 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
15039 month's rent money.
15043 @subsection Mail Sources
15045 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
15046 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
15047 maildir, for instance.
15050 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
15051 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
15052 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
15056 @node Mail Source Specifiers
15057 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
15059 @cindex mail server
15062 @cindex mail source
15064 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
15065 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
15070 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
15073 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
15074 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
15075 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
15078 The @code{mail-sources} is global for all mail groups. You can specify
15079 an additional mail source for a particular group by including the
15080 @code{group} mail specifier in @code{mail-sources}, and setting a
15081 @code{mail-source} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) specifying
15082 a single mail source. When this is used, @code{mail-sources} is
15083 typically just @code{(group)}; the @code{mail-source} parameter for a
15084 group might look like this:
15087 (mail-source . (file :path "home/user/spools/foo.spool"))
15090 This means that the group's (and only this group's) messages will be
15091 fetched from the spool file @samp{/user/spools/foo.spool}.
15093 The following mail source types are available:
15097 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
15103 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
15104 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
15105 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
15109 Script run before/after fetching mail.
15112 An example file mail source:
15115 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
15118 Or using the default file name:
15124 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
15125 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
15126 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
15127 mail spool while moving the mail.
15129 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
15133 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
15136 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
15140 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
15143 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
15145 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
15148 Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
15149 file you want to use.
15153 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
15154 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
15155 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
15156 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
15157 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
15158 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
15159 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
15160 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
15161 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
15162 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
15164 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
15165 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
15166 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
15167 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
15173 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
15177 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
15181 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
15182 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
15183 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
15184 predicate are considered.
15188 Script run before/after fetching mail.
15192 An example directory mail source:
15195 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
15200 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
15206 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
15207 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
15210 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
15211 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
15212 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
15213 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
15214 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
15217 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
15221 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
15222 the user is prompted.
15225 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
15226 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
15229 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
15232 The valid format specifier characters are:
15236 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
15237 included in this string.
15240 The name of the server.
15243 The port number of the server.
15246 The user name to use.
15249 The password to use.
15252 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
15253 corresponding keywords.
15256 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
15257 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
15260 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
15261 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
15264 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
15265 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
15266 mail should be moved to.
15268 @item :authentication
15269 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
15270 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
15275 @vindex pop3-movemail
15276 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
15277 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
15278 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server}
15279 is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
15280 after fetching when using @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers
15281 maintain no state information between sessions, so what the client
15282 believes is there and what is actually there may not match up. If they
15283 do not, then you may get duplicate mails or the whole thing can fall
15284 apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
15286 Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
15287 Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
15288 name, and default fetcher:
15294 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
15297 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
15298 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
15301 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
15304 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
15308 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
15309 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
15310 contains exactly one mail.
15316 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
15317 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
15320 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
15321 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
15323 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
15324 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
15325 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
15328 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
15329 from locking problems).
15333 Two example maildir mail sources:
15336 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
15337 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
15341 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
15346 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
15347 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
15348 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
15349 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
15350 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
15352 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
15353 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
15359 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
15360 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
15363 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
15364 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
15367 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
15371 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
15375 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
15376 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
15377 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
15378 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
15380 @item :authentication
15381 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
15382 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
15383 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
15384 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
15387 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
15388 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
15389 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
15395 Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
15396 don't forget to redirect the error output to the void. The valid format
15397 specifier characters are:
15401 The name of the server.
15404 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
15407 The port number of the server.
15410 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
15411 corresponding keywords.
15414 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
15415 which normally is the mailbox which receives incoming mail.
15418 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
15419 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
15420 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
15421 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
15422 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
15423 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
15426 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
15427 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
15428 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
15429 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
15432 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
15433 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
15437 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
15440 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
15442 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
15446 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
15447 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
15448 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
15450 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
15451 required for url "4.0pre.46".
15453 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
15459 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
15460 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
15463 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
15467 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
15471 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
15472 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
15476 An example webmail source:
15479 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
15481 :password "secret")
15485 Get the actual mail source from the @code{mail-source} group parameter,
15486 @xref{Group Parameters}.
15491 @item Common Keywords
15492 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
15498 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
15499 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
15504 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
15509 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
15510 useful when you use local mail and news.
15515 @subsubsection Function Interface
15517 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
15518 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
15519 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
15520 consider the following mail-source setting:
15523 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
15524 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
15527 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
15528 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
15529 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
15530 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
15531 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
15533 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
15536 @node Mail Source Customization
15537 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
15539 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
15540 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
15544 @item mail-source-crash-box
15545 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
15546 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
15547 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
15550 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
15551 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
15552 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
15553 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
15554 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
15555 (the deletion will only happen when receiving new mail). You may also
15556 set @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
15557 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
15558 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{10} in alpha Gnusae
15559 and @code{2} in released Gnusae. @xref{Gnus Development}.
15561 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15562 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15563 If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
15564 files. This variable only applies when
15565 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
15567 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
15568 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
15569 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
15571 @item mail-source-directory
15572 @vindex mail-source-directory
15573 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
15574 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
15575 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
15576 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
15578 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15579 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15580 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
15581 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
15582 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
15583 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
15586 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
15587 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
15588 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
15590 @item mail-source-movemail-program
15591 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
15592 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
15593 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
15598 @node Fetching Mail
15599 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
15601 @vindex mail-sources
15602 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
15603 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
15604 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
15606 If this variable is @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to
15607 fetch mail by themselves.
15609 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
15610 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
15615 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15616 :password "secret")))
15619 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
15623 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
15624 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15627 :password "secret")))
15631 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
15632 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
15633 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
15634 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
15635 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
15636 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
15640 @node Mail Back End Variables
15641 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
15643 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
15647 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15648 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15649 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
15650 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
15652 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
15653 @item nnmail-split-hook
15654 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
15655 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
15656 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
15657 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
15658 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
15659 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
15660 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
15661 in the buffer will show up in any files.
15662 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
15665 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15666 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15667 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15668 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15669 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
15670 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
15671 starting to handle the new mail) and
15672 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
15673 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
15674 default file modes the new mail files get:
15677 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15678 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
15680 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15681 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
15684 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
15685 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
15686 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
15687 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
15688 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
15689 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
15690 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
15692 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
15693 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
15694 @findex delete-file
15695 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
15697 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15698 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15699 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
15700 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
15701 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
15703 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15704 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15705 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
15706 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
15707 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
15709 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
15710 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
15711 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
15716 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
15717 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
15718 @cindex mail splitting
15719 @cindex fancy mail splitting
15721 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
15722 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
15723 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
15724 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
15725 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
15726 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
15728 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
15731 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
15732 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
15733 ;; @r{from real errors.}
15734 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
15736 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
15737 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
15738 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
15739 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
15740 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
15741 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
15742 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
15743 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
15744 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
15745 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
15746 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
15747 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
15748 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
15749 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
15750 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
15751 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
15752 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
15756 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
15757 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
15758 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
15763 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
15764 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
15766 @c Don't fold this line.
15767 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
15768 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
15769 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
15770 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
15773 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
15774 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
15775 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
15776 @var{split} is processed.
15778 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
15779 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
15780 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
15781 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15783 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
15784 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
15785 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
15786 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
15787 stored in one or more groups.
15789 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
15790 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
15791 process all @var{split}s in the list.
15794 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
15795 this message. Use with extreme caution.
15797 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
15798 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
15799 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
15800 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
15803 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
15804 body of the messages:
15807 (defun split-on-body ()
15811 (goto-char (point-min))
15812 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
15816 The buffer is narrowed to the header of the message in question when
15817 @var{function} is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called
15818 after @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
15819 above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
15820 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
15821 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
15822 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
15824 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
15825 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
15826 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
15827 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
15828 should return a split.
15831 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
15835 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
15837 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
15838 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
15839 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
15840 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
15844 (any "joe" "joemail")
15848 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
15849 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
15850 of the following three ways:
15854 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
15855 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
15856 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
15857 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
15858 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
15861 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
15864 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
15865 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
15866 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
15867 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
15868 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
15871 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
15872 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
15873 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
15874 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15875 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
15876 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15877 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15880 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
15881 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
15882 they are expanded as specified by the variable
15883 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
15884 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
15885 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
15886 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
15890 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
15892 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
15893 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
15895 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
15898 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
15899 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
15900 when all this splitting is performed.
15902 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
15903 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
15904 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
15907 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
15910 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
15911 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
15913 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
15914 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
15915 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
15916 groupings 1 through 9.
15918 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
15919 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
15920 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
15921 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
15922 groups when users send to an address using different case
15923 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
15926 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
15927 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
15928 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
15929 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
15930 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
15931 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
15932 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
15933 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
15934 it once per thread.
15936 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
15937 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
15938 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
15939 using the colon feature, like so:
15941 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
15942 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
15944 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
15945 ;; @r{other splits go here}
15949 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
15950 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
15951 in the file specified by the variable
15952 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
15953 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
15954 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
15955 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
15956 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
15957 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
15958 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
15959 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
15960 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
15961 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
15962 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
15963 300 kBytes in size.)
15964 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15965 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
15966 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
15967 messages goes into the new group.
15969 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
15970 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
15971 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
15972 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
15973 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
15974 ``outgoing'' group.
15977 @node Group Mail Splitting
15978 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
15979 @cindex mail splitting
15980 @cindex group mail splitting
15982 @findex gnus-group-split
15983 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
15984 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
15985 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
15986 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
15987 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
15988 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
15989 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
15990 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
15992 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
15993 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
15994 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
15995 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
15997 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
15998 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
15999 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
16000 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
16001 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
16002 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
16003 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
16005 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
16006 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
16007 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
16008 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
16009 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
16010 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
16011 @code{gnus-group-split}.
16013 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
16014 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
16015 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
16016 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
16017 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
16018 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
16019 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
16020 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
16021 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
16022 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
16023 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
16024 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
16025 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
16027 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
16032 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
16033 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
16035 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
16036 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
16037 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
16038 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
16040 ((split-spec . catch-all))
16043 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
16044 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
16045 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
16048 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
16049 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
16050 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
16054 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
16055 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
16056 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
16060 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
16063 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
16064 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
16065 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
16066 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
16067 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
16068 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
16069 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
16070 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
16071 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
16073 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
16074 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
16075 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
16076 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
16077 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
16078 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
16079 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
16080 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
16081 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
16083 @findex gnus-group-split-update
16084 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
16085 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
16086 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
16087 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
16088 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
16091 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
16094 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
16095 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
16096 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
16097 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
16098 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
16101 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
16102 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
16103 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
16104 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
16106 @node Incorporating Old Mail
16107 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
16108 @cindex incorporating old mail
16109 @cindex import old mail
16111 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
16112 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
16113 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
16116 Doing so can be quite easy.
16118 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
16119 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
16120 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
16121 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
16122 your @code{nnml} groups.
16128 Go to the group buffer.
16131 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
16132 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
16135 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
16138 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
16139 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
16142 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
16143 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
16146 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
16147 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
16148 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
16149 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
16150 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
16152 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
16153 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
16154 using the new mail back end.
16157 @node Expiring Mail
16158 @subsection Expiring Mail
16159 @cindex article expiry
16160 @cindex expiring mail
16162 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
16163 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
16164 different approach to mail reading.
16166 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
16167 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
16168 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
16169 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
16170 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
16171 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
16174 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
16175 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
16176 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
16177 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
16178 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
16179 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
16180 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
16181 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
16182 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
16184 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
16185 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
16186 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
16187 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
16188 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
16189 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
16190 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
16193 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
16194 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
16195 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
16196 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
16197 into its own group.)
16199 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
16200 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
16201 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
16202 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
16203 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
16204 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
16205 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
16206 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
16209 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
16210 Groups that match the regular expression
16211 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
16212 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
16213 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
16215 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
16216 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
16217 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
16218 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
16219 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
16221 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
16223 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
16224 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
16225 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
16228 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
16229 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
16230 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
16231 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
16232 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
16234 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
16235 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
16238 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
16239 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
16242 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
16243 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
16245 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
16246 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
16247 don't really mix very well.
16249 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
16250 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
16251 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
16252 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
16255 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
16256 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
16257 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
16258 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
16261 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16263 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16265 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
16267 ((string= group "mail.junk")
16269 ((string= group "important")
16275 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
16276 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
16278 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
16279 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
16280 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
16283 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
16284 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
16286 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
16287 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
16288 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
16289 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
16290 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
16291 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
16292 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
16293 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
16294 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
16295 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
16296 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
16297 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
16298 name or @code{delete}.
16300 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
16302 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
16305 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
16306 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
16307 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
16308 expire mail to groups according to the variable
16309 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
16312 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
16313 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
16314 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
16315 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
16316 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
16319 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
16320 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
16321 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
16322 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
16323 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
16324 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
16326 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
16327 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
16328 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
16329 easier for procmail users.
16331 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
16332 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
16333 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
16334 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
16335 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
16336 caution. Even more dangerous is the
16337 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
16338 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
16339 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
16340 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
16341 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
16342 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
16343 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
16346 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
16348 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
16349 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
16350 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
16351 auto-expire turned on.
16353 @vindex gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable
16354 The expirable marks of articles will be removed when copying or moving
16355 them to a group in which auto-expire is not turned on. This is for
16356 preventing articles from being expired unintentionally. On the other
16357 hand, to a group that has turned auto-expire on, the expirable marks of
16358 articles that are copied or moved will not be changed by default. I.e.,
16359 when copying or moving to such a group, articles that were expirable
16360 will be left expirable and ones that were not expirable will not be
16361 marked as expirable. So, even though in auto-expire groups, some
16362 articles will never get expired (unless you read them again). If you
16363 don't side with that behavior that unexpirable articles may be mixed
16364 into auto-expire groups, you can set
16365 @code{gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable} to a
16366 non-@code{nil} value. In that case, articles that have been read will
16367 be marked as expirable automatically when being copied or moved to a
16368 group that has auto-expire turned on. The default value is @code{nil}.
16372 @subsection Washing Mail
16373 @cindex mail washing
16374 @cindex list server brain damage
16375 @cindex incoming mail treatment
16377 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
16378 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
16379 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
16380 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
16381 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
16382 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
16384 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
16385 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
16386 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
16389 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
16390 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
16391 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
16392 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
16395 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
16396 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
16397 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
16398 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
16399 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
16402 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
16403 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
16404 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
16405 Emacs running on MS machines.
16409 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
16410 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
16411 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
16412 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
16415 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
16416 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
16417 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
16418 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
16420 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
16421 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
16422 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
16423 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
16424 into a feature by documenting it.)
16426 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
16427 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
16428 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
16429 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
16430 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
16431 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
16432 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
16435 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
16436 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
16439 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
16440 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
16443 This can also be done non-destructively with
16444 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
16446 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
16447 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
16448 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
16450 @item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
16451 @findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
16452 @c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
16455 Some mail user agents (e.g. Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
16456 @code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
16457 function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
16458 contain a line matching the regular expression
16459 @code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
16463 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16464 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16465 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
16469 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
16470 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
16471 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
16478 @subsection Duplicates
16480 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
16481 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
16482 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
16483 @cindex duplicate mails
16484 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
16485 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
16486 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
16487 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
16488 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
16489 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
16490 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
16491 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
16492 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
16493 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
16494 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
16495 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
16496 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
16498 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
16499 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
16500 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
16501 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
16503 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
16506 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
16507 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
16511 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
16512 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
16513 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
16514 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
16515 (any mail "mail.misc")
16516 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16522 (setq nnmail-split-methods
16523 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
16524 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16528 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
16529 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
16530 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
16531 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
16532 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
16535 @node Not Reading Mail
16536 @subsection Not Reading Mail
16538 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
16539 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
16540 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
16542 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
16543 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
16544 mail, which should help.
16546 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16547 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16548 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16549 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16550 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16551 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
16552 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old (pre-Emacs
16553 23) Rmail file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
16554 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
16555 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
16556 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
16558 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
16559 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
16563 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
16564 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
16566 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
16567 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
16568 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
16570 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
16571 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
16572 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
16576 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
16577 * Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
16578 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
16579 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
16580 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
16581 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
16582 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
16586 @node Unix Mail Box
16587 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
16589 @cindex unix mail box
16591 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16592 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16593 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
16594 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
16595 which group it belongs in.
16597 Virtual server settings:
16600 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
16601 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16602 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
16605 @item nnmbox-active-file
16606 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16607 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
16608 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
16610 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
16611 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16612 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
16613 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
16618 @subsubsection Babyl
16621 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16622 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16623 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box to store mail.
16624 @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail article to say which
16625 group it belongs in.
16627 Virtual server settings:
16630 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
16631 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16632 The name of the Babyl file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
16634 @item nnbabyl-active-file
16635 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16636 The name of the active file for the Babyl file. The default is
16637 @file{~/.rmail-active}
16639 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16640 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16641 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
16647 @subsubsection Mail Spool
16649 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
16651 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
16652 format. It should be used with some caution.
16654 @vindex nnml-directory
16655 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
16656 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
16657 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
16658 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
16660 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
16663 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
16664 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
16665 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
16666 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
16667 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
16668 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
16669 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
16670 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
16672 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
16673 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
16674 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
16675 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
16677 @cindex self contained nnml servers
16679 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
16680 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
16681 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
16682 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
16683 for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
16684 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
16685 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
16686 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
16689 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
16690 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
16691 them next time it starts.
16693 Virtual server settings:
16696 @item nnml-directory
16697 @vindex nnml-directory
16698 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
16699 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
16702 @item nnml-active-file
16703 @vindex nnml-active-file
16704 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
16705 @file{~/Mail/active}.
16707 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
16708 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
16709 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16710 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
16712 @item nnml-get-new-mail
16713 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16714 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
16717 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
16718 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
16719 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16720 default is @code{nil}.
16722 @item nnml-nov-file-name
16723 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
16724 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
16726 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16727 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16728 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
16730 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
16731 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
16732 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
16733 default is @code{nil}.
16735 @item nnml-marks-file-name
16736 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
16737 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
16739 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
16740 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
16741 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
16742 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
16743 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
16744 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
16745 as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
16746 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
16747 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
16749 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16750 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16751 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
16752 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
16753 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
16757 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
16758 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
16759 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
16760 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
16761 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
16762 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
16763 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
16768 @subsubsection MH Spool
16770 @cindex mh-e mail spool
16772 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
16773 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
16774 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
16775 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
16778 Virtual server settings:
16781 @item nnmh-directory
16782 @vindex nnmh-directory
16783 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
16784 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
16787 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
16788 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16789 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
16793 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
16794 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
16795 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
16796 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
16797 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
16798 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
16799 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
16804 @subsubsection Maildir
16808 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
16809 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
16810 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
16811 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
16812 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
16815 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
16816 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
16817 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
16818 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
16819 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
16820 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
16821 that appear as group in Gnus.
16823 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
16824 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
16825 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
16827 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
16828 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
16829 another, and you will keep your marks.
16831 Virtual server settings:
16835 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
16836 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
16837 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
16838 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
16839 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
16840 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
16841 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
16842 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
16843 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
16844 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
16846 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
16847 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
16848 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
16849 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
16850 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
16851 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
16852 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
16853 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
16854 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
16855 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
16858 @item target-prefix
16859 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
16860 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
16861 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
16864 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
16865 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
16866 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
16867 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
16868 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
16869 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
16870 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
16871 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
16872 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
16874 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
16875 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
16876 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
16877 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
16878 symlinks pointing to them will be).
16880 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
16881 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
16882 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
16883 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
16884 @code{force} argument.
16886 @item directory-files
16887 This should be a function with the same interface as
16888 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
16889 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
16890 parameter is optional; the default is
16891 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
16892 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
16893 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
16894 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
16895 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
16896 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
16899 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
16900 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
16901 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
16902 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
16903 value is @code{nil}.
16905 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
16906 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
16907 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
16908 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
16909 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
16912 @subsubsection Group parameters
16914 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
16915 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
16916 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
16917 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
16918 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
16919 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
16922 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
16923 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
16924 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
16925 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
16926 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
16927 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
16928 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
16929 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
16930 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
16934 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
16935 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
16936 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
16937 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
16938 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
16939 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
16940 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
16941 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
16942 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
16943 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
16944 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
16945 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
16946 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
16949 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
16951 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
16953 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
16954 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
16955 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
16956 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
16957 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
16958 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
16959 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
16960 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
16961 article. So that form can refer to
16962 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
16963 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
16964 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
16965 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
16968 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
16969 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
16970 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
16971 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
16972 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
16973 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
16974 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
16975 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
16976 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
16977 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
16978 contain extra copies of the articles.
16980 @item directory-files
16981 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
16982 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
16983 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
16984 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
16986 @item distrust-Lines:
16987 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
16988 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
16989 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
16992 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
16993 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16994 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
16995 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
16996 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
16997 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
17000 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
17001 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
17002 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
17003 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
17004 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
17005 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
17006 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
17008 @item nov-cache-size
17009 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
17010 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
17011 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
17012 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
17013 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
17014 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
17015 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
17016 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
17017 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
17018 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
17019 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
17022 @subsubsection Article identification
17023 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
17024 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
17025 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
17026 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
17027 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
17028 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
17029 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
17030 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
17031 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
17032 request the article in the summary buffer.
17034 @subsubsection NOV data
17035 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
17036 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
17037 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
17038 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
17039 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
17040 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
17041 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
17042 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
17043 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
17044 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
17045 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
17047 @subsubsection Article marks
17048 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
17049 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
17050 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
17051 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
17052 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
17053 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
17054 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
17055 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
17057 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
17058 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
17059 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
17060 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
17061 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
17062 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
17063 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
17064 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
17065 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
17069 @subsubsection Mail Folders
17071 @cindex mbox folders
17072 @cindex mail folders
17074 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
17075 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
17076 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
17077 numbers and arrival dates.
17079 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
17081 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
17082 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
17083 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
17084 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
17085 Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
17086 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
17087 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
17088 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
17089 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
17090 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
17092 Virtual server settings:
17095 @item nnfolder-directory
17096 @vindex nnfolder-directory
17097 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
17098 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
17099 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
17101 @item nnfolder-active-file
17102 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
17103 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
17105 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
17106 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
17107 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
17108 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
17110 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
17111 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
17112 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
17113 default is @code{t}
17115 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
17116 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
17117 @cindex backup files
17118 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
17119 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
17120 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
17121 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
17124 (defun turn-off-backup ()
17125 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
17127 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
17130 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
17131 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
17132 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
17133 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
17134 extract some information from it before removing it.
17136 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
17137 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
17138 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
17139 default is @code{nil}.
17141 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
17142 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
17143 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
17145 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
17146 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
17147 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
17148 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
17150 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
17151 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
17152 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
17153 default is @code{nil}.
17155 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
17156 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
17157 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
17159 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
17160 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
17161 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
17162 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
17167 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
17168 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
17169 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
17170 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
17171 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
17172 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
17175 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
17176 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
17178 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
17179 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
17180 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
17181 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
17182 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
17184 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
17185 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
17186 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
17187 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
17188 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
17189 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
17190 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
17191 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
17194 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
17195 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
17196 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
17197 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
17202 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
17203 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
17204 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
17205 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
17206 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
17207 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
17208 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
17209 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
17210 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
17211 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
17212 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
17213 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
17214 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
17219 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
17220 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
17221 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
17222 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
17223 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
17224 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
17225 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
17226 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
17227 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
17228 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
17229 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
17230 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
17231 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
17232 course, and is still maintained within Emacs. Since Emacs 23, it
17233 uses standard mbox format rather than Babyl.
17235 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
17236 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
17241 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
17242 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
17243 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
17244 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
17245 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
17246 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
17247 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
17248 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
17249 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
17250 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
17251 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
17252 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
17253 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
17254 provided by the active file and overviews.
17256 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
17257 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
17258 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
17259 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
17260 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
17263 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
17264 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
17269 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
17270 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
17271 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
17272 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
17273 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
17274 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
17275 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
17279 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
17280 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
17281 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
17282 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
17283 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
17284 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
17285 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
17286 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
17287 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
17289 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
17290 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
17291 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
17292 friendly mail back end all over.
17296 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
17297 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
17300 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
17301 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
17302 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
17303 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
17304 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
17305 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
17306 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
17307 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
17310 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
17311 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
17312 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
17313 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
17314 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
17315 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
17316 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
17317 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
17318 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
17319 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
17320 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
17322 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
17323 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
17324 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
17325 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
17326 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
17329 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
17330 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
17331 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
17332 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
17333 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
17334 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
17335 removed in the future.
17337 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
17338 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
17339 on your file system.
17341 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
17342 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
17347 @node Browsing the Web
17348 @section Browsing the Web
17350 @cindex browsing the web
17354 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
17355 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
17356 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
17357 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
17358 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
17359 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
17360 even know what a news group is.
17362 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
17363 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
17364 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
17365 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
17366 you mad in the end.
17368 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
17371 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
17372 interfaces to these sources.
17376 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
17377 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
17378 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
17379 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
17380 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
17381 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
17384 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
17385 alternatives to work.
17387 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
17388 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
17389 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
17390 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
17391 though, you should be ok.
17393 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
17394 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
17395 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
17396 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
17397 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
17399 @node Archiving Mail
17400 @subsection Archiving Mail
17401 @cindex archiving mail
17402 @cindex backup of mail
17404 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
17405 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
17406 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
17407 marks is fairly simple.
17409 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
17410 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
17413 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
17414 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
17415 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
17416 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
17417 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
17418 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
17419 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
17420 before you restore the data.
17422 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
17423 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
17424 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
17425 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
17426 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
17427 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
17428 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
17429 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
17430 is unnecessary in that case.
17433 @subsection Web Searches
17438 @cindex Usenet searches
17439 @cindex searching the Usenet
17441 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
17442 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
17443 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
17444 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
17445 searches without having to use a browser.
17447 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
17448 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
17449 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
17450 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
17451 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
17453 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
17454 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
17455 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
17456 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
17457 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
17458 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
17459 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
17460 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
17461 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
17462 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
17465 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
17466 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
17467 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
17468 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
17469 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
17470 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
17472 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
17473 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
17474 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
17476 Virtual server variables:
17481 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
17482 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
17483 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
17486 @vindex nnweb-search
17487 The search string to feed to the search engine.
17489 @item nnweb-max-hits
17490 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
17491 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
17494 @item nnweb-type-definition
17495 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
17496 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
17497 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
17502 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
17506 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
17509 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
17512 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
17516 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
17523 @subsection Slashdot
17527 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
17528 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
17529 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
17531 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
17532 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
17535 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
17536 '((nnslashdot "")))
17539 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
17540 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
17541 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
17542 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
17543 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
17546 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
17547 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
17549 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
17550 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
17551 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
17552 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
17553 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
17554 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
17555 @acronym{HTML} forms.
17557 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
17560 @item nnslashdot-threaded
17561 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
17562 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
17563 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
17564 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
17565 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
17566 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
17568 @item nnslashdot-login-name
17569 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
17570 The login name to use when posting.
17572 @item nnslashdot-password
17573 @vindex nnslashdot-password
17574 The password to use when posting.
17576 @item nnslashdot-directory
17577 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
17578 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
17579 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
17581 @item nnslashdot-active-url
17582 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
17583 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
17584 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
17585 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
17587 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
17588 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
17589 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
17591 @item nnslashdot-article-url
17592 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
17593 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
17594 article. The default is
17595 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
17597 @item nnslashdot-threshold
17598 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
17599 The score threshold. The default is -1.
17601 @item nnslashdot-group-number
17602 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
17603 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
17604 updated. The default is 0.
17611 @subsection Ultimate
17613 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
17615 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
17616 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
17617 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
17618 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
17620 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
17621 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
17622 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
17623 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
17624 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
17625 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
17626 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
17628 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
17631 @item nnultimate-directory
17632 @vindex nnultimate-directory
17633 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
17634 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
17639 @subsection Web Archive
17641 @cindex Web Archive
17643 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
17644 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
17645 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
17646 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
17649 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
17650 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
17651 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
17652 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
17653 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
17654 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
17655 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
17656 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
17658 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
17661 @item nnwarchive-directory
17662 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
17663 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
17664 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
17666 @item nnwarchive-login
17667 @vindex nnwarchive-login
17668 The account name on the web server.
17670 @item nnwarchive-passwd
17671 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
17672 The password for your account on the web server.
17680 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
17681 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
17682 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
17683 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
17684 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
17686 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
17687 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
17689 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
17690 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
17691 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
17694 @kindex G R (Group)
17695 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
17696 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
17697 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
17698 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
17700 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
17701 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
17702 subscribe to groups.
17704 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
17705 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
17706 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
17707 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
17708 variable or other. Also @xref{Non-ASCII Group Names}, for more
17711 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
17712 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
17713 and a @samp{text/html} part.
17716 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
17717 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
17720 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
17721 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
17725 @defun nnrss-opml-export
17726 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
17727 @acronym{OPML} format.
17730 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
17733 @item nnrss-directory
17734 @vindex nnrss-directory
17735 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
17736 @file{~/News/rss/}.
17738 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
17739 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
17740 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
17741 data files. The default is the value of
17742 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
17743 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
17745 @item nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17746 @vindex nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17747 Some feeds update constantly article fields during their publications,
17748 e.g. to indicate the number of comments. However, if there is
17749 a difference between the local article and the distant one, the latter
17750 is considered to be new. To avoid this and discard some fields, set this
17751 variable to the list of fields to be ignored. The default is
17752 @code{'(slash:comments)}.
17754 @item nnrss-use-local
17755 @vindex nnrss-use-local
17756 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
17757 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
17758 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
17759 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
17760 download script using @command{wget}.
17762 @item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
17763 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
17764 parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
17765 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
17766 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
17767 to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
17768 simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
17769 @samp{text/html} parts.
17772 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
17773 the summary buffer.
17776 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
17777 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
17779 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
17781 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
17782 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
17785 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
17789 (require 'browse-url)
17791 (defun browse-nnrss-url (arg)
17793 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
17796 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
17797 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
17800 (browse-url (cdr url))
17801 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
17802 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
17804 (eval-after-load "gnus"
17805 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
17806 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
17807 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
17810 Even if you have added @samp{text/html} to the
17811 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
17812 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
17813 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
17814 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
17815 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
17816 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
17817 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
17818 @code{nnrss} groups:
17821 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
17822 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
17824 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
17825 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
17826 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
17828 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
17831 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
17835 @node Customizing W3
17836 @subsection Customizing W3
17842 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
17843 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
17844 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
17847 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
17848 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
17849 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
17852 (eval-after-load "w3"
17854 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
17855 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
17856 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
17857 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
17859 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
17862 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
17863 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
17870 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
17872 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
17873 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
17874 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
17875 specify the network address of the server.
17877 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
17878 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
17879 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
17880 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
17881 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
17882 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
17884 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
17885 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
17886 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
17887 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
17889 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
17890 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
17891 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
17892 usage explained in this section.
17894 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
17895 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
17896 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
17900 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
17901 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
17902 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
17904 (nnimap-address "localhost")
17905 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
17906 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
17908 (nnimap-server-port 143)
17909 (nnimap-address "localhost")
17910 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
17911 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
17912 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
17913 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
17914 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
17915 (nnimap-stream network))
17916 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
17918 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
17919 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
17920 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
17923 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
17924 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
17925 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
17926 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
17928 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
17933 @item nnimap-address
17934 @vindex nnimap-address
17936 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
17937 server name if not specified.
17939 @item nnimap-server-port
17940 @vindex nnimap-server-port
17941 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
17943 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
17946 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17947 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
17950 @item nnimap-list-pattern
17951 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
17952 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
17953 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
17954 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
17955 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
17956 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
17958 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
17959 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
17960 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
17963 Example server specification:
17966 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17967 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
17968 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
17971 @item nnimap-stream
17972 @vindex nnimap-stream
17973 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
17974 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
17975 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
17976 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
17977 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
17979 Example server specification:
17982 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17983 (nnimap-stream ssl))
17986 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
17990 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
17991 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
17993 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
17995 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
17996 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
17999 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
18000 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
18002 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
18003 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
18005 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
18007 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
18010 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
18011 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
18012 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
18013 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
18014 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
18015 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
18016 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
18017 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
18018 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
18021 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
18022 needed. It is available from
18023 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
18025 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
18026 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
18027 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
18028 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
18029 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
18030 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
18031 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
18034 @vindex imap-ssl-program
18035 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
18036 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
18037 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
18038 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
18039 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
18040 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
18043 @vindex imap-shell-program
18044 @vindex imap-shell-host
18045 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the
18046 variable @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call. Make
18047 sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g., don't
18048 forget to redirect the error output to the void.
18050 @item nnimap-authenticator
18051 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
18053 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
18054 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
18056 Example server specification:
18059 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
18060 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
18063 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
18067 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
18068 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
18070 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
18073 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
18074 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
18076 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
18078 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
18080 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
18083 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
18085 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
18086 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
18087 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
18088 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
18089 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
18090 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
18093 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
18094 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
18095 running in circles yet?
18097 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
18098 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
18101 The possible options are:
18106 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
18109 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
18110 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
18111 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
18112 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
18114 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
18119 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
18120 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
18122 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
18123 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
18124 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
18125 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
18126 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
18129 Probably the only reason for frobbing this would be if you're trying
18130 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
18133 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
18134 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
18135 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
18136 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
18139 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
18140 as ticked for other users.
18142 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
18144 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
18145 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18147 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
18148 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
18149 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
18150 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
18152 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
18153 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
18154 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
18155 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
18157 However, if @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}
18158 is true, this variable has no effect since the search logic
18159 is reversed, as described below.
18161 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
18162 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
18164 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
18165 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
18166 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
18167 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
18170 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
18173 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
18174 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
18175 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
18176 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
18179 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
18180 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
18182 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
18183 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
18186 @item nnimap-nov-is-evil
18187 @vindex nnimap-nov-is-evil
18188 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
18189 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
18191 Never generate or use a local @acronym{NOV} database. Defaults to the
18192 value of @code{gnus-agent}.
18194 Using a @acronym{NOV} database usually makes header fetching much
18195 faster, but it uses the @code{UID SEARCH UID} command, which is very
18196 slow on some servers (notably some versions of Courier). Since the Gnus
18197 Agent caches the information in the @acronym{NOV} database without using
18198 the slow command, this variable defaults to true if the Agent is in use,
18199 and false otherwise.
18201 @item nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
18202 @vindex nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
18203 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
18204 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18206 Avoid the @code{UID SEARCH UID @var{message numbers} NOT SINCE
18207 @var{date}} command, which is slow on some @acronym{IMAP} servers
18208 (notably, some versions of Courier). Instead, use @code{UID SEARCH SINCE
18209 @var{date}} and prune the list of expirable articles within Gnus.
18211 When Gnus expires your mail (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), it starts with a
18212 list of expirable articles and asks the IMAP server questions like ``Of
18213 these articles, which ones are older than a week?'' While this seems
18214 like a perfectly reasonable question, some IMAP servers take a long time
18215 to answer it, since they seemingly go looking into every old article to
18216 see if it is one of the expirable ones. Curiously, the question ``Of
18217 @emph{all} articles, which ones are newer than a week?'' seems to be
18218 much faster to answer, so setting this variable causes Gnus to ask this
18219 question and figure out the answer to the real question itself.
18221 This problem can really sneak up on you: when you first configure Gnus,
18222 everything works fine, but once you accumulate a couple thousand
18223 messages, you start cursing Gnus for being so slow. On the other hand,
18224 if you get a lot of email within a week, setting this variable will
18225 cause a lot of network traffic between Gnus and the IMAP server.
18227 @item nnimap-logout-timeout
18228 @vindex nnimap-logout-timeout
18230 There is a case where a connection to a @acronym{IMAP} server is unable
18231 to close, when connecting to the server via a certain kind of network,
18232 e.g. @acronym{VPN}. In that case, it will be observed that a connection
18233 between Emacs and the local network looks alive even if the server has
18234 closed a connection for some reason (typically, a timeout).
18235 Consequently, Emacs continues waiting for a response from the server for
18236 the @code{LOGOUT} command that Emacs sent, or hangs in other words. If
18237 you are in such a network, setting this variable to a number of seconds
18238 will be helpful. If it is set, a hung connection will be closed
18239 forcibly, after this number of seconds from the time Emacs sends the
18240 @code{LOGOUT} command. It should not be too small value but too large
18241 value will be inconvenient too. Perhaps the value 1.0 will be a good
18242 candidate but it might be worth trying some other values.
18244 Example server specification:
18247 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
18248 (nnimap-logout-timeout 1.0))
18254 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
18255 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
18256 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
18257 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
18258 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
18259 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
18264 @node Splitting in IMAP
18265 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
18266 @cindex splitting imap mail
18268 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
18269 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
18270 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
18271 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
18272 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
18276 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
18277 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
18278 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
18280 Here are the variables of interest:
18284 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
18285 @cindex splitting, crosspost
18287 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
18289 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
18290 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
18291 found will be used.
18293 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
18295 @item nnimap-split-inbox
18296 @cindex splitting, inbox
18298 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
18300 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
18301 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
18302 splitting is disabled!
18305 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
18306 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
18309 No nnmail equivalent.
18311 @item nnimap-split-rule
18312 @cindex splitting, rules
18313 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
18315 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
18318 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
18319 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
18320 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
18321 Neither did I, we need examples.
18324 (setq nnimap-split-rule
18326 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
18327 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
18328 ("INBOX.private" "")))
18331 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
18332 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
18333 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
18335 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
18336 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
18340 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
18343 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
18344 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
18346 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
18347 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
18348 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
18349 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
18351 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
18352 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
18353 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
18354 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
18355 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
18356 them every time you fetch new mail.)
18358 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
18359 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
18360 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
18362 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
18363 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
18364 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
18366 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
18368 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
18369 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
18370 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
18373 (setq nnimap-split-rule
18374 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
18375 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
18376 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
18377 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
18378 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
18381 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
18382 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
18383 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
18384 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
18385 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
18386 group/function elements.
18388 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
18390 @item nnimap-split-predicate
18392 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
18394 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
18395 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
18397 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
18398 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
18399 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
18402 @item nnimap-split-fancy
18403 @cindex splitting, fancy
18404 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
18405 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
18407 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
18408 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
18409 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
18411 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
18412 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
18413 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
18414 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
18419 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
18420 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
18423 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
18425 @item nnimap-split-download-body
18426 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
18427 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
18429 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
18430 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
18431 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
18432 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
18436 @node Expiring in IMAP
18437 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
18438 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18440 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
18441 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
18442 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
18443 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
18444 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
18445 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
18448 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
18449 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
18450 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
18451 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
18452 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
18453 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
18454 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
18455 messages. Most do, fortunately.
18457 If expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail seems very slow, try setting the server
18458 variable @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}.
18462 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
18463 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
18465 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
18466 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
18468 @item nnmail-expiry-target
18470 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
18471 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
18472 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
18473 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
18477 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
18478 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
18479 @cindex editing imap acls
18480 @cindex Access Control Lists
18481 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
18482 @kindex G l (Group)
18483 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
18485 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
18486 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
18487 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
18490 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
18491 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
18492 editing window with detailed instructions.
18494 Some possible uses:
18498 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
18499 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
18500 follow the list without subscribing to it.
18502 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
18503 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
18504 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
18508 @node Expunging mailboxes
18509 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
18513 @cindex manual expunging
18514 @kindex G x (Group)
18515 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
18517 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
18518 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
18519 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
18521 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
18524 @node A note on namespaces
18525 @subsection A note on namespaces
18526 @cindex IMAP namespace
18529 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
18530 by the following text in the RFC2060:
18533 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
18535 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
18536 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
18537 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
18538 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
18540 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
18541 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
18542 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
18543 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
18544 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
18545 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
18548 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
18549 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
18550 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
18552 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
18553 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
18554 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
18555 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
18556 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
18557 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
18558 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
18559 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
18562 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
18563 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
18564 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
18566 @node Debugging IMAP
18567 @subsection Debugging IMAP
18568 @cindex IMAP debugging
18569 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
18571 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
18572 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
18573 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
18574 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
18576 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
18577 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
18578 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
18579 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
18580 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
18581 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
18582 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
18586 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
18587 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
18594 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
18595 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
18596 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
18597 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
18600 @node Other Sources
18601 @section Other Sources
18603 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
18604 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
18608 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
18609 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
18610 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
18611 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
18612 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
18616 @node Directory Groups
18617 @subsection Directory Groups
18619 @cindex directory groups
18621 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
18622 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
18625 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
18626 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
18627 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
18628 back end to read directories. Big deal.
18630 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
18631 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
18632 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
18633 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
18634 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
18636 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
18638 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
18639 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
18640 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
18641 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
18644 @node Anything Groups
18645 @subsection Anything Groups
18648 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
18649 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
18650 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
18653 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
18654 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
18655 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
18656 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
18657 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
18658 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
18659 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
18660 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
18661 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
18662 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
18665 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
18666 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
18667 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
18668 in the article buffer, just as usual.
18670 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
18671 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
18672 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
18673 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
18675 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
18676 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
18677 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
18678 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
18679 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
18680 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
18681 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
18682 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
18687 @item nneething-map-file-directory
18688 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
18689 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
18690 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
18692 @item nneething-exclude-files
18693 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
18694 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
18695 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
18697 @item nneething-include-files
18698 @vindex nneething-include-files
18699 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
18700 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
18702 @item nneething-map-file
18703 @vindex nneething-map-file
18704 Name of the map files.
18708 @node Document Groups
18709 @subsection Document Groups
18711 @cindex documentation group
18714 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
18715 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
18725 The standard Unix mbox file.
18727 @cindex MMDF mail box
18729 The MMDF mail box format.
18732 Several news articles appended into a file.
18734 @cindex rnews batch files
18736 The rnews batch transport format.
18739 Netscape mail boxes.
18742 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
18744 @item standard-digest
18745 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
18748 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
18750 @item lanl-gov-announce
18751 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
18753 @cindex forwarded messages
18754 @item rfc822-forward
18755 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
18758 The Outlook mail box.
18761 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
18764 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
18767 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
18770 An RFC934-forwarded message.
18776 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
18779 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
18785 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
18786 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
18787 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
18790 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
18791 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
18792 group. And that's it.
18794 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
18795 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
18796 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
18797 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
18798 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
18799 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
18800 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
18801 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
18802 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
18803 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
18805 Virtual server variables:
18808 @item nndoc-article-type
18809 @vindex nndoc-article-type
18810 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
18811 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
18812 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
18813 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
18814 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
18816 @item nndoc-post-type
18817 @vindex nndoc-post-type
18818 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
18819 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
18824 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
18828 @node Document Server Internals
18829 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
18831 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
18832 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
18833 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
18834 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
18836 First, here's an example document type definition:
18840 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
18841 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
18844 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
18845 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
18846 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
18847 types can be defined with very few settings:
18850 @item first-article
18851 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
18852 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
18855 @item article-begin
18856 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
18857 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
18858 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
18859 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
18861 @item article-begin-function
18862 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
18863 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
18866 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
18867 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
18868 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
18870 @item head-begin-function
18871 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
18872 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
18875 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
18876 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
18879 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
18880 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
18881 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
18883 @item body-begin-function
18884 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
18885 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
18888 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
18889 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
18890 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
18892 @item body-end-function
18893 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
18894 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
18897 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
18898 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
18901 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
18902 regexp will be totally ignored.
18906 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
18907 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
18908 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
18909 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
18910 something that's palatable for Gnus:
18913 @item prepare-body-function
18914 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
18915 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
18916 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
18918 @item article-transform-function
18919 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
18920 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
18921 body of the article.
18923 @item generate-head-function
18924 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
18925 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
18926 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
18927 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
18929 @item generate-article-function
18930 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
18931 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
18932 parameter when requesting all articles.
18934 @item dissection-function
18935 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
18936 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
18937 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
18938 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
18939 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
18940 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
18944 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
18949 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
18950 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
18951 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
18952 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
18953 (head-end . "^ ?$")
18954 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
18955 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
18956 (subtype digest guess))
18959 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
18960 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
18961 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
18962 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
18963 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
18965 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
18966 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
18967 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
18968 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
18969 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
18970 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
18971 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
18972 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
18973 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
18974 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
18975 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
18976 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
18984 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
18985 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
18986 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
18988 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
18989 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
18990 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
18993 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
18994 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
18995 that interested in doing things properly.
18997 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
18998 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
19001 First some terminology:
19006 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
19007 get news and/or mail from.
19010 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
19011 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
19014 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
19018 @item message packets
19019 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
19020 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
19021 default, where @var{x} is a number.
19023 @item response packets
19024 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
19025 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
19026 default, where @var{x} is a number.
19036 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
19037 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
19038 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
19039 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
19042 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
19045 You put the packet in your home directory.
19048 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
19049 the native or secondary server.
19052 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
19053 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
19056 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
19060 You transfer this packet to the server.
19063 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
19066 You then repeat until you die.
19070 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
19071 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
19074 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
19075 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
19076 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
19080 @node SOUP Commands
19081 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
19083 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
19087 @kindex G s b (Group)
19088 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
19089 Pack all unread articles in the current group
19090 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
19091 process/prefix convention.
19094 @kindex G s w (Group)
19095 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
19096 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
19099 @kindex G s s (Group)
19100 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
19101 Send all replies from the replies packet
19102 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
19105 @kindex G s p (Group)
19106 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
19107 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
19110 @kindex G s r (Group)
19111 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
19112 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
19115 @kindex O s (Summary)
19116 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
19117 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
19118 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
19119 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19124 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
19129 @item gnus-soup-directory
19130 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
19131 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
19132 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
19134 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
19135 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
19136 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
19137 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
19139 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
19140 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
19141 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
19142 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
19144 @item gnus-soup-packer
19145 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
19146 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
19147 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
19149 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
19150 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
19151 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
19152 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
19154 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
19155 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
19156 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
19158 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
19159 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
19160 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
19161 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
19167 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
19170 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
19171 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
19172 you can read them at leisure.
19174 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
19178 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
19179 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
19180 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
19181 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
19183 @item nnsoup-directory
19184 @vindex nnsoup-directory
19185 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
19186 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
19188 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
19189 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
19190 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
19191 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
19193 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
19194 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
19195 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
19196 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
19197 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
19199 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
19200 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
19201 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
19202 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
19204 @item nnsoup-active-file
19205 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
19206 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
19207 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
19208 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
19209 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
19211 @item nnsoup-packer
19212 @vindex nnsoup-packer
19213 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
19214 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
19216 @item nnsoup-unpacker
19217 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
19218 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
19219 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
19221 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
19222 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
19223 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
19226 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
19227 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
19228 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
19231 @item nnsoup-always-save
19232 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
19233 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
19239 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
19241 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
19242 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
19243 more for that to happen.
19245 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
19246 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
19247 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
19250 In specific, this is what it does:
19253 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
19254 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
19257 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
19258 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
19259 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
19262 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
19263 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
19264 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
19267 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
19268 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
19269 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
19271 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
19277 @item nngateway-address
19278 @vindex nngateway-address
19279 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
19281 @item nngateway-header-transformation
19282 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
19283 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
19284 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
19285 transformation should be called, and defaults to
19286 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
19287 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
19290 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
19291 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
19292 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
19295 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
19298 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
19301 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
19304 The following pre-defined functions exist:
19306 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
19309 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
19310 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
19311 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
19313 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
19315 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
19316 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
19317 @code{nngateway-address}.
19325 (setq gnus-post-method
19327 "mail2news@@replay.com"
19328 (nngateway-header-transformation
19329 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
19332 So, to use this, simply say something like:
19335 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
19340 @node Combined Groups
19341 @section Combined Groups
19343 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
19347 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
19348 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
19352 @node Virtual Groups
19353 @subsection Virtual Groups
19355 @cindex virtual groups
19356 @cindex merging groups
19358 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
19361 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
19362 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
19363 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
19365 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
19366 regexp to match component groups.
19368 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
19369 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
19370 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
19371 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
19372 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
19373 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
19374 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
19375 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
19377 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
19378 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
19381 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
19384 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
19385 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
19387 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
19388 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
19389 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
19390 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
19393 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
19396 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
19397 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
19398 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
19400 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
19401 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
19402 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
19403 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
19404 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
19406 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
19407 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
19408 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
19410 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
19411 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
19412 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
19413 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
19414 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
19415 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
19416 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
19417 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
19418 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
19419 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
19420 it---it'll have much the same effect.
19422 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
19423 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
19424 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
19425 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
19426 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
19427 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
19428 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
19430 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
19431 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
19433 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
19434 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
19438 @node Kibozed Groups
19439 @subsection Kibozed Groups
19443 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
19444 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
19445 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
19446 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
19448 @kindex G k (Group)
19449 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
19452 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
19453 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
19454 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
19455 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
19457 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
19458 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
19459 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
19461 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
19462 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
19463 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
19464 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
19465 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
19466 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
19467 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
19468 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
19470 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
19471 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
19472 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
19473 Stranger things have happened.
19475 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
19476 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
19478 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
19479 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
19480 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
19481 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
19482 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
19483 information on what groups have been searched through to find
19484 component articles.
19486 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
19487 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
19490 @node Email Based Diary
19491 @section Email Based Diary
19493 @cindex email based diary
19496 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
19497 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
19498 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
19499 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
19500 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
19501 namely, as event reminders.
19503 Here is a typical scenario:
19507 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
19508 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
19510 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
19512 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
19514 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
19515 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
19516 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
19518 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
19519 of the night you're gonna have.
19521 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
19522 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
19525 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
19526 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
19527 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
19528 explained in the sections below.
19531 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
19532 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
19533 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
19537 @node The NNDiary Back End
19538 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
19540 @cindex the nndiary back end
19542 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
19543 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
19544 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
19545 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
19546 directory per group.
19548 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
19549 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
19550 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
19551 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
19554 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
19555 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
19556 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
19559 @node Diary Messages
19560 @subsubsection Diary Messages
19561 @cindex nndiary messages
19562 @cindex nndiary mails
19564 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
19565 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
19566 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
19567 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
19568 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
19569 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
19570 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
19574 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
19575 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
19576 (separated by a comma).
19578 A field is either an integer, or a range.
19580 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
19582 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
19583 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
19584 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
19586 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
19587 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
19588 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
19590 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
19591 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
19592 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
19593 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
19594 list of available time zone values, see the variable
19595 @code{nndiary-headers}.
19598 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
19599 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
19600 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
19605 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
19608 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
19610 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
19613 @node Running NNDiary
19614 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
19615 @cindex running nndiary
19616 @cindex nndiary operation modes
19618 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
19619 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
19620 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
19621 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
19622 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
19623 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
19625 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
19626 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
19627 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
19628 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
19629 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
19630 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
19631 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
19634 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
19639 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
19640 line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
19643 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
19646 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
19647 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
19648 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
19649 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
19650 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
19652 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
19653 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
19662 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
19663 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
19665 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
19666 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
19667 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
19668 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
19671 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
19672 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
19673 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
19676 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
19677 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
19678 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
19680 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
19681 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
19682 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
19683 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
19684 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
19686 @node Customizing NNDiary
19687 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
19688 @cindex customizing nndiary
19689 @cindex nndiary customization
19691 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
19692 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
19693 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
19694 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
19696 @defvar nndiary-reminders
19697 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
19698 appointments (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
19699 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
19700 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
19704 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
19705 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
19710 @node The Gnus Diary Library
19711 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
19713 @cindex the gnus diary library
19715 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
19716 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
19717 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
19718 useful things for you.
19720 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
19723 (require 'gnus-diary)
19726 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
19727 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
19728 (sorry if you used them before).
19732 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
19733 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
19734 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
19735 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
19738 @node Diary Summary Line Format
19739 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
19740 @cindex diary summary buffer line
19741 @cindex diary summary line format
19743 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
19744 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
19745 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
19746 see the event's date.
19748 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
19749 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
19750 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
19751 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
19752 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
19754 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
19755 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
19756 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
19759 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
19762 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
19763 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
19766 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
19769 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
19770 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
19771 with the following user options:
19773 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
19774 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
19775 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
19776 diary groups'parameters.
19779 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
19780 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
19781 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
19784 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
19785 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
19786 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
19787 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
19788 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
19791 @node Diary Articles Sorting
19792 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
19793 @cindex diary articles sorting
19794 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
19795 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
19796 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
19797 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
19799 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
19800 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
19801 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
19802 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
19803 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
19805 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
19806 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
19807 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
19808 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
19811 @node Diary Headers Generation
19812 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
19813 @cindex diary headers generation
19814 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
19816 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
19817 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
19818 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
19819 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
19822 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
19823 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
19824 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c C-f d} in
19825 @code{message-mode} and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the
19826 process of converting a usual mail to a diary one.
19828 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
19829 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
19830 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
19833 @node Diary Group Parameters
19834 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
19835 @cindex diary group parameters
19837 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
19838 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
19839 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
19840 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
19841 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
19842 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
19843 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
19844 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
19846 @node Sending or Not Sending
19847 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
19849 Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
19850 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
19854 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
19855 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
19856 appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
19857 sending the diary message to them as well.
19859 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
19860 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
19861 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
19862 comes in very handy for private appointments.
19865 @node Gnus Unplugged
19866 @section Gnus Unplugged
19871 @cindex Gnus unplugged
19873 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
19874 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
19875 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
19876 read news. Believe it or not.
19878 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
19879 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
19880 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
19881 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
19882 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
19884 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
19885 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
19886 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
19887 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
19888 reading news on a machine.
19890 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
19891 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
19892 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
19894 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
19897 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
19898 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
19899 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
19900 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
19901 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
19902 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
19903 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
19904 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
19905 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
19906 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
19907 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
19908 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
19909 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
19910 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
19915 @subsection Agent Basics
19917 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
19919 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
19920 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
19921 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
19922 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
19924 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
19925 connected to the net continuously.
19927 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
19928 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
19930 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
19931 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
19932 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
19933 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
19934 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
19936 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
19937 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
19938 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
19939 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
19940 they're kinda like plugged always).
19942 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
19943 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
19944 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
19947 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
19948 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
19949 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
19950 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
19951 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
19953 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
19958 @findex gnus-unplugged
19959 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
19960 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
19961 already fetched while in this mode.
19964 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
19965 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
19966 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
19967 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
19968 Source Specifiers}).
19971 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
19972 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
19973 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
19974 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
19975 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
19978 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
19979 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
19980 then you read the news offline.
19983 And then you go to step 2.
19986 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
19992 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
19993 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
19994 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
19995 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
19996 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
19997 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
19998 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
19999 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
20002 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
20003 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
20004 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
20005 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
20007 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
20008 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
20009 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
20010 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
20011 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
20012 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
20016 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
20020 @node Agent Categories
20021 @subsection Agent Categories
20023 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
20024 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
20025 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
20026 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
20027 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
20028 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
20029 you're interested in the articles anyway.
20031 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
20032 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
20033 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
20034 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
20035 buffer for creating and managing categories.
20037 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
20038 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
20039 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
20040 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
20041 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
20044 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
20045 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
20046 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
20047 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
20048 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
20049 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
20053 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
20054 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
20055 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
20059 @node Category Syntax
20060 @subsubsection Category Syntax
20062 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
20063 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
20064 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
20067 @cindex Agent Parameters
20070 The list of groups that are in this category.
20072 @item agent-predicate
20073 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
20074 are eligible for downloading; and
20077 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
20078 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
20079 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
20081 @item agent-enable-expiration
20082 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
20083 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
20084 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
20085 only groups that should not be expired.
20087 @item agent-days-until-old
20088 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
20089 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
20091 @item agent-low-score
20092 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
20094 @item agent-high-score
20095 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
20097 @item agent-short-article
20098 an integer that overrides the value of
20099 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
20101 @item agent-long-article
20102 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
20104 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
20105 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
20106 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
20107 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
20108 undownloaded faces.
20111 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
20114 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
20115 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
20116 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
20119 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
20120 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
20121 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
20122 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
20124 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
20125 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
20126 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
20128 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
20129 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
20130 operators sprinkled in between.
20132 Perhaps some examples are in order.
20134 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
20135 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
20141 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
20142 short (for some value of ``short'').
20144 Here's a more complex predicate:
20153 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
20154 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
20157 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
20158 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
20159 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
20161 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
20162 you want to do, you can write your own.
20164 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
20165 bound to the value determined by calling
20166 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
20167 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
20168 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
20169 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
20170 predicate to individual groups.
20174 True if the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
20175 lines; default 100.
20178 True if the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
20179 lines; default 200.
20182 True if the article has a download score less than
20183 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
20186 True if the article has a download score greater than
20187 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
20190 True if the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
20191 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
20192 checksum and sees whether articles match.
20201 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
20202 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
20203 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
20206 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
20207 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
20208 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
20209 something along the lines of the following:
20212 (defun my-article-old-p ()
20213 "Say whether an article is old."
20214 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
20215 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
20218 with the predicate then defined as:
20221 (not my-article-old-p)
20224 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
20225 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
20229 (require 'gnus-agent)
20230 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
20231 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
20232 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
20235 and simply specify your predicate as:
20241 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
20242 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
20243 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
20244 just don't give a damn.
20246 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
20247 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
20248 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
20249 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
20250 parameters like so:
20253 (agent-predicate . short)
20256 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
20257 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
20258 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
20260 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
20263 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
20266 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
20267 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
20268 predicate is assumed to be a list.
20271 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
20272 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
20273 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
20274 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
20275 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
20276 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
20278 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
20279 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
20280 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
20281 if it's to be specific to that group.
20283 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
20290 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
20291 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
20297 Category specification
20301 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
20307 Group/Topic Parameter specification
20310 (agent-score ("from"
20311 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
20316 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
20322 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
20323 keywords stated above.
20329 Category specification
20332 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
20338 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
20342 Group Parameter specification
20345 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
20348 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
20353 Use @code{normal} score files
20355 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
20356 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
20357 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
20358 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
20360 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
20361 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
20362 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
20363 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
20367 Category Specification
20374 Group Parameter specification
20377 (agent-score . file)
20382 @node Category Buffer
20383 @subsubsection Category Buffer
20385 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
20386 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
20387 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
20389 The following commands are available in this buffer:
20393 @kindex q (Category)
20394 @findex gnus-category-exit
20395 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
20398 @kindex e (Category)
20399 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
20400 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
20401 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
20404 @kindex k (Category)
20405 @findex gnus-category-kill
20406 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
20409 @kindex c (Category)
20410 @findex gnus-category-copy
20411 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
20414 @kindex a (Category)
20415 @findex gnus-category-add
20416 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
20419 @kindex p (Category)
20420 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
20421 Edit the predicate of the current category
20422 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
20425 @kindex g (Category)
20426 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
20427 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
20428 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
20431 @kindex s (Category)
20432 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
20433 Edit the download score rule of the current category
20434 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
20437 @kindex l (Category)
20438 @findex gnus-category-list
20439 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
20443 @node Category Variables
20444 @subsubsection Category Variables
20447 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
20448 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
20449 Hook run in category buffers.
20451 @item gnus-category-line-format
20452 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
20453 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
20454 Variables}). Valid elements are:
20458 The name of the category.
20461 The number of groups in the category.
20464 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
20465 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
20466 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
20468 @item gnus-agent-short-article
20469 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
20470 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
20472 @item gnus-agent-long-article
20473 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
20474 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
20476 @item gnus-agent-low-score
20477 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
20478 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
20481 @item gnus-agent-high-score
20482 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
20483 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
20486 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
20487 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
20488 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
20489 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
20490 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
20491 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
20492 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
20493 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
20497 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
20498 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
20499 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
20500 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
20501 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
20502 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
20503 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
20508 @node Agent Commands
20509 @subsection Agent Commands
20510 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
20511 @kindex J j (Agent)
20513 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
20514 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
20515 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
20519 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
20520 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
20521 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
20527 @node Group Agent Commands
20528 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
20532 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
20533 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
20534 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
20535 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
20538 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
20539 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
20540 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
20543 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
20544 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
20545 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
20546 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
20549 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
20550 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
20551 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
20552 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
20555 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
20556 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
20557 Add the current group to an Agent category
20558 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
20559 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
20562 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
20563 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
20564 Remove the current group from its category, if any
20565 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
20566 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
20569 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
20570 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20571 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
20577 @node Summary Agent Commands
20578 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
20582 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
20583 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
20584 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
20587 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
20588 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
20589 Remove the downloading mark from the article
20590 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
20594 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
20595 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
20596 Toggle whether to download the article
20597 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
20601 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
20602 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
20603 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
20606 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
20607 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
20608 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
20609 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
20612 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
20613 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
20614 Download all processable articles in this group.
20615 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
20618 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
20619 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
20620 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
20621 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
20626 @node Server Agent Commands
20627 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
20631 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
20632 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
20633 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
20634 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
20637 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
20638 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
20639 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
20640 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
20645 @node Agent Visuals
20646 @subsection Agent Visuals
20648 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
20649 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
20650 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
20651 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
20652 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
20653 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
20654 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
20655 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
20656 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
20657 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
20659 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
20660 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
20661 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
20662 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
20663 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
20664 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
20665 the download status of each article so that you always know which
20666 articles will be available when unplugged.
20668 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
20669 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
20670 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
20671 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
20672 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
20673 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
20674 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
20675 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
20677 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
20678 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
20679 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
20680 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
20681 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
20682 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
20683 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
20684 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
20685 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
20687 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
20688 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
20689 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
20690 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
20691 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
20692 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
20693 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
20694 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
20695 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
20696 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
20698 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
20699 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
20700 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
20701 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
20702 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
20703 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
20705 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
20706 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
20707 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
20708 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
20709 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
20710 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
20711 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
20712 expiring'' articles.
20714 @node Agent as Cache
20715 @subsection Agent as Cache
20717 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
20718 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
20719 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
20720 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
20721 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
20722 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
20723 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
20724 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
20725 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
20727 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
20728 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
20729 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
20730 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
20731 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
20734 @subsection Agent Expiry
20736 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
20737 @findex gnus-agent-expire
20738 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
20739 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
20740 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
20741 @cindex agent expiry
20742 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
20743 @cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
20745 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
20746 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
20747 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
20748 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
20749 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
20750 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
20751 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
20752 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
20754 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
20755 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
20756 synchronized with the group.
20758 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
20759 prevent expiration in selected groups.
20761 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
20762 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
20763 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
20764 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
20765 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
20766 be kept indefinitely.
20768 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
20769 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
20770 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
20771 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
20773 @node Agent Regeneration
20774 @subsection Agent Regeneration
20776 @cindex agent regeneration
20777 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
20778 @cindex regeneration
20780 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
20781 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
20782 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
20783 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
20784 internal inconsistencies.
20786 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
20787 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
20788 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
20789 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
20790 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
20791 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
20793 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
20794 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
20795 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
20796 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
20797 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
20798 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
20800 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
20801 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
20802 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
20803 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
20804 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
20805 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
20808 @node Agent and flags
20809 @subsection Agent and flags
20811 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
20812 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
20813 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
20814 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
20815 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
20816 to the flags in its own files.
20818 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
20819 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
20820 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
20822 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20823 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
20824 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
20825 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
20826 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
20827 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
20829 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
20830 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
20831 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
20832 in the group buffer.
20834 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
20835 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
20836 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
20837 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
20838 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
20839 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
20840 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
20841 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
20843 @node Agent and IMAP
20844 @subsection Agent and IMAP
20846 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
20847 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
20848 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
20849 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
20851 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
20852 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
20857 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
20860 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
20864 @node Outgoing Messages
20865 @subsection Outgoing Messages
20867 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
20868 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
20869 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
20871 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
20872 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
20873 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
20875 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
20876 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
20877 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
20878 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
20881 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
20882 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
20883 ask you to confirm your action (see
20884 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
20886 @node Agent Variables
20887 @subsection Agent Variables
20892 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
20893 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
20894 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
20895 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
20897 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
20898 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
20901 @item gnus-agent-directory
20902 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
20903 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
20904 @file{~/News/agent/}.
20906 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
20907 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
20908 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
20909 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
20910 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
20913 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
20914 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
20915 Hook run when connecting to the network.
20917 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
20918 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
20919 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
20921 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
20922 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
20923 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
20925 @item gnus-agent-cache
20926 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
20927 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
20928 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
20929 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
20931 @item gnus-agent-go-online
20932 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
20933 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
20934 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
20935 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
20936 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
20937 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
20940 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
20941 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
20942 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
20943 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
20944 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
20945 read. The default is @code{t}.
20947 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20948 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20949 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
20950 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
20951 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
20952 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
20953 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
20955 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
20956 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
20957 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
20958 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
20959 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
20960 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
20961 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
20962 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
20963 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
20964 over and over again.
20966 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
20967 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
20968 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
20969 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
20970 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
20971 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
20972 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
20973 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
20974 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
20975 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
20976 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
20977 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
20980 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
20981 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
20982 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
20983 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
20984 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
20985 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
20986 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
20987 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
20988 is only valid if the Agent is used.
20990 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
20991 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
20992 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
20993 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
20994 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
20995 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
20997 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
20998 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
20999 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
21000 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
21001 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
21003 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
21004 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
21005 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
21006 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
21007 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
21008 mail. The default is @code{t}.
21010 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
21011 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
21012 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
21013 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
21014 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
21016 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
21017 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
21018 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
21019 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
21020 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
21021 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
21022 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
21023 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
21024 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
21025 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
21026 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
21031 @node Example Setup
21032 @subsection Example Setup
21034 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
21035 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
21036 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
21039 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
21040 ;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
21041 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
21043 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
21044 ;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
21045 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
21047 ;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
21048 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
21050 ;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
21051 ;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
21052 ;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
21055 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
21056 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
21059 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
21060 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
21061 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
21062 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
21063 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
21066 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
21067 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
21068 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
21069 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
21070 back all the killed groups.)
21072 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
21073 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
21074 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
21077 @node Batching Agents
21078 @subsection Batching Agents
21079 @findex gnus-agent-batch
21081 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
21082 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
21083 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
21085 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
21086 following incantation:
21090 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
21094 @node Agent Caveats
21095 @subsection Agent Caveats
21097 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
21098 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
21102 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
21104 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
21105 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
21106 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
21108 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
21109 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
21111 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
21115 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
21116 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
21117 locally stored articles.
21124 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
21125 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
21126 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
21129 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
21130 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
21131 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
21132 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
21133 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
21135 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
21136 before generating the summary buffer.
21138 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
21139 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
21140 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
21142 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
21143 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
21144 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
21145 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
21148 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
21149 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
21150 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
21151 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
21152 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
21153 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
21154 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
21155 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
21156 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
21157 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
21158 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
21159 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
21160 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
21161 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
21162 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
21163 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
21167 @node Summary Score Commands
21168 @section Summary Score Commands
21169 @cindex score commands
21171 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
21172 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
21173 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
21174 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
21175 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
21177 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
21178 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
21179 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
21180 score file the current one.
21182 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
21187 @kindex V s (Summary)
21188 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
21189 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
21192 @kindex V S (Summary)
21193 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
21194 Display the score of the current article
21195 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
21198 @kindex V t (Summary)
21199 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
21200 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
21201 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
21202 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
21203 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
21204 score file and edit it.
21207 @kindex V w (Summary)
21208 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
21209 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
21212 @kindex V R (Summary)
21213 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
21214 Run the current summary through the scoring process
21215 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
21216 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
21217 effect you're having.
21220 @kindex V c (Summary)
21221 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
21222 Make a different score file the current
21223 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
21226 @kindex V e (Summary)
21227 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
21228 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
21229 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
21233 @kindex V f (Summary)
21234 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
21235 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
21236 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
21239 @kindex V F (Summary)
21240 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
21241 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
21242 after editing score files.
21245 @kindex V C (Summary)
21246 @findex gnus-score-customize
21247 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
21248 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
21252 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
21257 @kindex V m (Summary)
21258 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
21259 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
21260 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
21263 @kindex V x (Summary)
21264 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
21265 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
21266 expunge all articles below this score
21267 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
21270 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
21271 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
21274 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
21275 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
21279 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
21280 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
21282 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
21283 keys are available:
21287 Score on the author name.
21290 Score on the subject line.
21293 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
21296 Score on the @code{References} line.
21302 Score on the number of lines.
21305 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
21308 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
21309 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
21312 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
21313 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
21314 @file{ADAPT} files.)
21323 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
21329 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
21330 what headers you are scoring on.
21342 Substring matching.
21345 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
21374 Greater than number.
21379 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
21380 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
21381 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
21386 Temporary score entry.
21389 Permanent score entry.
21392 Immediately scoring.
21396 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
21397 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
21398 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
21402 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
21403 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
21404 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
21405 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
21407 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
21408 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
21409 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
21410 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
21411 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
21413 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
21414 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
21415 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
21416 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
21417 current score file.
21419 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
21420 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
21421 pretend they are keymaps or not.
21424 @node Group Score Commands
21425 @section Group Score Commands
21426 @cindex group score commands
21428 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
21433 @kindex W e (Group)
21434 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
21435 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
21436 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
21439 @kindex W f (Group)
21440 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
21441 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
21442 all the time. This command will flush the cache
21443 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
21447 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
21449 @findex gnus-batch-score
21450 @cindex batch scoring
21452 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
21456 @node Score Variables
21457 @section Score Variables
21458 @cindex score variables
21462 @item gnus-use-scoring
21463 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
21464 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
21465 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
21467 @item gnus-kill-killed
21468 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
21469 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
21470 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
21471 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
21472 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
21473 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
21474 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
21476 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
21477 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
21478 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
21479 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
21480 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
21482 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
21483 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
21484 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
21485 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
21487 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
21488 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
21489 @cindex score cache
21490 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
21491 score files. However, this might make your Emacs grow big and
21492 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
21493 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
21494 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
21495 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
21496 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
21499 @item gnus-save-score
21500 @vindex gnus-save-score
21501 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
21502 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
21503 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
21505 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
21506 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
21507 across group visits.
21509 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
21510 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
21511 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
21512 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
21513 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
21514 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
21515 manually entered data.
21517 @item gnus-summary-default-score
21518 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
21519 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
21521 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
21522 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
21523 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
21524 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
21525 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
21526 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
21528 @item gnus-score-over-mark
21529 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
21530 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
21531 default. Default is @samp{+}.
21533 @item gnus-score-below-mark
21534 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
21535 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
21536 default. Default is @samp{-}.
21538 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
21539 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
21540 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
21541 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
21543 Predefined functions available are:
21546 @item gnus-score-find-single
21547 @findex gnus-score-find-single
21548 Only apply the group's own score file.
21550 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
21551 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
21552 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
21553 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
21554 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
21555 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
21556 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
21557 then a regexp match is done.
21559 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
21560 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
21562 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
21563 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
21564 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
21565 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
21567 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
21568 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
21569 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
21570 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
21571 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
21575 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
21576 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
21577 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
21578 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
21579 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
21580 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
21581 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
21584 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
21585 overall score file, you could use the value
21587 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
21588 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
21591 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
21592 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
21593 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
21594 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
21595 are expired. It's 7 by default.
21597 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
21598 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
21599 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
21600 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
21601 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
21602 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
21603 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
21604 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
21606 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
21607 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
21608 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
21610 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
21611 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
21612 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
21613 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
21614 threading---according to the current value of
21615 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
21616 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
21617 simplified in this manner.
21622 @node Score File Format
21623 @section Score File Format
21624 @cindex score file format
21626 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
21627 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
21628 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
21630 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
21634 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
21636 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
21638 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
21640 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
21645 (mark-and-expunge -10)
21649 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
21650 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
21651 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
21652 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
21656 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
21657 Scoring}, for a different approach.
21659 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
21660 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
21661 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
21663 Six keys are supported by this alist:
21668 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
21669 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
21670 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
21671 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
21672 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
21673 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
21674 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
21675 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
21676 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
21677 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
21678 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
21679 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
21680 to articles that matches these score entries.
21682 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
21683 score entry has one to four elements.
21687 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
21688 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
21692 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
21693 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
21694 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
21695 is successful. If this element is not present, the
21696 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
21697 instead. This is 1000 by default.
21700 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
21701 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
21702 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
21703 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
21704 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
21707 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
21708 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
21709 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
21710 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
21713 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
21714 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
21715 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
21716 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
21717 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
21718 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
21719 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
21720 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
21721 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
21722 instead, if you feel like.
21725 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
21726 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
21727 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
21728 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
21729 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
21730 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
21734 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
21735 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
21739 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
21740 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
21742 These predicates are true if
21745 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
21748 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
21749 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
21756 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
21757 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
21758 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
21759 it's not. I think.)
21761 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
21762 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
21763 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
21764 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
21767 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
21768 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
21769 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
21770 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
21771 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
21772 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
21773 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
21777 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
21778 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
21779 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
21780 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
21781 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
21782 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
21783 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
21784 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
21787 @item Head, Body, All
21788 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
21792 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
21793 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
21794 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
21795 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
21796 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
21797 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
21798 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
21802 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
21803 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
21804 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
21805 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
21806 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
21807 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
21808 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
21809 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
21810 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
21811 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
21812 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
21816 @cindex score file atoms
21818 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21819 lower than this number will be marked as read.
21822 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21823 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
21825 @item mark-and-expunge
21826 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21827 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
21830 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
21831 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
21832 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
21833 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
21834 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
21837 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
21838 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
21841 @item exclude-files
21842 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
21843 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
21847 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}ed. This element will be
21848 ignored when handling global score files.
21851 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
21852 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
21853 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
21854 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
21857 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
21858 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
21859 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
21860 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
21862 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
21866 (mark-and-expunge -100)
21869 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
21870 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
21871 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{c y}) the
21872 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
21873 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
21875 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
21876 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
21877 scoring rules exist.
21880 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
21881 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
21882 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
21883 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
21884 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
21885 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
21886 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
21887 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
21888 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
21889 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
21890 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
21894 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
21895 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
21896 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
21897 file for a number of groups.
21900 @cindex local variables
21901 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
21902 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
21903 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
21904 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
21905 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
21910 @node Score File Editing
21911 @section Score File Editing
21913 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
21914 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
21915 with a mode for that.
21917 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
21918 additional commands:
21923 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
21924 @findex gnus-score-edit-exit
21925 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
21926 (@code{gnus-score-edit-exit}).
21929 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
21930 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
21931 Insert the current date in numerical format
21932 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
21933 you were wondering.
21936 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
21937 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
21938 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
21939 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
21940 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
21945 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
21947 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
21948 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
21950 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
21951 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
21954 @node Adaptive Scoring
21955 @section Adaptive Scoring
21956 @cindex adaptive scoring
21958 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
21959 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
21960 stupidity, to be precise.
21962 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
21963 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
21964 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
21965 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
21966 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
21967 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
21968 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
21969 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
21970 variable to @code{(word line)}.
21972 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
21973 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
21974 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
21975 might look something like this:
21978 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
21979 '((gnus-unread-mark)
21980 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
21981 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
21982 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
21983 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
21984 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
21985 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
21986 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
21987 (gnus-ancient-mark)
21988 (gnus-low-score-mark)
21989 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
21992 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
21993 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
21994 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
21995 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
21996 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
21997 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
22000 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
22001 will be applied to each article.
22003 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
22004 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
22005 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
22006 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
22008 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
22009 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
22010 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
22011 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
22013 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
22014 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
22015 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
22016 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
22018 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
22019 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
22020 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
22021 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
22022 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
22023 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
22025 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
22026 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
22027 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
22029 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
22030 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
22031 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
22033 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
22034 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
22035 let you use different rules in different groups.
22037 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
22038 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
22039 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
22042 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
22043 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
22044 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
22045 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
22047 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
22048 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
22049 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
22050 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
22051 the length of the match is less than
22052 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
22053 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
22056 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
22057 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
22058 headers. If you adapt on words, the
22059 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
22060 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
22063 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
22064 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
22065 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
22066 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
22067 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
22070 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
22071 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
22072 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
22073 score with 30 points.
22075 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
22076 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
22077 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
22078 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
22079 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
22081 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
22082 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
22083 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
22084 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
22085 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
22087 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
22088 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
22089 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
22090 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
22092 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
22093 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
22094 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
22095 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
22097 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
22098 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
22099 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
22100 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
22101 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
22103 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
22104 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
22105 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
22107 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
22108 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
22109 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
22110 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
22113 @node Home Score File
22114 @section Home Score File
22116 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
22117 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
22118 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
22119 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
22121 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
22122 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
22123 could perhaps use the same home score file.
22125 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
22126 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
22131 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
22135 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
22136 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
22140 A list. The elements in this list can be:
22144 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
22145 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
22148 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
22149 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
22150 name of the group as the parameter.
22153 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
22156 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
22161 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
22164 (setq gnus-home-score-file
22165 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
22168 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
22169 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
22171 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
22173 (setq gnus-home-score-file
22174 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
22177 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
22178 Other functions include
22181 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
22182 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
22183 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
22184 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
22188 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
22189 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
22190 their own home score files:
22193 (setq gnus-home-score-file
22194 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
22195 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
22196 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
22197 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
22200 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
22201 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
22202 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
22203 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
22204 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
22206 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
22207 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
22208 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
22209 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
22210 precedence over this variable.
22213 @node Followups To Yourself
22214 @section Followups To Yourself
22216 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
22217 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
22218 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
22219 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
22220 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
22221 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
22225 @item gnus-score-followup-article
22226 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
22227 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
22230 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
22231 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
22232 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
22236 @vindex message-sent-hook
22237 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
22238 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
22240 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
22244 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
22245 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
22249 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
22250 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
22253 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
22254 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
22259 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
22263 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
22264 is system-dependent.
22267 @node Scoring On Other Headers
22268 @section Scoring On Other Headers
22269 @cindex scoring on other headers
22271 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
22272 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
22273 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
22274 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
22275 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
22277 @vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
22278 You can inhibit this slow scoring on headers or body by setting the
22279 variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
22280 @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
22281 the group matches the regexp. If it is t, slow scoring on it is
22282 inhibited for all groups.
22284 Now, there's not much you can do about the slowness for news groups, but for
22285 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
22286 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
22287 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
22288 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
22290 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
22293 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
22294 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
22297 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
22298 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
22299 time if you have much mail.
22301 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
22302 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
22308 @section Scoring Tips
22309 @cindex scoring tips
22315 @cindex scoring crossposts
22316 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
22317 the @code{Xref} header.
22319 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
22322 @item Multiple crossposts
22323 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
22324 more than, say, 3 groups:
22327 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
22331 @item Matching on the body
22332 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
22333 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
22334 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
22335 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
22336 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
22337 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
22338 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
22341 @item Marking as read
22342 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
22343 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
22344 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
22348 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
22350 @item Negated character classes
22351 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
22352 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
22353 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
22357 @node Reverse Scoring
22358 @section Reverse Scoring
22359 @cindex reverse scoring
22361 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
22362 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
22363 like this in your score file:
22367 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
22372 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
22373 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
22376 @node Global Score Files
22377 @section Global Score Files
22378 @cindex global score files
22380 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
22381 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
22382 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
22384 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
22385 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
22386 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
22388 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
22389 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
22390 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
22391 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
22392 files are applicable to which group.
22394 To use the score file
22395 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
22396 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
22400 (setq gnus-global-score-files
22401 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
22402 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
22405 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
22407 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
22408 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
22409 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
22410 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
22412 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
22413 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
22415 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
22416 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
22417 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
22418 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
22419 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
22420 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
22422 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
22428 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
22430 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
22432 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
22434 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
22435 lowered out of existence.
22437 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
22438 articles completely.
22441 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
22442 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
22443 old articles for a long time.
22446 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
22447 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
22448 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
22449 holding our breath yet?
22453 @section Kill Files
22456 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
22457 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
22458 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
22460 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
22461 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
22462 files into score files.
22464 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
22465 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
22466 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
22467 that isn't a very good idea.
22469 Normal kill files look like this:
22472 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22473 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
22477 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
22478 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
22480 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
22481 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
22484 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
22489 @kindex M-k (Summary)
22490 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
22491 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
22494 @kindex M-K (Summary)
22495 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
22496 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
22499 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
22504 @kindex M-k (Group)
22505 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
22506 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
22509 @kindex M-K (Group)
22510 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
22511 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
22514 Kill file variables:
22517 @item gnus-kill-file-name
22518 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
22519 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
22520 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
22521 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
22522 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
22523 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
22525 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
22526 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
22527 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
22528 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
22531 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
22532 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
22533 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
22534 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
22535 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
22536 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
22537 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
22538 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
22539 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
22541 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
22542 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
22543 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
22548 @node Converting Kill Files
22549 @section Converting Kill Files
22551 @cindex converting kill files
22553 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
22554 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
22555 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
22558 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Emacs by default.
22559 You can fetch it from the contrib directory of the Gnus distribution or
22561 @uref{http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
22563 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
22564 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
22565 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
22569 @node Advanced Scoring
22570 @section Advanced Scoring
22572 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
22573 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
22574 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
22575 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
22576 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
22578 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
22582 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
22583 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
22584 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
22588 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
22589 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
22591 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
22592 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
22593 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
22594 non-@code{nil} value.
22596 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
22597 operator, and various match operators.
22604 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
22605 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
22606 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
22611 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
22612 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
22613 then this operator will return @code{false}.
22618 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
22619 logical negation of the value of its argument.
22623 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
22624 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
22625 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
22626 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
22627 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
22628 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
22629 the ancestry you want to go.
22631 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
22632 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
22633 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
22634 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
22635 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
22638 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
22639 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
22641 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
22642 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
22645 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
22646 when he's talking about Gnus:
22651 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22652 ("subject" "Gnus"))
22659 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
22663 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22670 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
22671 really don't want to read what he's written:
22675 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22676 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
22680 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
22681 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
22682 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
22689 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
22690 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
22691 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
22692 ("body" "white.*socks"))
22696 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
22697 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
22698 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
22699 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
22702 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
22704 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
22708 The possibilities are endless.
22710 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
22711 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
22713 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
22714 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
22715 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
22716 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
22717 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
22718 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
22719 @samp{subject}) first.
22721 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
22722 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
22733 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
22734 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
22740 ("subject" "Gnus")))
22747 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
22748 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
22753 @section Score Decays
22754 @cindex score decays
22757 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
22758 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
22759 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
22760 use them in any sensible way.
22762 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
22763 @findex gnus-decay-score
22764 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
22765 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
22766 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
22767 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
22768 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
22769 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
22770 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
22771 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
22772 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
22773 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
22777 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
22778 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
22779 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
22781 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
22783 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
22785 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
22786 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
22787 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
22788 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
22789 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
22791 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
22795 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
22796 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
22797 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
22798 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
22802 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
22805 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
22808 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
22812 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
22813 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
22814 the new score, which should be an integer.
22816 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
22817 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
22822 @include message.texi
22823 @chapter Emacs MIME
22824 @include emacs-mime.texi
22826 @include sieve.texi
22838 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
22839 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
22840 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
22841 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
22842 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
22843 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
22844 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
22845 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
22846 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
22847 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
22848 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
22849 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
22850 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
22851 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
22852 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
22853 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
22854 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
22855 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
22856 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
22857 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
22858 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
22859 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
22860 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
22864 @node Process/Prefix
22865 @section Process/Prefix
22866 @cindex process/prefix convention
22868 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
22869 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
22871 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
22872 command to be performed on.
22876 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
22877 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
22878 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
22879 with the current one.
22881 @vindex transient-mark-mode
22882 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
22883 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
22885 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
22886 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
22889 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
22890 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
22892 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
22895 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
22896 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
22897 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
22898 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
22900 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
22901 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
22902 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
22903 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
22904 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
22905 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
22906 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
22907 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
22909 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
22910 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
22911 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
22912 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
22913 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
22917 @section Interactive
22918 @cindex interaction
22922 @item gnus-novice-user
22923 @vindex gnus-novice-user
22924 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
22925 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
22926 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
22927 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
22930 @item gnus-expert-user
22931 @vindex gnus-expert-user
22932 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
22933 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing,
22934 no matter how strange. For example, quitting Gnus, exiting a group
22935 without an update, catching up with a group, deleting expired
22936 articles, and replying by mail to a news message will not require
22939 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
22940 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
22941 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
22942 is @code{t} by default.
22944 @item gnus-interactive-exit
22945 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
22946 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22951 @node Symbolic Prefixes
22952 @section Symbolic Prefixes
22953 @cindex symbolic prefixes
22955 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
22956 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
22957 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
22958 rule of 900 to the current article.
22960 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
22961 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
22962 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
22963 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
22964 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
22965 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
22966 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
22968 @kindex M-i (Summary)
22969 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
22970 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
22971 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
22972 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
22973 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
22974 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
22975 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
22976 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
22978 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
22979 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
22980 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
22982 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
22986 @node Formatting Variables
22987 @section Formatting Variables
22988 @cindex formatting variables
22990 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
22991 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
22992 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
22993 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
22994 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
22997 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
22998 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
22999 lots of percentages everywhere.
23002 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
23003 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
23004 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
23005 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
23006 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
23007 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
23008 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
23009 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
23012 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
23013 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
23014 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
23015 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
23016 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
23017 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
23018 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
23019 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
23021 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
23022 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
23024 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
23025 @findex gnus-update-format
23026 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
23027 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
23028 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
23029 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
23033 @node Formatting Basics
23034 @subsection Formatting Basics
23036 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
23037 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
23038 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
23040 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
23041 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
23042 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
23043 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
23044 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
23047 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
23048 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
23049 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
23050 less than 4 characters wide.
23052 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
23053 @samp{%&user-date;}.
23056 @node Mode Line Formatting
23057 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
23059 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
23060 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
23061 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
23062 with the following two differences:
23067 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
23070 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
23071 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
23072 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
23073 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
23074 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
23075 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
23076 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
23081 @node Advanced Formatting
23082 @subsection Advanced Formatting
23084 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
23085 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
23086 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
23087 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
23089 These are the valid modifiers:
23094 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
23098 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
23103 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
23106 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
23111 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
23114 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
23117 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
23120 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
23126 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
23131 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
23132 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
23133 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
23134 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
23135 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
23136 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
23137 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
23139 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
23140 last operation, padding.
23142 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
23143 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
23144 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
23145 @xref{Compilation}.
23148 @node User-Defined Specs
23149 @subsection User-Defined Specs
23151 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
23152 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
23153 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
23154 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
23155 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
23156 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
23157 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
23158 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
23159 should protect against that.
23161 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
23162 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
23164 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
23165 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
23166 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
23167 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
23171 @node Formatting Fonts
23172 @subsection Formatting Fonts
23175 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
23176 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
23177 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
23178 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
23179 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
23183 @vindex gnus-face-0
23184 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
23185 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
23186 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
23187 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
23188 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
23189 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
23191 @cindex %<<, %>>, guillemets
23192 @c @cindex %<<, %>>, %«, %», guillemets
23193 @vindex gnus-balloon-face-0
23194 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
23195 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
23196 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
23197 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
23198 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
23199 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
23200 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
23201 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
23202 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
23203 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
23204 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
23207 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
23210 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
23211 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
23212 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
23214 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
23215 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
23216 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
23217 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
23218 ;; @r{Set the color.}
23219 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
23220 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
23222 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
23223 (setq gnus-group-line-format
23224 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
23227 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
23228 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
23230 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
23231 mode-line variables.
23233 @node Positioning Point
23234 @subsection Positioning Point
23236 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
23237 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
23238 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
23240 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
23242 @findex gnus-goto-colon
23243 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
23244 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
23246 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
23247 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
23248 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
23253 @subsection Tabulation
23255 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
23256 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
23257 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
23258 about lining up the following text afterwards.
23260 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
23261 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
23263 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
23264 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
23265 This is the soft tabulator.
23267 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
23268 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
23269 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
23272 @node Wide Characters
23273 @subsection Wide Characters
23275 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
23276 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
23277 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
23279 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
23280 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
23281 these countries, that's not true.
23283 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
23284 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
23285 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
23286 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
23290 @node Window Layout
23291 @section Window Layout
23292 @cindex window layout
23294 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
23296 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
23297 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
23298 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
23299 @code{t} by default.
23301 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
23302 glitches. Use at your own peril.
23304 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
23305 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
23306 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
23309 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
23310 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
23311 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
23315 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
23316 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
23317 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
23318 possible names is listed below.
23320 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
23321 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
23324 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
23328 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
23329 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
23330 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
23331 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
23332 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
23333 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
23334 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
23335 size spec per split.
23337 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
23338 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
23339 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
23340 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
23341 present) gets focus.
23343 Here's a more complicated example:
23346 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
23347 (summary 0.25 point)
23348 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
23352 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
23353 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
23354 occupy, not a percentage.
23356 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
23357 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
23358 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
23359 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
23360 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
23363 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
23366 (article (horizontal 1.0
23371 (summary 0.25 point)
23376 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
23377 @code{horizontal} thingie?
23379 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
23380 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
23381 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
23382 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
23383 the screen is to be given to this strip.
23385 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
23386 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
23387 lines from the splits.
23389 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
23394 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
23395 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
23396 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
23397 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
23398 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
23399 size = number | frame-params
23400 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
23404 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
23405 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
23406 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
23407 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
23409 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
23410 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
23411 @cindex window height
23412 @cindex window width
23413 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
23414 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
23415 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
23416 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
23417 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
23418 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
23420 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
23421 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
23422 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
23423 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
23425 @findex gnus-configure-frame
23426 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
23427 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
23428 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
23429 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
23430 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
23431 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
23432 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
23433 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
23434 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
23435 configuration list.
23438 (gnus-configure-frame
23442 (article 0.3 point))
23450 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
23451 @code{frame} split:
23454 (gnus-configure-frame
23457 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
23459 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
23460 (user-position . t)
23461 (left . -1) (top . 1))
23466 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
23467 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
23468 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
23469 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
23470 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
23471 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
23472 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
23473 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
23475 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
23476 be found in its default value.
23478 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
23479 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
23480 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
23484 (message (horizontal 1.0
23485 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
23487 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
23492 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
23493 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
23494 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
23499 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
23500 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
23501 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
23502 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
23503 (name . "Message"))
23504 (message 1.0 point))))
23507 @findex gnus-add-configuration
23508 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
23509 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
23510 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
23511 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
23514 (gnus-add-configuration
23515 '(article (vertical 1.0
23517 (summary .25 point)
23521 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
23522 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
23523 Gnus has been loaded.
23525 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
23526 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
23527 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
23528 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
23529 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
23531 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
23532 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
23533 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
23536 @subsection Example Window Configurations
23540 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
23541 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
23556 (gnus-add-configuration
23559 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
23561 (summary 0.16 point)
23564 (gnus-add-configuration
23567 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
23568 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
23574 @node Faces and Fonts
23575 @section Faces and Fonts
23580 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
23581 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
23582 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
23587 @section Compilation
23588 @cindex compilation
23589 @cindex byte-compilation
23591 @findex gnus-compile
23593 Remember all those line format specification variables?
23594 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
23595 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
23596 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
23597 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
23598 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
23601 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
23602 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
23603 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
23604 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
23605 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
23606 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
23607 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
23611 @section Mode Lines
23614 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
23615 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
23616 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
23617 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
23618 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
23619 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
23620 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
23623 @cindex display-time
23625 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
23626 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
23627 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
23628 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
23629 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
23630 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
23631 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
23632 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
23635 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
23637 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
23638 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
23640 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
23641 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
23642 (length display-time-string)))))
23645 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
23646 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
23647 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
23648 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
23649 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
23652 @node Highlighting and Menus
23653 @section Highlighting and Menus
23655 @cindex highlighting
23658 @vindex gnus-visual
23659 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
23660 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
23661 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
23664 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
23665 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
23668 @item group-highlight
23669 Do highlights in the group buffer.
23670 @item summary-highlight
23671 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
23672 @item article-highlight
23673 Do highlights in the article buffer.
23675 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
23677 Create menus in the group buffer.
23679 Create menus in the summary buffers.
23681 Create menus in the article buffer.
23683 Create menus in the browse buffer.
23685 Create menus in the server buffer.
23687 Create menus in the score buffers.
23689 Create menus in all buffers.
23692 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
23693 buffers, you could say something like:
23696 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
23699 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
23702 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
23705 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
23706 in all Gnus buffers.
23708 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
23711 @item gnus-mouse-face
23712 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
23713 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
23714 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
23718 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
23722 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
23723 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
23724 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
23726 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
23727 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
23728 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
23730 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
23731 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
23732 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
23734 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
23735 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
23736 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
23738 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
23739 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
23740 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
23742 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
23743 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
23744 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
23755 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
23756 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
23757 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
23758 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
23759 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
23763 @vindex gnus-carpal
23764 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
23765 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
23766 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
23771 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
23772 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
23773 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
23775 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
23776 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
23777 Face used on buttons.
23779 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
23780 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
23781 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
23783 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
23784 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
23785 Buttons in the group buffer.
23787 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
23788 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
23789 Buttons in the summary buffer.
23791 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
23792 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
23793 Buttons in the server buffer.
23795 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
23796 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
23797 Buttons in the browse buffer.
23800 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
23801 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
23802 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
23810 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
23811 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
23812 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
23813 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
23814 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
23816 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
23817 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
23818 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
23820 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
23821 been idle for thirty minutes:
23824 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
23827 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
23831 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
23834 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
23835 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
23836 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23838 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
23839 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
23840 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
23841 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23843 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
23844 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
23845 @var{idle} minutes.
23847 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
23848 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
23851 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
23852 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
23853 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
23855 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
23856 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
23857 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
23858 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
23860 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
23861 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23863 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
23865 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
23868 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
23869 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
23870 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
23871 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
23872 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
23873 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
23874 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
23875 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
23876 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
23877 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
23878 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
23880 @findex gnus-demon-init
23881 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
23882 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
23883 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
23884 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
23885 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
23887 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
23888 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
23889 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
23898 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
23899 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
23901 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
23902 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
23903 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
23904 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
23907 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
23908 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
23909 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
23910 messages, which are distributed in the newsgroups
23911 @samp{news.lists.filters}, @samp{alt.nocem.misc}, etc.
23913 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
23914 this will make spam disappear.
23916 There are some variables to customize, of course:
23919 @item gnus-use-nocem
23920 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
23921 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
23924 You can also set this variable to a positive number as a group level.
23925 In that case, Gnus scans NoCeM messages when checking new news if this
23926 value is not exceeding a group level that you specify as the prefix
23927 argument to some commands, e.g. @code{gnus},
23928 @code{gnus-group-get-new-news}, etc. Otherwise, Gnus does not scan
23929 NoCeM messages if you specify a group level that is smaller than this
23930 value to those commands. For example, if you use 1 or 2 on the mail
23931 groups and the levels on the news groups remain the default, 3 is the
23934 @item gnus-nocem-groups
23935 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
23936 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
23939 ("news.lists.filters" "alt.nocem.misc")
23942 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
23943 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
23944 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
23945 people you want to listen to. The default is:
23949 "alba-nocem@@albasani.net"
23950 "bleachbot@@httrack.com"
23951 "news@@arcor-online.net"
23952 "news@@uni-berlin.de"
23954 "pgpmoose@@killfile.org"
23958 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
23959 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
23961 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
23962 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
23963 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
23964 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
23965 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
23966 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
23967 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
23968 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
23969 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
23970 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
23972 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
23973 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
23976 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
23979 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
23980 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
23983 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
23986 The specs are applied left-to-right.
23989 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
23990 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
23991 @findex gnus-nocem-epg-verify
23993 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
23994 says she is. This variable defaults to @code{gnus-nocem-epg-verify} if
23995 EasyPG is available, otherwise defaults to @code{pgg-verify}. The
23996 function should return non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful,
23997 otherwise (including the case the NoCeM message was not signed) should
23998 return @code{nil}. If this is too slow and you don't care for
23999 verification (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to
24002 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
24003 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
24004 @code{gnus-nocem-epg-verify} or @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if
24005 you are willing to add the @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
24007 @item gnus-nocem-directory
24008 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
24009 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
24010 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
24012 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
24013 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
24014 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
24015 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
24016 might then see old spam.
24018 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
24019 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
24020 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
24021 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
24022 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
24025 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
24026 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
24027 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
24028 group. @code{nil} means no restriction. NoCeM groups can be huge and
24029 very slow to process.
24033 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
24034 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
24035 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
24036 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
24043 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
24044 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
24045 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
24047 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
24048 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
24049 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
24050 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
24051 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
24052 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
24053 @code{undo} function.
24055 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
24056 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
24057 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
24058 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
24059 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
24060 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
24061 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
24062 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
24063 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
24064 never be totally undoable.
24066 @findex gnus-undo-mode
24067 @vindex gnus-use-undo
24069 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
24070 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
24071 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
24072 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
24076 @node Predicate Specifiers
24077 @section Predicate Specifiers
24078 @cindex predicate specifiers
24080 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
24081 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
24082 to type all that much.
24084 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
24089 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
24090 gnus-article-unread-p)
24093 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
24094 functions all take one parameter.
24096 @findex gnus-make-predicate
24097 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
24098 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
24099 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
24104 @section Moderation
24107 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
24108 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
24109 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
24112 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
24116 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
24119 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
24121 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
24126 You split your incoming mail by matching on
24127 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
24128 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
24131 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
24132 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
24135 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
24136 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
24140 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
24143 (setq gnus-moderated-list
24144 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
24148 @node Fetching a Group
24149 @section Fetching a Group
24150 @cindex fetching a group
24152 @findex gnus-fetch-group
24153 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
24154 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
24155 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
24156 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
24157 It takes the group name as a parameter.
24160 @node Image Enhancements
24161 @section Image Enhancements
24163 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
24164 support images, Emacs 22 does.} and up, are able to display pictures and
24165 stuff, so Gnus has taken advantage of that.
24168 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
24169 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
24170 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
24171 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
24172 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
24180 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
24181 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
24182 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
24186 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
24187 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
24188 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
24196 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
24197 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions have), or that you
24198 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
24199 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
24200 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
24201 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
24202 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends, see below. For XEmacs it's
24203 faster if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The
24204 default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
24205 @code{display} program.
24207 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is included in the
24208 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
24209 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
24210 On Windows, you may use the packages @code{netpbm} and @code{compface}
24211 from @url{http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net}. You need to add the
24212 @code{bin} directory to your @code{PATH} environment variable.
24213 @c In fact only the following DLLs and binaries seem to be required:
24214 @c compface1.dll uncompface.exe libnetpbm10.dll icontopbm.exe
24216 The variable @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} controls which programs
24217 are used to display the @code{X-Face} header. If this variable is a
24218 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
24219 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
24220 If @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches the
24221 @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
24223 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
24231 @vindex gnus-x-face
24232 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
24233 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
24234 default colors are black and white.
24236 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
24237 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
24238 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
24239 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
24240 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
24241 XEmacs. Here are examples:
24244 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
24245 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
24246 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
24247 (png . (:ascent 80))))
24249 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
24250 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
24251 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
24252 (png . (:relief -2))))
24255 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
24256 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
24257 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
24258 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
24259 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
24260 @samp{libcompface} library.
24263 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
24264 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
24265 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
24266 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
24267 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
24268 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
24270 @findex gnus-random-x-face
24271 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
24272 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
24273 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
24274 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
24275 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
24276 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
24277 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
24278 header data as a string.
24280 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
24281 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
24282 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
24283 randomly generated data.
24285 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
24286 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
24287 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
24288 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
24289 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
24291 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
24292 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24295 (setq message-required-news-headers
24296 (nconc message-required-news-headers
24297 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
24300 Using the last function would be something like this:
24303 (setq message-required-news-headers
24304 (nconc message-required-news-headers
24305 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
24306 (gnus-x-face-from-file
24307 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
24315 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
24317 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
24318 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
24319 represent the author of the message.
24322 @findex gnus-article-display-face
24323 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
24324 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
24327 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
24328 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
24330 Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
24333 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
24335 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
24337 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
24338 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
24340 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
24341 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
24342 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
24344 @findex gnus-face-from-file
24345 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
24346 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
24347 converts the file to Face format by using the
24348 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
24350 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
24351 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24354 (setq message-required-news-headers
24355 (nconc message-required-news-headers
24356 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
24357 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
24362 @subsection Smileys
24367 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
24372 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
24373 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
24375 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
24376 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24379 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
24382 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
24383 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
24384 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
24385 text and maps that to file names.
24387 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
24388 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
24389 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
24390 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
24391 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
24394 The following variables customize the appearance of the smileys:
24399 @vindex smiley-style
24400 Specifies the smiley style. Predefined smiley styles include
24401 @code{low-color} (small 13x14 pixel, three-color images), @code{medium}
24402 (more colorful images, 16x16 pixel), and @code{grayscale} (grayscale
24403 images, 14x14 pixel). The default depends on the height of the default
24406 @item smiley-data-directory
24407 @vindex smiley-data-directory
24408 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files. You shouldn't set this
24409 variable anymore. Customize @code{smiley-style} instead.
24411 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
24412 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
24413 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
24427 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
24428 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
24429 over your shoulder as you read news.
24431 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
24440 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
24441 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
24442 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
24443 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
24444 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
24445 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
24446 @code{GIF} formats.
24449 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
24450 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
24451 point your Web browser at
24452 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
24454 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
24455 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
24457 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
24458 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
24461 @vindex gnus-picon-style
24462 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
24463 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
24464 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
24466 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
24470 @item gnus-picon-databases
24471 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
24472 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
24473 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
24474 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
24475 "/usr/local/faces")}.
24477 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
24478 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
24479 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
24480 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
24482 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
24483 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
24484 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
24485 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
24487 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
24488 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
24489 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
24490 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
24491 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
24493 @item gnus-picon-file-types
24494 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
24495 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
24496 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
24502 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
24505 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
24506 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
24507 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
24508 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
24509 unusual directory structure.
24511 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
24512 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
24513 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
24518 @subsubsection Toolbar
24522 @item gnus-use-toolbar
24523 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
24524 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
24525 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
24526 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
24527 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
24528 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
24529 names show. The default is @code{default}.
24531 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
24532 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
24533 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
24534 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
24535 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
24536 The default is that of the default toolbar.
24538 @item gnus-group-toolbar
24539 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
24540 The toolbar in the group buffer.
24542 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
24543 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
24544 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
24546 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
24547 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
24548 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
24559 @node Fuzzy Matching
24560 @section Fuzzy Matching
24561 @cindex fuzzy matching
24563 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
24564 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
24566 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
24567 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
24568 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
24570 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
24571 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
24572 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
24573 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
24574 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
24577 @node Thwarting Email Spam
24578 @section Thwarting Email Spam
24582 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24584 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
24585 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
24586 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
24587 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
24588 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
24589 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
24590 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
24591 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
24594 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
24595 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
24596 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
24597 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
24598 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
24599 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
24601 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
24604 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
24605 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
24606 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
24607 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
24610 @node The problem of spam
24611 @subsection The problem of spam
24613 @cindex spam filtering approaches
24614 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
24616 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24618 First, some background on spam.
24620 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
24621 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
24622 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
24623 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
24624 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
24625 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
24626 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
24627 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
24628 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
24630 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
24631 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
24632 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
24633 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
24634 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
24635 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
24636 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
24637 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
24638 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
24641 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
24642 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
24643 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
24644 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
24645 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
24646 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
24647 from Bulgarian IPs.
24649 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
24650 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
24651 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
24652 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
24654 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
24655 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
24656 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
24657 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
24659 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
24660 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
24661 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
24662 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
24663 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
24664 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
24665 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
24666 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
24667 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
24669 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
24670 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
24671 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
24672 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
24673 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
24674 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
24675 down for some time because of the incident.
24677 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
24678 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
24679 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
24680 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
24681 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
24682 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
24683 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
24684 to store the database of spam analysis. Statistical analysis on the
24685 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
24686 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
24687 the server that it has misclassified mail.
24689 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
24690 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
24691 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
24692 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
24693 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
24694 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
24695 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
24698 @node Anti-Spam Basics
24699 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
24703 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24705 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
24706 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
24708 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
24709 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
24710 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
24711 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
24712 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
24713 part of the mail address.)
24716 (setq message-default-news-headers
24717 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
24720 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24721 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
24725 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
24726 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
24727 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
24732 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
24733 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
24734 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
24735 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
24737 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
24738 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
24739 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
24740 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
24741 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
24742 your fancy split rule in this way:
24747 (to "larsi" "misc")
24751 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
24752 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
24753 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
24754 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
24755 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
24757 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
24758 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
24759 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
24760 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
24762 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
24766 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
24767 @cindex SpamAssassin
24768 @cindex Vipul's Razor
24771 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
24772 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
24773 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
24774 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
24775 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
24776 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
24777 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
24779 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
24780 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
24781 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
24784 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
24785 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
24786 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
24787 Specifiers}) follow.
24791 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
24795 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
24798 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
24799 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
24800 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
24803 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
24807 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
24810 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
24811 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
24815 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
24816 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
24817 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
24818 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
24821 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
24823 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
24827 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
24828 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
24832 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
24833 downloaded by default. You need to set
24834 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
24835 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
24837 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
24838 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
24839 spam. And here is the nifty function:
24842 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
24843 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
24845 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d" t)
24846 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
24850 @subsection Hashcash
24853 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
24854 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
24855 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
24856 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
24857 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
24859 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
24860 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
24861 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
24862 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
24863 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
24864 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
24865 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
24866 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
24867 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
24868 one of them separately.
24871 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
24872 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
24873 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
24874 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
24875 need to install to use this feature, see
24876 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
24877 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
24879 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
24880 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
24881 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
24884 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
24887 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
24891 @item hashcash-default-payment
24892 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
24893 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
24894 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
24897 @item hashcash-payment-alist
24898 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
24899 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
24900 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
24901 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
24902 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
24903 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
24904 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
24905 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
24907 @item hashcash-path
24908 @vindex hashcash-path
24909 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
24910 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
24911 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
24912 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
24913 when you generate hashcash payments.
24917 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
24918 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
24919 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
24920 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
24921 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
24922 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
24923 Hashcash Payments}).
24926 @section Spam Package
24927 @cindex spam filtering
24930 The Spam package provides Gnus with a centralized mechanism for
24931 detecting and filtering spam. It filters new mail, and processes
24932 messages according to whether they are spam or ham. (@dfn{Ham} is the
24933 name used throughout this manual to indicate non-spam messages.)
24936 * Spam Package Introduction::
24937 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
24938 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
24939 * Spam and Ham Processors::
24940 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
24942 * Extending the Spam package::
24943 * Spam Statistics Package::
24946 @node Spam Package Introduction
24947 @subsection Spam Package Introduction
24948 @cindex spam filtering
24949 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
24952 You must read this section to understand how the Spam package works.
24953 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
24955 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
24956 events. See @xref{Extending the Spam package}.
24958 @cindex spam-initialize
24959 @vindex spam-use-stat
24960 To use the Spam package, you @strong{must} first run the function
24961 @code{spam-initialize}:
24967 This autoloads @code{spam.el} and installs the various hooks necessary
24968 to let the Spam package do its job. In order to make use of the Spam
24969 package, you have to set up certain group parameters and variables,
24970 which we will describe below. All of the variables controlling the
24971 Spam package can be found in the @samp{spam} customization group.
24973 There are two ``contact points'' between the Spam package and the rest
24974 of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and leaving a group.
24976 Checking new mail for spam is done in one of two ways: while splitting
24977 incoming mail, or when you enter a group.
24979 The first way, checking for spam while splitting incoming mail, is
24980 suited to mail back ends such as @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap}, where
24981 new mail appears in a single spool file. The Spam package processes
24982 incoming mail, and sends mail considered to be spam to a designated
24983 ``spam'' group. @xref{Filtering Incoming Mail}.
24985 The second way is suited to back ends such as @code{nntp}, which have
24986 no incoming mail spool, or back ends where the server is in charge of
24987 splitting incoming mail. In this case, when you enter a Gnus group,
24988 the unseen or unread messages in that group are checked for spam.
24989 Detected spam messages are marked as spam. @xref{Detecting Spam in
24992 @cindex spam back ends
24993 In either case, you have to tell the Spam package what method to use
24994 to detect spam messages. There are several methods, or @dfn{spam back
24995 ends} (not to be confused with Gnus back ends!) to choose from: spam
24996 ``blacklists'' and ``whitelists'', dictionary-based filters, and so
24997 forth. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24999 In the Gnus summary buffer, messages that have been identified as spam
25000 always appear with a @samp{$} symbol.
25002 The Spam package divides Gnus groups into three categories: ham
25003 groups, spam groups, and unclassified groups. You should mark each of
25004 the groups you subscribe to as either a ham group or a spam group,
25005 using the @code{spam-contents} group parameter (@pxref{Group
25006 Parameters}). Spam groups have a special property: when you enter a
25007 spam group, all unseen articles are marked as spam. Thus, mail split
25008 into a spam group is automatically marked as spam.
25010 Identifying spam messages is only half of the Spam package's job. The
25011 second half comes into play whenever you exit a group buffer. At this
25012 point, the Spam package does several things:
25014 First, it calls @dfn{spam and ham processors} to process the articles
25015 according to whether they are spam or ham. There is a pair of spam
25016 and ham processors associated with each spam back end, and what the
25017 processors do depends on the back end. At present, the main role of
25018 spam and ham processors is for dictionary-based spam filters: they add
25019 the contents of the messages in the group to the filter's dictionary,
25020 to improve its ability to detect future spam. The @code{spam-process}
25021 group parameter specifies what spam processors to use. @xref{Spam and
25024 If the spam filter failed to mark a spam message, you can mark it
25025 yourself, so that the message is processed as spam when you exit the
25035 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
25036 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
25037 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark
25038 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}).
25042 Similarly, you can unmark an article if it has been erroneously marked
25043 as spam. @xref{Setting Marks}.
25045 Normally, a ham message found in a non-ham group is not processed as
25046 ham---the rationale is that it should be moved into a ham group for
25047 further processing (see below). However, you can force these articles
25048 to be processed as ham by setting
25049 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
25050 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups}.
25052 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
25053 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
25054 The second thing that the Spam package does when you exit a group is
25055 to move ham articles out of spam groups, and spam articles out of ham
25056 groups. Ham in a spam group is moved to the group specified by the
25057 variable @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}, or the group parameter
25058 @code{ham-process-destination}. Spam in a ham group is moved to the
25059 group specified by the variable @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations},
25060 or the group parameter @code{spam-process-destination}. If these
25061 variables are not set, the articles are left in their current group.
25062 If an article cannot be moved (e.g., with a read-only backend such
25063 as @acronym{NNTP}), it is copied.
25065 If an article is moved to another group, it is processed again when
25066 you visit the new group. Normally, this is not a problem, but if you
25067 want each article to be processed only once, load the
25068 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and set the variable
25069 @code{spam-log-to-registry} to @code{t}. @xref{Spam Package
25070 Configuration Examples}.
25072 Normally, spam groups ignore @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations}.
25073 However, if you set @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only} to
25074 @code{nil}, spam will also be moved out of spam groups, depending on
25075 the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter.
25077 The final thing the Spam package does is to mark spam articles as
25078 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
25080 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
25081 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
25082 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
25084 @node Filtering Incoming Mail
25085 @subsection Filtering Incoming Mail
25086 @cindex spam filtering
25087 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
25090 To use the Spam package to filter incoming mail, you must first set up
25091 fancy mail splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}. The Spam package
25092 defines a special splitting function that you can add to your fancy
25093 split variable (either @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
25094 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on your mail back end):
25100 @vindex spam-split-group
25102 The @code{spam-split} function scans incoming mail according to your
25103 chosen spam back end(s), and sends messages identified as spam to a
25104 spam group. By default, the spam group is a group named @samp{spam},
25105 but you can change this by customizing @code{spam-split-group}. Make
25106 sure the contents of @code{spam-split-group} are an unqualified group
25107 name. For instance, in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server},
25108 the value @samp{spam} means @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The value
25109 @samp{nnimap+server:spam} is therefore wrong---it gives the group
25110 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam}.
25112 @code{spam-split} does not modify the contents of messages in any way.
25114 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
25115 Note for IMAP users: if you use the @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
25116 @code{spam-check-ifile}, and @code{spam-check-stat} spam back ends,
25117 you should also set the variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body}
25118 to @code{t}. These spam back ends are most useful when they can
25119 ``scan'' the full message body. By default, the nnimap back end only
25120 retrieves the message headers; @code{nnimap-split-download-body} tells
25121 it to retrieve the message bodies as well. We don't set this by
25122 default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and that is not an
25123 appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user. @xref{Splitting
25126 You have to specify one or more spam back ends for @code{spam-split}
25127 to use, by setting the @code{spam-use-*} variables. @xref{Spam Back
25128 Ends}. Normally, @code{spam-split} simply uses all the spam back ends
25129 you enabled in this way. However, you can tell @code{spam-split} to
25130 use only some of them. Why this is useful? Suppose you are using the
25131 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and @code{spam-use-blackholes} spam back
25132 ends, and the following split rule:
25135 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
25136 (any "ding" "ding")
25138 ;; @r{default mailbox}
25143 The problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the ding
25144 folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam detected by
25145 SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through, when it's
25146 sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to the ding
25147 list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the invocation
25148 of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
25150 The solution is to let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, and
25151 perform the other @code{spam-split} rules (including a second
25152 invocation of the regex-headers check) after the ding rule. This is
25153 done by passing a parameter to @code{spam-split}:
25158 ;; @r{spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
25159 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
25160 (any "ding" "ding")
25161 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
25163 ;; @r{default mailbox}
25168 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
25169 your particular needs, and target the results of those checks to a
25170 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
25171 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
25172 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
25173 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
25174 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
25176 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
25177 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
25178 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
25179 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
25181 @c @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
25182 @c statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
25185 @node Detecting Spam in Groups
25186 @subsection Detecting Spam in Groups
25188 To detect spam when visiting a group, set the group's
25189 @code{spam-autodetect} and @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group
25190 parameters. These are accessible with @kbd{G c} or @kbd{G p}, as
25191 usual (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
25193 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
25194 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
25195 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
25196 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
25198 By default, only unseen articles are processed for spam. You can
25199 force Gnus to recheck all messages in the group by setting the
25200 variable @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages} to @code{t}.
25202 If you use the @code{spam-autodetect} method of checking for spam, you
25203 can specify different spam detection methods for different groups.
25204 For instance, the @samp{ding} group may have @code{spam-use-BBDB} as
25205 the autodetection method, while the @samp{suspect} group may have the
25206 @code{spam-use-blacklist} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods
25207 enabled. Unlike with @code{spam-split}, you don't have any control
25208 over the @emph{sequence} of checks, but this is probably unimportant.
25210 @node Spam and Ham Processors
25211 @subsection Spam and Ham Processors
25212 @cindex spam filtering
25213 @cindex spam filtering variables
25214 @cindex spam variables
25217 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
25218 Spam and ham processors specify special actions to take when you exit
25219 a group buffer. Spam processors act on spam messages, and ham
25220 processors on ham messages. At present, the main role of these
25221 processors is to update the dictionaries of dictionary-based spam back
25222 ends such as Bogofilter (@pxref{Bogofilter}) and the Spam Statistics
25223 package (@pxref{Spam Statistics Filtering}).
25225 The spam and ham processors that apply to each group are determined by
25226 the group's@code{spam-process} group parameter. If this group
25227 parameter is not defined, they are determined by the variable
25228 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups}.
25230 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
25231 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
25232 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
25233 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
25234 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
25235 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
25236 by customizing the corresponding variable
25237 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
25238 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
25239 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
25240 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
25241 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
25242 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
25243 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
25246 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
25248 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
25249 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
25250 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
25251 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
25252 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
25253 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
25254 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
25255 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
25256 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
25257 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
25258 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
25259 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
25260 processor which will study them as spam samples.
25262 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
25263 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
25264 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
25265 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
25266 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
25267 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
25268 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
25269 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
25272 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
25273 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
25274 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
25275 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
25276 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
25277 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
25278 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
25283 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
25284 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
25285 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
25286 you really want to.
25289 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
25290 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
25291 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
25292 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
25293 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
25294 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
25297 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
25298 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
25299 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
25300 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
25301 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
25302 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
25303 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
25304 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
25305 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
25306 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
25307 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
25308 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
25309 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
25310 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
25311 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
25313 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
25314 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
25316 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
25317 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
25318 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
25320 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
25321 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
25323 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
25324 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
25325 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
25326 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
25327 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
25329 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
25330 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
25331 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
25332 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
25333 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
25336 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
25337 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
25338 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
25339 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
25340 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
25341 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
25342 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
25343 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
25344 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
25345 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
25346 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
25347 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
25348 group buffer then you need it here as well.
25350 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
25351 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
25353 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
25354 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
25357 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
25358 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
25359 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
25360 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
25361 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
25362 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
25363 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
25365 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
25366 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
25367 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
25368 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
25370 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
25371 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
25372 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
25373 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
25374 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
25375 from the mail server.
25377 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
25378 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
25379 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
25380 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
25382 @node Spam Package Configuration Examples
25383 @subsection Spam Package Configuration Examples
25384 @cindex spam filtering
25385 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
25386 @cindex spam configuration examples
25389 @subsubheading Ted's setup
25391 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
25393 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
25394 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
25395 (gnus-registry-initialize)
25399 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
25401 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
25402 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
25403 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
25404 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
25405 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
25406 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
25407 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
25408 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
25409 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
25410 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
25411 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
25412 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
25413 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
25414 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
25415 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
25416 (any "ding" "ding")
25417 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
25419 ;; @r{default mailbox}
25422 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
25424 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
25425 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
25426 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
25427 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
25429 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
25431 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
25432 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
25433 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
25434 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
25435 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
25437 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
25438 ((spam-autodetect . t))
25440 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
25442 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
25443 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
25445 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
25446 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
25447 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
25449 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
25451 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
25452 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
25454 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
25455 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
25456 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
25458 (gnus-ticked-mark))
25459 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
25460 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
25461 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
25463 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
25464 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
25465 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
25469 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
25470 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
25472 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
25473 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
25474 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
25475 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
25476 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
25477 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
25478 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
25479 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
25480 @samp{training.spam} folders.
25482 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
25483 does most of the job for me:
25486 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
25487 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
25488 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
25489 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
25490 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
25491 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
25492 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
25497 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
25499 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
25500 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
25501 bogofilter or DCC).
25503 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
25504 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
25505 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark
25506 (@code{ham-marks}, @ref{Spam and Ham Processors}). On group exit,
25507 those messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want
25508 to have the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter)
25509 and deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
25511 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
25512 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
25513 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
25514 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
25515 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
25516 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
25518 @item @b{Ham folders:}
25520 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
25521 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
25522 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
25523 @samp{training.spam}.
25526 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
25528 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
25530 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
25531 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
25532 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
25536 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
25539 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
25540 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
25541 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
25542 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
25543 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
25545 @node Spam Back Ends
25546 @subsection Spam Back Ends
25547 @cindex spam back ends
25549 The spam package offers a variety of back ends for detecting spam.
25550 Each back end defines a set of methods for detecting spam
25551 (@pxref{Filtering Incoming Mail}, @pxref{Detecting Spam in Groups}),
25552 and a pair of spam and ham processors (@pxref{Spam and Ham
25556 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
25557 * BBDB Whitelists::
25558 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
25559 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
25561 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
25563 * SpamAssassin back end::
25564 * ifile spam filtering::
25565 * Spam Statistics Filtering::
25569 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
25570 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
25571 @cindex spam filtering
25572 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
25573 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
25576 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
25578 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
25579 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
25580 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
25581 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
25586 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
25588 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
25589 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
25590 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
25591 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
25592 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25596 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
25598 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
25599 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
25600 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
25604 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
25606 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25607 customizing the group parameters or the
25608 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25609 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25610 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
25614 Instead of the obsolete
25615 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
25616 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
25617 the same way, we promise.
25621 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
25623 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25624 customizing the group parameters or the
25625 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25626 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25627 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
25632 Instead of the obsolete
25633 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
25634 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
25635 the same way, we promise.
25639 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
25640 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
25641 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
25642 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
25643 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
25645 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
25646 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
25647 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
25648 Emacs regular expression syntax.
25650 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
25651 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
25652 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
25653 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
25654 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
25655 @file{blacklist} respectively.
25657 @node BBDB Whitelists
25658 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
25659 @cindex spam filtering
25660 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
25661 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
25664 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
25666 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
25667 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
25668 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
25669 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
25670 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
25671 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
25672 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25676 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
25678 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
25679 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
25680 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
25681 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
25682 classified as spammers.
25684 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
25685 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
25686 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
25687 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
25692 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
25694 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25695 customizing the group parameters or the
25696 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25697 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25698 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
25703 Instead of the obsolete
25704 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
25705 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
25706 the same way, we promise.
25710 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
25711 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
25712 @cindex spam reporting
25713 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
25714 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
25717 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
25719 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25720 customizing the group parameters or the
25721 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25722 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
25723 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
25726 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
25730 Instead of the obsolete
25731 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
25732 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
25733 same way, we promise.
25737 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
25739 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
25740 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
25741 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
25742 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
25743 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
25747 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
25749 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
25750 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
25751 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
25755 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
25756 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
25757 @cindex spam filtering
25758 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
25761 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
25763 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
25764 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
25765 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
25766 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
25767 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
25768 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25773 @subsubsection Blackholes
25774 @cindex spam filtering
25775 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
25778 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
25780 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
25781 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
25782 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
25783 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
25784 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
25785 contains outdated servers.
25787 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
25788 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
25789 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
25790 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
25791 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
25792 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
25796 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
25798 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
25802 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
25804 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
25805 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
25809 @defvar spam-use-dig
25811 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
25812 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
25816 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
25817 ham processor for blackholes.
25819 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
25820 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
25821 @cindex spam filtering
25822 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
25825 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
25827 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
25828 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
25829 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
25830 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
25831 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
25832 message is spam or ham, respectively.
25836 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
25838 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
25839 the message, positively identify it as spam.
25843 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
25845 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
25846 the message, positively identify it as ham.
25850 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
25851 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
25854 @subsubsection Bogofilter
25855 @cindex spam filtering
25856 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
25859 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
25861 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25864 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
25865 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
25866 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
25867 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
25868 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
25869 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
25871 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
25872 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
25875 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
25876 processing will be turned off.
25878 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
25887 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
25888 Get the Bogofilter spamicity score (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}).
25891 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
25893 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25894 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
25895 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
25896 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
25897 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
25898 installation documents for details.
25900 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
25904 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
25905 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25906 customizing the group parameters or the
25907 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25908 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
25909 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
25913 Instead of the obsolete
25914 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25915 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25916 the same way, we promise.
25919 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
25920 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25921 customizing the group parameters or the
25922 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25923 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25924 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
25925 of non-spam messages.
25929 Instead of the obsolete
25930 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25931 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25932 the same way, we promise.
25935 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
25937 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
25938 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
25939 database directory.
25943 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
25944 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25945 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
25946 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
25947 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
25948 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
25950 @node SpamAssassin back end
25951 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
25952 @cindex spam filtering
25953 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
25956 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
25958 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
25960 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
25961 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
25962 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
25963 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
25966 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
25967 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
25968 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
25969 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
25972 You should not enable this if you use
25973 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
25977 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
25979 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
25980 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
25982 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
25986 @defvar spam-spamassassin-program
25988 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
25989 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
25990 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
25991 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
25995 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
25996 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
25997 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
25998 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
25999 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
26000 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
26001 to test this functionality.
26003 @node ifile spam filtering
26004 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
26005 @cindex spam filtering
26006 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
26009 @defvar spam-use-ifile
26011 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
26012 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
26016 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
26018 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
26019 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
26020 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
26024 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
26026 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
26027 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
26028 the default value of @samp{spam}.
26031 @defvar spam-ifile-database
26033 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
26034 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
26038 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
26039 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
26040 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
26041 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
26044 @node Spam Statistics Filtering
26045 @subsubsection Spam Statistics Filtering
26046 @cindex spam filtering
26047 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
26051 This back end uses the Spam Statistics Emacs Lisp package to perform
26052 statistics-based filtering (@pxref{Spam Statistics Package}). Before
26053 using this, you may want to perform some additional steps to
26054 initialize your Spam Statistics dictionary. @xref{Creating a
26055 spam-stat dictionary}.
26057 @defvar spam-use-stat
26061 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
26062 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
26063 customizing the group parameters or the
26064 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
26065 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
26066 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
26070 Instead of the obsolete
26071 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
26072 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
26073 the same way, we promise.
26076 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
26077 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
26078 customizing the group parameters or the
26079 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
26080 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
26081 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
26082 of non-spam messages.
26086 Instead of the obsolete
26087 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
26088 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
26089 the same way, we promise.
26092 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
26093 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
26094 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
26095 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
26096 @code{spam-split} are provided.
26099 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
26100 @cindex spam filtering
26104 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
26105 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
26106 installed separately.
26108 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
26109 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
26110 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
26111 mail as a spam mail or not.
26113 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
26114 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
26115 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
26117 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Spam Package})
26120 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
26121 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
26122 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
26123 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}. @xref{Spam
26124 Package}. In this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is
26125 filtered using SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be
26126 moved to @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham
26127 messages stay in @samp{INBOX}:
26130 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
26131 spam-split-group "Junk"
26132 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
26133 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
26134 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
26137 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
26138 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
26142 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
26143 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
26144 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
26148 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
26149 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
26150 store its analysis. This is controlled by the variable
26151 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
26152 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
26153 database to live somewhere special, set
26154 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
26157 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
26158 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
26159 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns
26160 the characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
26161 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
26162 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary
26163 buffer and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using
26164 @file{spam.el}'s spam- and ham-processors, which is much more
26165 convenient. For a detailed description of spam- and ham-processors,
26166 @xref{Spam Package}.
26168 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
26169 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
26170 customizing the group parameter or the
26171 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
26172 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
26173 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
26177 Instead of the obsolete
26178 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
26179 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
26180 the same way, we promise.
26183 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
26184 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
26185 customizing the group parameter or the
26186 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
26187 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
26188 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
26193 Instead of the obsolete
26194 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
26195 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
26196 the same way, we promise.
26199 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
26200 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
26203 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
26204 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
26205 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
26207 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
26208 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
26209 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
26210 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
26211 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
26212 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
26214 @node Extending the Spam package
26215 @subsection Extending the Spam package
26216 @cindex spam filtering
26217 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
26218 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
26220 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
26221 incoming mail, provide the following:
26229 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
26230 "True if blackbox should be used.")
26233 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
26235 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
26236 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
26237 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
26238 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
26239 register/unregister spam and ham.
26244 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
26245 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
26246 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
26247 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
26252 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
26259 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
26260 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
26262 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
26263 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
26264 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
26265 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
26268 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
26269 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
26270 Only applicable to spam groups.")
26272 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
26273 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
26274 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
26283 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
26284 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
26286 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
26287 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
26288 variable customization.
26292 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
26294 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
26295 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
26297 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
26298 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
26304 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
26306 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
26307 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
26308 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
26311 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
26313 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
26314 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
26318 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
26320 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
26321 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
26322 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
26326 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
26328 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
26329 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
26330 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
26333 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
26335 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
26336 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
26340 @code{spam-install-backend}
26342 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
26343 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
26344 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
26347 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
26349 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
26350 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
26351 never install such a back end.
26356 @node Spam Statistics Package
26357 @subsection Spam Statistics Package
26358 @cindex Paul Graham
26359 @cindex Graham, Paul
26360 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
26361 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
26362 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
26364 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
26365 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
26366 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
26367 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
26368 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
26369 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
26370 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
26371 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
26372 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
26375 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
26376 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
26377 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
26378 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
26379 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
26380 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
26381 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
26382 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
26384 The Spam Statistics package adds support to Gnus for this kind of
26385 filtering. It can be used as one of the back ends of the Spam package
26386 (@pxref{Spam Package}), or by itself.
26388 Before using the Spam Statistics package, you need to set it up.
26389 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
26390 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
26391 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
26392 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
26395 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
26396 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
26397 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
26400 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
26401 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
26403 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
26404 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
26405 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
26406 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
26407 need several hundred emails in both collections.
26409 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
26410 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
26411 per mail. Use the following:
26413 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
26414 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
26415 is treated as one spam mail.
26418 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
26419 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
26420 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
26423 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
26424 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds to
26425 the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
26426 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
26427 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds to the group
26428 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
26430 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
26431 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
26432 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
26433 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
26434 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
26437 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
26438 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
26439 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
26440 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
26443 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
26444 reset the dictionary.
26446 @defun spam-stat-reset
26447 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
26450 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
26451 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
26452 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
26453 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
26454 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
26455 only non-spam mails.
26457 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
26458 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
26459 to update the dictionary incrementally.
26462 @defun spam-stat-save
26463 Save the dictionary.
26466 @defvar spam-stat-file
26467 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
26468 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
26471 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
26472 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
26474 This section describes how to use the Spam statistics
26475 @emph{independently} of the @xref{Spam Package}.
26477 First, add the following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
26480 (require 'spam-stat)
26484 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
26487 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
26488 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
26489 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
26490 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
26492 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
26493 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
26494 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
26495 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
26498 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26499 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26503 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
26504 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
26507 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
26508 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
26509 expression are considered potential spam.
26512 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26513 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26514 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26518 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
26519 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
26520 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
26521 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
26522 mails, when creating the dictionary!
26525 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26526 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26527 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26531 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
26532 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
26533 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
26534 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
26535 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
26539 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26540 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
26541 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26542 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26547 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
26548 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
26550 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
26552 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
26553 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
26554 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
26557 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
26558 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
26559 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
26562 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
26563 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
26564 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
26565 already been processed as non-spam.
26568 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
26569 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
26570 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
26571 been processed as spam.
26574 @defun spam-stat-save
26575 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
26576 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
26579 @defun spam-stat-load
26580 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
26581 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
26584 @defun spam-stat-score-word
26585 Return the spam score for a word.
26588 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
26589 Return the spam score for a buffer.
26592 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
26593 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
26594 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
26597 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
26598 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
26601 (require 'spam-stat)
26605 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
26608 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
26609 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26610 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26611 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26612 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
26613 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
26614 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26615 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26616 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
26617 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26618 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
26619 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
26620 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26621 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26624 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
26627 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
26628 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26629 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26630 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
26631 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
26632 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26635 @node The Gnus Registry
26636 @section The Gnus Registry
26641 The Gnus registry is a package that tracks messages by their
26642 Message-ID across all backends. This allows Gnus users to do several
26643 cool things, be the envy of the locals, get free haircuts, and be
26644 experts on world issues. Well, maybe not all of those, but the
26645 features are pretty cool.
26647 Although they will be explained in detail shortly, here's a quick list
26648 of said features in case your attention span is... never mind.
26652 Split messages to their parent
26654 This keeps discussions in the same group. You can use the subject and
26655 the sender in addition to the Message-ID. Several strategies are
26659 Store custom flags and keywords
26661 The registry can store custom flags and keywords for a message. For
26662 instance, you can mark a message ``To-Do'' this way and the flag will
26663 persist whether the message is in the nnimap, nnml, nnmaildir,
26667 Store arbitrary data
26669 Through a simple ELisp API, the registry can remember any data for a
26670 message. A built-in inverse map, when activated, allows quick lookups
26671 of all messages matching a particular set of criteria.
26676 * Fancy splitting to parent::
26677 * Store custom flags and keywords::
26678 * Store arbitrary data::
26684 Fortunately, setting up the Gnus registry is pretty easy:
26687 (setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500
26688 gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t)
26690 (gnus-registry-initialize)
26693 This adds registry saves to Gnus newsrc saves (which happen on exit
26694 and when you press @kbd{s} from the @code{*Group*} buffer. It also
26695 adds registry calls to article actions in Gnus (copy, move, etc.) so
26696 it's not easy to undo the initialization. See
26697 @code{gnus-registry-initialize} for the gory details.
26699 Here are other settings used by the author of the registry (understand
26700 what they do before you copy them blindly).
26704 gnus-registry-split-strategy 'majority
26705 gnus-registry-ignored-groups '(("nntp" t)
26709 gnus-registry-max-entries 500000
26710 gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t
26711 gnus-registry-track-extra '(sender subject))
26714 They say: keep a lot of messages around, use long group names, track
26715 messages by sender and subject (not just parent Message-ID), and when
26716 the registry splits incoming mail, use a majority rule to decide where
26717 messages should go if there's more than one possibility. In addition,
26718 the registry should ignore messages in groups that match ``nntp'',
26719 ``nnrss'', ``spam'', or ``train.''
26721 You are doubtless impressed by all this, but you ask: ``I am a Gnus
26722 user, I customize to live. Give me more.'' Here you go, these are
26723 the general settings.
26725 @defvar gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups
26726 The groups that will not be followed by
26727 @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}. They will still be
26728 remembered by the registry. This is a list of regular expressions.
26731 @defvar gnus-registry-ignored-groups
26732 The groups that will not be remembered by the registry. This is a
26733 list of regular expressions, also available through Group/Topic
26734 customization (so you can ignore or keep a specific group or a whole
26738 @defvar gnus-registry-use-long-group-names
26739 Whether the registry will use long group names. It's recommended to
26740 set this to @code{t}, although everything works if you don't. Future
26741 functionality will require it.
26744 @defvar gnus-registry-max-entries
26745 The number (an integer or @code{nil} for unlimited) of entries the
26746 registry will keep.
26749 @defvar gnus-registry-cache-file
26750 The file where the registry will be stored between Gnus sessions.
26753 @node Fancy splitting to parent
26754 @subsection Fancy splitting to parent
26756 Simply put, this lets you put followup e-mail where it belongs.
26758 Every message has a Message-ID, which is unique, and the registry
26759 remembers it. When the message is moved or copied, the registry will
26760 notice this and offer the new group as a choice to the splitting
26763 When a followup is made, usually it mentions the original message's
26764 Message-ID in the headers. The registry knows this and uses that
26765 mention to find the group where the original message lives. You only
26766 have to put a rule like this:
26769 (setq nnimap-my-split-fancy '(|
26771 ;; split to parent: you need this
26772 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
26774 ;; other rules, as an example
26780 in your fancy split setup. In addition, you may want to customize the
26781 following variables.
26783 @defvar gnus-registry-track-extra
26784 This is a list of symbols, so it's best to change it from the
26785 Customize interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to
26786 track @code{subject} and @code{sender} as well when splitting by parent.
26787 It may work for you. It can be annoying if your mail flow is large and
26788 people don't stick to the same groups.
26791 @defvar gnus-registry-split-strategy
26792 This is a symbol, so it's best to change it from the Customize
26793 interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to set it to
26794 @code{majority} or @code{first} to split by sender or subject based on
26795 the majority of matches or on the first found.
26798 @node Store custom flags and keywords
26799 @subsection Store custom flags and keywords
26801 The registry lets you set custom flags and keywords per message. You
26802 can use the Gnus->Registry Marks menu or the @kbd{M M x} keyboard
26803 shortcuts, where @code{x} is the first letter of the mark's name.
26805 @defvar gnus-registry-marks
26806 The custom marks that the registry can use. You can modify the
26807 default list, if you like. If you do, you'll have to exit Emacs
26808 before they take effect (you can also unload the registry and reload
26809 it or evaluate the specific macros you'll need, but you probably don't
26810 want to bother). Use the Customize interface to modify the list.
26812 By default this list has the @code{Important}, @code{Work},
26813 @code{Personal}, @code{To-Do}, and @code{Later} marks. They all have
26814 keyboard shortcuts like @kbd{M M i} for Important, using the first
26818 @defun gnus-registry-mark-article
26819 Call this function to mark an article with a custom registry mark. It
26820 will offer the available marks for completion.
26823 @node Store arbitrary data
26824 @subsection Store arbitrary data
26826 The registry has a simple API that uses a Message-ID as the key to
26827 store arbitrary data (as long as it can be converted to a list for
26830 @defun gnus-registry-store-extra-entry (id key value)
26831 Store @code{value} in the extra data key @code{key} for message
26835 @defun gnus-registry-delete-extra-entry (id key)
26836 Delete the extra data key @code{key} for message @code{id}.
26839 @defun gnus-registry-fetch-extra (id key)
26840 Get the extra data key @code{key} for message @code{id}.
26843 @defvar gnus-registry-extra-entries-precious
26844 If any extra entries are precious, their presence will make the
26845 registry keep the whole entry forever, even if there are no groups for
26846 the Message-ID and if the size limit of the registry is reached. By
26847 default this is just @code{(marks)} so the custom registry marks are
26852 @section Interaction with other modes
26857 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provides some useful functions for dired
26858 buffers. It is enabled with
26860 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
26865 @findex gnus-dired-attach
26866 @cindex attachments, selection via dired
26867 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
26868 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
26871 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
26872 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
26873 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
26877 @findex gnus-dired-print
26878 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
26879 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
26882 @node Various Various
26883 @section Various Various
26889 @item gnus-home-directory
26890 @vindex gnus-home-directory
26891 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
26892 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
26894 @item gnus-directory
26895 @vindex gnus-directory
26896 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
26897 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
26898 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
26900 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
26901 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
26902 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
26903 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
26905 @item gnus-default-directory
26906 @vindex gnus-default-directory
26907 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
26908 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
26909 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
26910 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
26911 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
26912 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
26915 @vindex gnus-verbose
26916 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
26917 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
26918 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
26919 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
26920 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
26922 @item gnus-verbose-backends
26923 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
26924 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
26925 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
26927 @item gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26928 @vindex gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26929 This variable controls whether to add timestamps to messages that are
26930 controlled by @code{gnus-verbose} and @code{gnus-verbose-backends} and
26931 are issued. The default value is @code{nil} which means never to add
26932 timestamp. If it is @code{log}, add timestamps to only the messages
26933 that go into the @samp{*Messages*} buffer (in XEmacs, it is the
26934 @w{@samp{ *Message-Log*}} buffer). If it is neither @code{nil} nor
26935 @code{log}, add timestamps not only to log messages but also to the ones
26936 displayed in the echo area.
26938 @item nnheader-max-head-length
26939 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
26940 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
26941 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
26942 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
26943 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
26944 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
26945 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
26946 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
26947 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
26949 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
26950 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
26951 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
26952 read when doing the operation described above.
26954 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26955 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26957 @cindex invalid characters in file names
26958 @cindex characters in file names
26959 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
26960 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
26961 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
26965 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26970 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
26971 Windows (phooey) systems.
26973 @item gnus-hidden-properties
26974 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
26975 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
26976 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
26977 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
26979 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
26980 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
26981 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
26982 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
26983 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
26985 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
26986 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
26987 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
26989 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
26990 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
26992 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
26993 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
26994 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
26995 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
26998 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
27000 @item gnus-safe-html-newsgroups
27001 @vindex gnus-safe-html-newsgroups
27002 Groups in which links in html articles are considered all safe. The
27003 value may be a regexp matching those groups, a list of group names, or
27004 @code{nil}. This overrides @code{mm-w3m-safe-url-regexp}. The default
27005 value is @code{"\\`nnrss[+:]"}. This is effective only when emacs-w3m
27006 renders html articles, i.e., in the case @code{mm-text-html-renderer} is
27007 set to @code{w3m}. @xref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization,
27008 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}.
27015 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
27016 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
27018 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
27020 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
27026 Not because of victories @*
27029 but for the common sunshine,@*
27031 the largess of the spring.
27035 but for the day's work done@*
27036 as well as I was able;@*
27037 not for a seat upon the dais@*
27038 but at the common table.@*
27043 @chapter Appendices
27046 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
27047 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
27048 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
27049 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
27050 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
27051 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
27052 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
27053 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
27054 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
27061 @cindex installing under XEmacs
27063 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
27064 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
27065 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
27066 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
27067 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
27068 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
27075 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
27076 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
27078 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
27079 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
27080 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
27081 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
27082 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
27084 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
27085 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
27086 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
27087 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
27088 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
27089 appropriate name, don't you think?)
27091 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
27092 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
27093 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
27094 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
27097 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
27098 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
27099 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
27100 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
27101 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
27102 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
27103 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
27104 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
27105 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
27109 @node Gnus Versions
27110 @subsection Gnus Versions
27112 @cindex September Gnus
27114 @cindex Quassia Gnus
27115 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
27118 @cindex Gnus versions
27120 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
27121 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
27122 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
27124 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
27125 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
27127 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
27128 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
27130 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
27131 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
27133 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
27134 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
27137 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
27138 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
27140 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
27142 On April 19, 2010 Gnus development was moved to Git. See
27143 http://git.gnus.org for details (http://www.gnus.org will be updated
27144 with the information when possible).
27146 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
27147 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
27148 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
27149 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
27150 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
27151 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
27154 @node Other Gnus Versions
27155 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
27158 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
27159 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
27160 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
27161 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
27163 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
27164 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
27165 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
27166 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
27173 What's the point of Gnus?
27175 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
27176 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
27177 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
27178 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
27179 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
27180 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
27181 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
27182 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
27183 keep track of millions of people who post?
27185 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
27186 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
27187 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
27188 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
27189 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
27190 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
27191 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
27192 every one of you to explore and invent.
27194 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
27195 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
27198 @node Compatibility
27199 @subsection Compatibility
27201 @cindex compatibility
27202 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
27203 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
27204 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
27209 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
27213 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
27216 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
27219 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
27220 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
27221 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
27222 important variables have their values copied into their global
27223 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
27224 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
27226 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
27227 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
27228 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
27229 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
27230 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
27234 @cindex highlighting
27235 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
27236 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
27237 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
27238 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
27239 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
27240 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
27243 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
27244 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
27245 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
27246 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
27248 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
27249 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
27250 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
27251 to stop doing it the old way.
27253 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
27255 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
27257 @cindex reporting bugs
27259 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
27260 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
27261 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
27263 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
27264 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
27265 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
27266 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
27271 @subsection Conformity
27273 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
27274 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
27282 There are no known breaches of this standard.
27286 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
27288 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
27289 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
27290 We do have some breaches to this one.
27296 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
27297 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
27298 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
27299 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
27300 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
27305 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
27306 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
27307 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
27308 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
27310 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
27311 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
27312 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
27314 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
27315 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
27317 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
27320 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
27321 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
27322 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
27323 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
27324 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
27327 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
27328 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
27329 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
27330 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
27332 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
27333 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
27335 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
27336 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
27337 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
27338 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
27339 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
27340 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
27341 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
27342 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
27346 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
27347 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
27352 @subsection Emacsen
27358 This version of Gnus should work on:
27366 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
27370 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
27371 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
27372 Emacs versions. Particularly, Gnus 5.10.8 should also work on Emacs
27373 20.7 and XEmacs 21.1.
27375 @c No-merge comment: The paragraph added in v5-10 here must not be
27378 @node Gnus Development
27379 @subsection Gnus Development
27381 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
27382 discussion on the development mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}, where people
27383 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
27384 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
27385 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
27386 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
27387 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
27388 have names like ``Oort Gnus'' and ``No Gnus''. @xref{Gnus Versions}.
27390 After futzing around for 10-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
27391 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
27392 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.10.1'' instead. Normal people are
27393 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
27394 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup. This newgroup is mirrored to the
27395 mailing list @samp{info-gnus-english@@gnu.org} which is carried on Gmane
27396 as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.user}. These releases are finally integrated
27400 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
27401 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
27402 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
27403 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
27404 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
27406 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
27407 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
27408 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
27409 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
27410 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
27411 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
27412 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
27413 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
27414 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
27415 can't be assumed to do so.
27417 So if you have problems with or questions about the alpha versions,
27418 direct those to the ding mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}. This list
27419 is also available on Gmane as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.general}.
27422 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
27423 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
27424 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
27425 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
27426 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
27429 @subsection Contributors
27430 @cindex contributors
27432 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
27433 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
27434 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
27435 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
27436 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
27437 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
27438 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
27439 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
27440 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
27441 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
27443 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
27449 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
27452 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
27453 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
27454 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
27455 functionality and stuff.
27458 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
27459 well as numerous other things).
27462 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
27465 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
27468 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
27471 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
27474 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
27475 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
27478 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
27481 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
27484 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
27487 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
27490 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
27493 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
27496 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
27497 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
27500 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
27503 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
27506 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
27509 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
27513 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
27516 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
27519 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
27522 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
27523 well as autoconf support.
27527 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
27528 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
27530 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
27545 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
27547 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
27551 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
27561 Alexei V. Barantsev,
27576 Massimo Campostrini,
27581 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
27582 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
27586 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
27589 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
27595 Michael Welsh Duggan,
27600 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
27604 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
27612 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
27614 Michelangelo Grigni,
27618 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
27620 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
27622 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
27630 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
27631 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
27632 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
27634 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
27644 Peter Skov Knudsen,
27645 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
27647 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
27648 Thor Kristoffersen,
27651 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
27669 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
27670 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
27677 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
27682 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
27686 John McClary Prevost,
27692 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
27697 Christian von Roques,
27700 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
27707 Philippe Schnoebelen,
27709 Randal L. Schwartz,
27723 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
27728 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
27748 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
27749 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
27750 (550kB and counting).
27752 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
27755 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
27756 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
27760 @subsection New Features
27761 @cindex new features
27764 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
27765 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
27766 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
27767 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
27768 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
27769 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
27770 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
27773 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
27774 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
27775 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
27778 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
27780 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
27785 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
27786 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
27789 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
27790 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
27793 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
27796 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
27797 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
27798 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
27801 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
27802 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
27803 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
27804 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
27807 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
27808 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27811 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
27812 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
27813 (@pxref{The Active File}).
27816 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
27817 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
27820 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
27821 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
27822 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
27825 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
27826 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
27827 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
27830 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
27831 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
27834 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
27835 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
27838 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
27839 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
27842 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
27843 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27846 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
27847 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
27850 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
27851 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
27854 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
27857 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
27858 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
27861 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
27862 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
27865 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
27866 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
27869 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
27872 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
27873 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27876 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
27880 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
27884 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
27885 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
27888 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
27894 @node September Gnus
27895 @subsubsection September Gnus
27899 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
27903 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
27908 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
27909 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
27913 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
27914 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
27918 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
27922 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
27923 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
27926 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
27930 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
27933 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
27936 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
27939 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
27943 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
27944 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
27947 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
27951 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
27955 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
27959 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
27963 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
27966 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
27967 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
27970 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
27974 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
27975 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
27978 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
27981 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
27982 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
27983 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27986 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
27990 The Gnus cache is much faster.
27993 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
27997 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
27998 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
28001 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
28002 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
28005 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
28006 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
28009 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
28010 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
28011 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
28014 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
28015 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
28018 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
28021 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
28024 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
28027 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
28030 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
28031 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
28034 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
28038 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
28041 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
28046 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
28049 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
28053 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
28056 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
28060 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
28063 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
28066 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
28067 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
28070 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
28071 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
28075 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
28076 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
28079 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
28083 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
28084 buffer to allow easier treatment.
28087 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
28090 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
28094 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
28098 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
28099 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
28102 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
28106 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
28107 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
28110 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
28111 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
28114 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
28118 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
28121 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
28124 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
28130 @subsubsection Red Gnus
28132 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
28136 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
28143 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
28146 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
28147 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
28150 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
28151 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
28155 Article washing status can be displayed in the
28156 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
28159 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
28162 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
28163 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
28166 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
28170 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
28171 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
28175 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
28176 Server Internals}).
28179 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
28183 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
28186 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
28187 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
28190 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
28191 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
28192 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
28195 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
28196 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
28199 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
28200 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
28203 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
28207 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
28208 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28211 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
28212 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
28215 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
28219 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
28222 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
28226 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
28227 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28230 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
28231 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
28234 A new command for reading collections of documents
28235 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
28236 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
28239 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
28243 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
28244 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
28247 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
28248 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
28249 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
28252 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
28253 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
28257 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
28261 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
28265 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
28270 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
28274 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
28278 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
28279 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
28282 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
28288 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
28290 New features in Gnus 5.6:
28295 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
28296 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
28297 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
28300 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
28301 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
28302 group, which is created automatically.
28305 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
28309 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
28312 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
28313 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
28316 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
28320 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
28323 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
28324 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
28327 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
28330 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
28334 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
28335 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
28338 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
28339 control over simplification.
28342 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
28345 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
28349 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
28352 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
28355 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
28356 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
28357 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
28360 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
28361 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
28364 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
28368 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
28369 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
28372 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
28373 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
28376 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
28380 A history of where mails have been split is available.
28383 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
28386 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
28387 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
28390 A new function for citing in Message has been
28391 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
28394 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
28397 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
28401 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
28402 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
28405 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
28406 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
28409 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
28412 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
28416 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
28417 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
28419 New features in Gnus 5.8:
28424 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
28425 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
28427 If you used procmail like in
28430 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
28431 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
28432 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
28433 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
28436 this now has changed to
28440 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
28444 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
28447 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
28448 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
28451 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
28452 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
28455 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
28456 called to position point.
28459 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
28460 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
28463 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
28464 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
28467 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
28468 subtly different manner.
28471 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
28472 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
28473 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
28476 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
28481 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
28484 New features in Gnus 5.10:
28488 @item Installation changes
28489 @c ***********************
28493 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
28495 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
28496 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
28497 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
28498 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
28499 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
28500 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
28501 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
28502 isn't save in general.
28505 Lisp files are now installed in @file{.../site-lisp/gnus/} by default.
28506 It defaulted to @file{.../site-lisp/} formerly. In addition to this,
28507 the new installer issues a warning if other Gnus installations which
28508 will shadow the latest one are detected. You can then remove those
28509 shadows manually or remove them using @code{make
28510 remove-installed-shadows}.
28513 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
28515 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
28516 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
28517 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, if you want
28518 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
28519 the second parameter.
28521 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
28522 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
28523 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
28524 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
28525 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
28526 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
28527 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
28528 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
28529 cycle used under Unix systems.
28531 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} and @file{xemacs.mak}
28532 superfluous, so they have been removed.
28535 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
28537 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
28538 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
28541 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
28542 @c the repository. We should find a better place for this item.
28544 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
28546 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
28547 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
28548 lisp directory into load-path.
28550 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
28551 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
28555 @item New packages and libraries within Gnus
28556 @c *****************************************
28561 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
28562 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
28565 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
28567 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
28568 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
28569 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
28570 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
28573 Improved anti-spam features.
28575 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
28576 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
28577 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
28578 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
28579 are also new. @ref{Thwarting Email Spam} and @ref{Spam Package}.
28580 @c FIXME: @xref{Spam Package}?. Should this be under Misc?
28583 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
28585 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
28586 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
28587 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
28588 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
28589 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
28593 @item Changes in group mode
28594 @c ************************
28599 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
28603 Retrieval of charters and control messages
28605 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
28606 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
28609 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
28611 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
28612 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
28613 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
28614 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
28615 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
28618 (setq gnus-parameters
28620 (gnus-show-threads nil)
28621 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
28622 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
28623 (to-group . "\\1"))))
28627 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
28629 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
28630 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
28631 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
28632 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
28633 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
28634 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
28635 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
28636 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
28637 when getting new mail, remove the function.
28640 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
28642 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
28643 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
28644 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
28647 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
28648 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
28650 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
28651 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
28652 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
28654 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
28658 Old intermediate incoming mail files (@file{Incoming*}) are deleted
28659 after a couple of days, not immediately. @xref{Mail Source
28660 Customization}. (New in Gnus 5.10.10 / Emacs 22.2)
28664 @item Changes in summary and article mode
28665 @c **************************************
28670 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
28671 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
28672 region if the region is active.
28675 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
28676 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
28681 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
28682 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
28683 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
28684 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
28687 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
28692 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
28693 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
28695 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
28696 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
28700 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
28701 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
28704 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
28707 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
28708 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
28711 Warn about email replies to news
28713 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
28714 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
28718 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
28719 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
28723 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
28724 opposed to old but unread messages).
28727 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
28728 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
28731 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
28732 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
28735 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
28736 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
28739 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
28741 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
28742 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
28743 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
28744 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
28747 The new command @kbd{W Y f}
28748 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}) allows deuglifying broken
28749 Outlook (Express) articles.
28752 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
28754 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
28755 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
28756 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
28757 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
28759 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
28760 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
28761 message cited below.
28764 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now displayed graphically in
28767 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
28771 Face headers handling. @xref{Face}.
28774 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
28775 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
28778 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
28781 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
28783 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
28784 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
28785 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
28786 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
28787 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
28791 Deleting of attachments.
28793 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
28794 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
28795 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
28796 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
28797 that support editing.
28800 @code{gnus-default-charset}
28802 The default value is determined from the
28803 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
28804 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
28805 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
28808 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
28810 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
28811 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
28812 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
28815 Extended format specs.
28817 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
28818 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
28819 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
28820 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
28821 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
28822 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
28825 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
28826 @c FIXME: Was this a user-visible change?
28828 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
28829 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
28830 out other articles.
28833 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
28835 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
28836 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
28837 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
28838 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
28841 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
28845 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
28846 @c ****************************************************
28853 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
28854 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
28855 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
28858 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
28859 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
28862 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
28863 Gcc articles as read.
28866 Externalizing of attachments
28868 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
28869 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
28870 local files as external parts.
28873 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
28874 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
28877 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
28879 Earlier it was generated when the user configurable email address was
28880 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
28881 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
28882 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
28883 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
28884 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
28885 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
28886 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
28887 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
28890 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
28892 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
28893 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
28894 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
28895 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
28896 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
28897 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
28900 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
28901 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
28905 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers. @xref{X-Face}.
28908 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
28910 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
28911 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
28912 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
28913 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
28914 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
28915 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
28916 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
28917 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
28918 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
28919 was inserted directly.
28922 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
28924 @c FIXME should that not be 'message-user-agent?
28925 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
28926 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
28927 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
28928 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
28931 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
28933 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
28935 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
28936 'bbdb-complete-name)
28940 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
28942 Add a new format of match like
28944 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
28945 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28947 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
28949 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
28950 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28954 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
28956 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
28957 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
28958 need add those two headers too.
28961 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
28962 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
28963 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
28967 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
28968 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
28969 inline PGP signed messages. @xref{Flowed text, , Flowed text,
28970 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
28971 @c This entry is also present in the node "No Gnus".
28974 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
28976 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
28979 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
28981 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
28985 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
28987 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
28988 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
28989 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
28990 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
28991 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
28992 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
28993 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
28994 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
28997 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
28998 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
29000 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
29001 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
29002 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
29003 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
29006 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
29009 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
29010 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
29013 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to the symbol
29016 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
29017 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
29018 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
29019 invalidate the digital signature.
29022 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
29023 decompressed when activated.
29024 @c FIXME: Does this affect article or message mode?
29027 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
29029 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
29030 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
29031 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
29032 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
29033 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
29036 @item You can now drag and drop attachments to the Message buffer.
29037 See @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} and @code{mml-dnd-attach-options}.
29038 @xref{MIME, ,MIME, message, Message Manual}.
29039 @c New in 5.10.9 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.1)
29041 @item @code{auto-fill-mode} is enabled by default in Message mode.
29042 See @code{message-fill-column}. @xref{Various Message Variables, ,
29043 Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
29044 @c New in Gnus 5.10.12 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.3)
29048 @item Changes in back ends
29049 @c ***********************
29053 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
29056 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
29059 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
29061 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
29064 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
29066 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
29067 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
29068 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
29069 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
29070 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
29071 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
29072 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
29073 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
29074 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
29075 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
29076 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
29086 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
29087 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
29090 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
29091 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
29092 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
29093 message, Message Manual}).
29096 The tool bars have been updated to use GNOME icons in Group, Summary and
29097 Message mode. You can also customize the tool bars: @kbd{M-x
29098 customize-apropos RET -tool-bar$} should get you started. This is a new
29099 feature in Gnus 5.10.10. (Only for Emacs, not in XEmacs.)
29101 @item The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly
29102 in the group buffer, see the variable @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}.
29103 Its default value depends on your Emacs version. This is a new feature
29108 @item Miscellaneous changes
29109 @c ************************
29116 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
29117 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
29118 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
29119 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
29120 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
29121 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
29122 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
29123 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
29124 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
29125 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
29126 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
29127 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
29128 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
29129 is not needed any more.
29132 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
29134 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
29135 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
29136 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
29141 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
29142 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
29143 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
29147 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
29150 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
29152 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
29159 @subsubsection No Gnus
29162 New features in No Gnus:
29163 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
29165 @include gnus-news.texi
29171 @section The Manual
29175 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
29176 either @code{texi2dvi}
29178 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
29179 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
29181 to get what you hold in your hands now.
29183 The following conventions have been used:
29188 This is a @samp{string}
29191 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
29194 This is a @file{file}
29197 This is a @code{symbol}
29201 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
29205 (setq flargnoze "yes")
29208 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
29211 (setq flumphel 'yes)
29214 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
29215 ever get them confused.
29219 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
29220 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
29221 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
29222 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
29223 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
29224 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
29225 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
29231 @node On Writing Manuals
29232 @section On Writing Manuals
29234 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
29235 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
29236 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
29237 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
29238 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
29239 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code go hand
29242 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
29243 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
29244 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
29247 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
29248 reference manual as source material. It would look quite different.
29253 @section Terminology
29255 @cindex terminology
29260 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
29261 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
29262 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
29263 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
29264 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
29268 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
29269 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
29270 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
29271 not posting, and replying is not following up.
29275 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
29279 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
29284 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
29285 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
29286 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
29287 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
29288 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
29289 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
29290 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
29291 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
29292 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
29295 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
29296 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
29297 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
29298 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
29299 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
29300 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
29302 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
29303 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
29304 access the articles.
29306 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
29307 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
29308 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
29313 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
29314 default, way of getting news.
29318 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
29319 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
29324 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
29325 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
29329 A message that has been posted as news.
29332 @cindex mail message
29333 A message that has been mailed.
29337 A mail message or news article
29341 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
29346 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
29351 A line from the head of an article.
29355 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
29356 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
29358 @item @acronym{NOV}
29359 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
29360 @acronym{NOV} stands for News OverView, which is a type of news server
29361 header which provide datas containing the condensed header information
29362 of articles. They are produced by the server itself; in the @code{nntp}
29363 back end Gnus uses the ones that the @acronym{NNTP} server makes, but
29364 Gnus makes them by itself for some backends (in particular, @code{nnml}).
29366 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
29367 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
29368 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
29369 normal @sc{head} format.
29371 The @acronym{NOV} data consist of one or more text lines (@pxref{Text
29372 Lines, ,Motion by Text Lines, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual})
29373 where each line has the header information of one article. The header
29374 information is a tab-separated series of the header's contents including
29375 an article number, a subject, an author, a date, a message-id,
29378 Those data enable Gnus to generate summary lines quickly. However, if
29379 the server does not support @acronym{NOV} or you disable it purposely or
29380 for some reason, Gnus will try to generate the header information by
29381 parsing each article's headers one by one. It will take time.
29382 Therefore, it is not usually a good idea to set nn*-nov-is-evil
29383 (@pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}) to a non-@code{nil} value unless you
29384 know that the server makes wrong @acronym{NOV} data.
29388 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
29389 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
29390 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
29391 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
29392 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
29393 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
29395 @item killed groups
29396 @cindex killed groups
29397 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
29398 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
29400 @item zombie groups
29401 @cindex zombie groups
29402 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
29405 @cindex active file
29406 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
29407 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
29408 is rather large, as you might surmise.
29411 @cindex bogus groups
29412 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
29413 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
29414 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
29417 @cindex activating groups
29418 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
29419 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
29420 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
29424 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
29425 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
29426 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
29430 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
29432 @item select method
29433 @cindex select method
29434 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
29437 @item virtual server
29438 @cindex virtual server
29439 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
29440 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
29441 whole is a virtual server.
29445 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
29446 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
29449 @item ephemeral groups
29450 @cindex ephemeral groups
29451 @cindex temporary groups
29452 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
29453 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
29454 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
29457 @cindex solid groups
29458 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
29459 group buffer are solid groups.
29461 @item sparse articles
29462 @cindex sparse articles
29463 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
29464 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
29468 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
29469 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
29473 @cindex thread root
29474 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
29475 articles in the thread.
29479 An article that has responses.
29483 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
29487 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
29488 specified by RFC 1153.
29491 @cindex splitting, terminology
29492 @cindex mail sorting
29493 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
29494 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
29495 incorrectly called mail filtering.
29501 @node Customization
29502 @section Customization
29503 @cindex general customization
29505 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
29506 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
29507 for some quite common situations.
29510 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
29511 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
29512 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
29513 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
29517 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
29518 @subsection Slow/Expensive Connection
29520 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
29521 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
29522 Gnus has to get from the server.
29526 @item gnus-read-active-file
29527 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
29528 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
29529 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
29530 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
29531 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
29533 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
29534 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
29535 Usually this one must @emph{always} be @code{nil} (which is the
29536 default). If, for example, you wish to not use @acronym{NOV}
29537 (@pxref{Terminology}) with the @code{nntp} back end (@pxref{Crosspost
29538 Handling}), set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to a non-@code{nil} value
29539 instead of setting this. But you normally do not need to set
29540 @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} since Gnus by itself will detect whether the
29541 @acronym{NNTP} server supports @acronym{NOV}. Anyway, grabbing article
29542 headers from the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast if you tell
29543 Gnus not to use @acronym{NOV}.
29545 As the variables for the other back ends, there are
29546 @code{nndiary-nov-is-evil}, @code{nndir-nov-is-evil},
29547 @code{nnfolder-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnimap-nov-is-evil},
29548 @code{nnml-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnspool-nov-is-evil}, and
29549 @code{nnwarchive-nov-is-evil}. Note that a non-@code{nil} value for
29550 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} overrides all those variables.@footnote{Although
29551 the back ends @code{nnkiboze}, @code{nnslashdot}, @code{nnultimate}, and
29552 @code{nnwfm} don't have their own nn*-nov-is-evil.}
29556 @node Slow Terminal Connection
29557 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
29559 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
29560 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
29561 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
29565 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
29566 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
29567 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
29568 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
29569 horizontal and vertical recentering.
29571 @item gnus-visible-headers
29572 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
29573 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
29574 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
29575 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
29577 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
29579 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
29580 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
29581 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
29584 @item gnus-use-full-window
29585 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
29586 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
29587 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
29588 want to read them anyway.
29590 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
29591 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
29595 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
29596 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
29597 lines, which might save some time.
29601 @node Little Disk Space
29602 @subsection Little Disk Space
29605 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
29606 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
29610 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
29611 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
29612 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
29613 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
29616 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
29617 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
29618 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
29619 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
29622 @item gnus-save-killed-list
29623 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
29624 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
29625 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
29626 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
29632 @subsection Slow Machine
29633 @cindex slow machine
29635 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
29636 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
29638 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
29639 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
29641 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
29642 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
29643 summary buffer faster. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
29647 @node Troubleshooting
29648 @section Troubleshooting
29649 @cindex troubleshooting
29651 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
29659 Make sure your computer is switched on.
29662 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
29663 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
29667 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
29669 @samp{No Gnus v0.10} @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change this line!
29671 you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old @file{.el}
29672 files lying around. Delete these.
29675 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
29676 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
29679 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
29680 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
29681 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
29682 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
29683 something like that.
29686 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
29689 @cindex reporting bugs
29691 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
29693 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
29694 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
29695 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
29696 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
29698 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
29699 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
29700 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
29701 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
29704 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
29705 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
29706 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
29707 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
29708 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
29709 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
29711 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
29712 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
29713 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
29717 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
29718 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
29721 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
29722 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
29723 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
29724 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
29725 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
29726 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
29727 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
29728 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
29729 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
29730 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
29731 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
29732 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
29733 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
29734 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
29739 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
29740 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
29741 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
29742 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
29743 helps isolating the real problem areas).
29745 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
29746 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
29747 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
29748 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
29749 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
29750 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
29751 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
29752 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
29753 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
29754 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
29755 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
29756 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
29757 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
29760 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
29761 @cindex ding mailing list
29762 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
29763 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
29764 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
29765 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
29769 @node Gnus Reference Guide
29770 @section Gnus Reference Guide
29772 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
29773 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
29774 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
29775 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
29778 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
29779 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
29780 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
29781 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
29782 and general methods of operation.
29785 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
29786 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
29787 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
29788 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
29789 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
29790 * Group Info:: The group info format.
29791 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
29792 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
29793 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
29797 @node Gnus Utility Functions
29798 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
29799 @cindex Gnus utility functions
29800 @cindex utility functions
29802 @cindex internal variables
29804 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
29805 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
29806 Below is a list of the most common ones.
29810 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
29811 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
29812 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
29814 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
29815 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
29816 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
29818 @item gnus-group-real-name
29819 @findex gnus-group-real-name
29820 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
29823 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
29824 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
29825 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
29826 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
29828 @item gnus-get-info
29829 @findex gnus-get-info
29830 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
29832 @item gnus-group-unread
29833 @findex gnus-group-unread
29834 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
29838 @findex gnus-active
29839 The active entry for @var{group}.
29841 @item gnus-set-active
29842 @findex gnus-set-active
29843 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
29845 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29846 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29847 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
29850 @item gnus-continuum-version
29851 @findex gnus-continuum-version
29852 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
29853 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
29856 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
29857 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
29858 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
29860 @item gnus-news-group-p
29861 @findex gnus-news-group-p
29862 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
29864 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29865 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29866 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
29868 @item gnus-server-to-method
29869 @findex gnus-server-to-method
29870 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
29872 @item gnus-server-equal
29873 @findex gnus-server-equal
29874 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
29876 @item gnus-group-native-p
29877 @findex gnus-group-native-p
29878 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
29880 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
29881 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
29882 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
29884 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
29885 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
29886 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
29888 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
29889 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
29890 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
29891 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
29893 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
29894 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
29895 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
29897 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
29898 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
29899 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
29901 @item gnus-check-backend-function
29902 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
29903 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
29904 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
29907 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
29911 @item gnus-read-method
29912 @findex gnus-read-method
29913 Prompts the user for a select method.
29918 @node Back End Interface
29919 @subsection Back End Interface
29921 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
29922 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
29923 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
29924 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
29925 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
29926 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
29928 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
29929 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
29930 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
29931 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
29932 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
29933 been opened, the function should fail.
29935 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
29936 name. Take this example:
29940 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
29941 (nntp-port-number 4324))
29944 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
29945 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
29947 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
29948 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
29949 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
29951 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
29952 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
29953 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
29955 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
29956 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
29957 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
29958 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
29959 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
29960 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
29963 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
29964 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
29965 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
29966 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
29969 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
29970 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
29971 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
29972 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
29973 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
29974 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
29975 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
29976 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
29977 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
29978 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
29980 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
29981 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
29982 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
29983 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
29984 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
29985 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
29986 of numbers as long as possible.
29988 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
29989 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
29990 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
29992 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
29995 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
29998 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
29999 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
30000 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
30001 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
30002 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
30003 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
30007 @node Required Back End Functions
30008 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
30012 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
30014 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
30015 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
30016 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
30017 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
30019 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
30020 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
30021 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
30022 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
30024 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
30025 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
30026 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
30027 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
30028 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
30029 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
30030 number, do maximum fetches.
30032 Here's an example HEAD:
30035 221 1056 Article retrieved.
30036 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
30037 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
30038 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
30039 Subject: Re: Something very droll
30040 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
30041 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
30043 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
30044 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
30045 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
30049 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
30050 these in the data buffer.
30052 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
30056 head = error / valid-head
30057 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
30058 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
30059 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
30060 header = <text> eol
30064 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
30066 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
30067 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
30071 nov-buffer = *nov-line
30072 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
30073 field = <text except TAB>
30076 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
30080 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
30082 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
30083 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
30085 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
30086 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
30087 server. In fact, it should do so.
30089 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
30090 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
30093 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
30095 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
30096 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
30099 There should be no data returned.
30102 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
30104 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
30105 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
30106 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
30107 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
30109 There should be no data returned.
30112 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
30114 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
30115 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
30116 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
30117 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
30119 There should be no data returned.
30122 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
30124 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
30126 There should be no data returned.
30129 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
30131 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
30132 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
30133 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
30134 it would be nice if that were possible.
30136 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
30137 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
30138 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
30139 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
30140 into its article buffer.
30142 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
30143 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
30144 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
30145 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
30146 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
30147 on successful article retrieval.
30150 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
30152 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
30153 making @var{group} the current group.
30155 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
30158 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
30161 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
30164 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
30165 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
30166 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
30167 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
30168 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
30169 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
30170 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
30171 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
30172 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
30176 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
30177 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
30178 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
30182 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
30184 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
30185 a no-op on most back ends.
30187 There should be no data returned.
30190 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
30192 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
30195 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
30198 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
30199 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
30202 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
30203 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
30204 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
30205 and the highest as 0.
30208 active-file = *active-line
30209 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
30211 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
30214 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
30215 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
30216 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
30219 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
30221 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
30222 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
30223 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
30224 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
30225 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
30226 clear if the posting could not be completed.
30228 There should be no result data from this function.
30233 @node Optional Back End Functions
30234 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
30238 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
30240 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
30241 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
30242 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
30244 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
30245 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
30246 former is in the same format as the data from
30247 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
30248 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
30251 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
30255 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
30257 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
30258 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
30259 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
30260 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
30261 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
30262 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
30263 the network resources).
30265 There should be no result data from this function.
30268 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
30270 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
30271 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
30272 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
30273 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
30274 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
30275 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
30276 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
30277 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
30279 There should be no result data from this function.
30282 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
30284 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
30285 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
30286 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
30287 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
30288 propagate the mark information to the server.
30290 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
30293 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
30296 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
30297 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
30298 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
30299 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
30300 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
30301 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
30302 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
30303 possible, not limit itself to these.
30305 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
30306 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
30307 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
30308 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
30310 An example action list:
30313 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
30314 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
30315 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
30318 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
30319 mark on (currently not used for anything).
30321 There should be no result data from this function.
30323 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
30325 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
30326 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
30327 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
30328 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
30329 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
30331 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
30332 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
30333 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
30336 There should be no result data from this function.
30339 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
30341 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
30342 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
30343 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
30344 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
30345 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
30346 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
30347 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
30348 local if that's practical.
30350 There should be no result data from this function.
30353 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
30355 The result data from this function should be a description of
30359 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
30361 description = <text>
30364 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
30366 The result data from this function should be the description of all
30367 groups available on the server.
30370 description-buffer = *description-line
30374 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
30376 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
30377 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
30378 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
30379 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
30380 in the active buffer format.
30382 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
30383 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
30384 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
30385 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
30386 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
30387 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
30388 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
30391 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
30393 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
30395 There should be no return data.
30398 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
30400 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
30401 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
30402 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
30403 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
30404 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
30407 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
30410 There should be no result data returned.
30413 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
30415 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
30416 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
30418 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
30419 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
30420 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
30421 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
30422 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
30423 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
30425 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
30426 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
30429 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
30430 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
30432 There should be no data returned.
30435 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
30437 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
30438 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
30439 this function in short order.
30441 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
30442 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
30444 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
30445 article for that group.
30447 There should be no data returned.
30450 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
30452 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
30453 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
30455 There should be no data returned.
30458 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
30460 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
30461 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
30462 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
30464 There should be no data returned.
30467 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
30469 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
30470 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
30472 There should be no data returned.
30477 @node Error Messaging
30478 @subsubsection Error Messaging
30480 @findex nnheader-report
30481 @findex nnheader-get-report
30482 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
30483 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
30484 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
30485 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
30486 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
30487 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
30490 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
30492 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
30495 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
30496 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
30497 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
30498 takes one argument---the server symbol.
30500 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
30501 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
30502 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
30505 @node Writing New Back Ends
30506 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
30508 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
30509 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
30510 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
30511 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
30512 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
30515 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
30516 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
30517 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
30519 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
30520 package called @code{nnoo}.
30522 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
30523 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
30529 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
30530 parameters. For instance:
30533 (nnoo-declare nndir
30537 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
30538 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
30541 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
30542 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
30543 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
30545 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
30546 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
30547 a function in those back ends.
30550 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
30551 "Where nndir will look for groups."
30552 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
30555 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
30556 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
30557 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
30559 @item nnoo-define-basics
30560 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
30564 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
30568 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
30569 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
30570 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
30572 @item nnoo-map-functions
30573 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
30574 functions from the parent back ends.
30577 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
30578 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30579 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
30582 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
30583 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
30584 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
30585 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
30588 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
30589 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
30590 haven't already been defined.
30596 nnmh-request-newgroups)
30600 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
30601 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
30602 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
30607 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
30610 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
30611 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,1996 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
30615 (require 'nnheader)
30619 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
30621 (nnoo-declare nndir
30624 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
30625 "Where nndir will look for groups."
30626 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
30628 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
30629 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
30632 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
30634 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
30635 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
30636 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
30638 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
30639 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
30641 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
30643 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
30645 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
30646 (setq nndir-directory
30647 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
30649 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
30650 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
30651 (push `(nndir-current-group
30652 ,(file-name-nondirectory
30653 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
30655 (push `(nndir-top-directory
30656 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
30658 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
30660 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
30661 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30662 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30663 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
30664 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
30668 nnmh-status-message
30670 nnmh-request-newgroups))
30676 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
30677 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
30679 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
30680 @findex gnus-declare-backend
30681 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
30682 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
30683 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
30685 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
30686 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
30691 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
30694 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
30696 The abilities can be:
30700 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
30702 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
30704 This back end supports both mail and news.
30706 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
30709 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
30710 articles and groups.
30712 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
30713 true for almost all back ends.
30714 @item prompt-address
30715 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
30716 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
30717 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
30721 @node Mail-like Back Ends
30722 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
30724 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
30725 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
30726 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
30727 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
30730 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
30731 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
30732 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
30735 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
30736 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
30739 This function takes four parameters.
30743 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
30746 @item exit-function
30747 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
30749 @item temp-directory
30750 Where the temporary files should be stored.
30753 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
30754 performed for one group only.
30757 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
30758 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
30759 find the article number assigned to this article.
30761 The function also uses the following variables:
30762 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
30763 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
30764 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
30765 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
30769 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
30770 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
30774 @node Score File Syntax
30775 @subsection Score File Syntax
30777 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
30778 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
30779 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
30781 Here's a typical score file:
30785 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
30792 BNF definition of a score file:
30795 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
30796 element = rule / atom
30797 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
30798 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
30799 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
30800 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
30802 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
30803 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
30804 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
30805 date-header = "date"
30806 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30807 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30808 score = "nil" / <integer>
30809 date = "nil" / <natural number>
30810 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
30811 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
30812 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
30813 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
30814 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30815 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30816 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
30817 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30818 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
30819 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
30820 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
30821 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
30822 exclude-files / read-only / touched
30823 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
30824 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
30825 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
30826 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
30827 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
30828 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
30829 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
30830 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
30831 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
30832 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
30833 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
30834 eval = "eval" space <form>
30835 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
30838 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
30841 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
30842 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
30843 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
30844 one looong line, then that's ok.
30846 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
30847 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
30851 @subsection Headers
30853 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
30854 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
30855 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
30856 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
30858 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
30859 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
30860 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
30861 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
30862 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
30863 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
30864 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
30866 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
30867 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
30868 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
30869 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
30870 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
30872 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
30873 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
30879 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
30880 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
30882 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
30883 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
30884 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
30885 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
30887 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
30891 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
30894 is transformed into
30897 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
30900 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
30901 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
30904 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
30907 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
30908 is slightly tricky:
30911 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
30917 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
30920 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
30926 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
30933 and is equal to the previous range.
30935 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
30936 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
30937 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
30941 range = simple-range / normal-range
30942 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
30943 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
30944 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
30945 number *[ " " contents ]
30948 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
30949 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
30950 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
30951 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
30952 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
30957 @subsection Group Info
30959 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
30960 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
30961 describes the group.
30963 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
30964 second is a more complex one:
30967 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
30969 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
30970 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
30972 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
30975 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
30976 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
30977 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
30978 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
30979 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
30980 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
30981 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
30982 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
30983 this section is about.
30985 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
30986 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
30987 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
30989 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
30992 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
30993 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
30994 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30995 group = quote <string> quote
30996 ralevel = rank / level
30997 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
30998 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
30999 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
31001 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
31002 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
31003 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
31004 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
31007 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
31008 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
31011 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
31012 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
31015 @item gnus-info-group
31016 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
31017 @findex gnus-info-group
31018 @findex gnus-info-set-group
31019 Get/set the group name.
31021 @item gnus-info-rank
31022 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
31023 @findex gnus-info-rank
31024 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
31025 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
31027 @item gnus-info-level
31028 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
31029 @findex gnus-info-level
31030 @findex gnus-info-set-level
31031 Get/set the group level.
31033 @item gnus-info-score
31034 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
31035 @findex gnus-info-score
31036 @findex gnus-info-set-score
31037 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
31039 @item gnus-info-read
31040 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
31041 @findex gnus-info-read
31042 @findex gnus-info-set-read
31043 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
31045 @item gnus-info-marks
31046 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
31047 @findex gnus-info-marks
31048 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
31049 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
31051 @item gnus-info-method
31052 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
31053 @findex gnus-info-method
31054 @findex gnus-info-set-method
31055 Get/set the group select method.
31057 @item gnus-info-params
31058 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
31059 @findex gnus-info-params
31060 @findex gnus-info-set-params
31061 Get/set the group parameters.
31064 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
31065 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
31067 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
31068 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
31069 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
31070 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
31073 @node Extended Interactive
31074 @subsection Extended Interactive
31075 @cindex interactive
31076 @findex gnus-interactive
31078 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
31079 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
31080 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
31083 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
31084 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
31089 The best thing to do would have been to implement
31090 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
31091 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
31092 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
31093 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
31094 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
31095 @code{interactive}.
31097 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
31102 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
31103 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
31107 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
31108 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
31109 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
31112 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
31116 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
31120 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
31126 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
31127 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
31131 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
31132 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
31133 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
31135 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
31136 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
31137 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
31138 Gnus, that's very useful.
31140 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
31141 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
31142 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
31143 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
31144 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
31145 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
31146 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
31147 following function:
31150 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
31154 (,function ,@@args))
31158 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
31159 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
31160 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
31163 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
31164 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
31165 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
31167 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
31168 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
31169 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
31172 @node Various File Formats
31173 @subsection Various File Formats
31176 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
31177 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
31181 @node Active File Format
31182 @subsubsection Active File Format
31184 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
31185 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
31188 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
31191 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
31192 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
31193 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
31194 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
31195 no.general 1000 900 y
31198 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
31201 active = *group-line
31202 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
31203 group = <non-white-space string>
31205 high-number = <non-negative integer>
31206 low-number = <positive integer>
31207 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
31210 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
31211 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
31214 @node Newsgroups File Format
31215 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
31217 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
31218 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
31219 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
31222 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
31223 Here's the definition:
31227 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
31228 group = <non-white-space string>
31230 description = <string>
31235 @node Emacs for Heathens
31236 @section Emacs for Heathens
31238 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
31239 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
31240 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
31241 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
31242 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
31243 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
31244 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
31248 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
31249 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
31254 @subsection Keystrokes
31258 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
31261 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
31264 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
31265 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
31266 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
31267 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
31268 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
31269 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
31271 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
31272 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
31273 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
31274 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
31275 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
31276 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
31277 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
31279 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
31280 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
31281 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
31282 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
31283 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
31284 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
31285 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
31287 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
31288 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
31289 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
31290 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
31291 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
31297 @subsection Emacs Lisp
31299 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
31300 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
31301 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
31302 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
31304 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
31305 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
31306 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
31307 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
31308 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
31309 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
31310 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
31311 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
31312 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
31313 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
31315 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
31316 write the following:
31319 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
31322 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
31323 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
31324 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
31325 change how Gnus works.
31327 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
31328 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
31329 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
31330 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
31331 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
31333 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
31334 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
31335 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
31339 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
31343 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
31346 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
31347 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
31350 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
31353 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
31354 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
31357 @include gnus-faq.texi
31359 @node GNU Free Documentation License
31360 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
31361 @include doclicense.texi
31379 @c Local Variables:
31381 @c coding: iso-8859-1
31385 arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819