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4 @settitle Red Gnus 0.78 Manual
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233 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
240 \thispagestyle{empty}
242 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
244 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
245 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
246 are preserved on all copies.
248 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
249 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
250 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
251 permission notice identical to this one.
253 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
254 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
263 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
265 Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
267 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
268 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
269 are preserved on all copies.
272 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
273 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
274 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
275 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
278 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
279 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
280 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
281 permission notice identical to this one.
283 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
284 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
290 @title Red Gnus 0.78 Manual
292 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
295 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
296 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
298 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
299 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
300 are preserved on all copies.
302 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
303 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
304 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
305 permission notice identical to this one.
307 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
308 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
317 @top The Red Gnus Newsreader
321 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
322 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
323 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
326 This manual corresponds to Red Gnus 0.78
337 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
338 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
340 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
341 being accused of plagiarism:
343 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
344 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
345 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
346 even read news with it!
348 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
349 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
350 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
351 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
352 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
359 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
360 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
361 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
362 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
363 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
364 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
365 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
366 * Various:: General purpose settings.
367 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
368 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
369 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
370 * Key Index:: Key Index.
374 @chapter Starting Gnus
379 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
380 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
383 @findex gnus-other-frame
384 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
385 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
386 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
388 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
392 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
393 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
394 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
395 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
396 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
397 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
398 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
399 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
400 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
401 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
402 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
406 @node Finding the News
407 @section Finding the News
410 @vindex gnus-select-method
412 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
413 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
414 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
415 native method. All groups that are not fetched with this method are
418 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
419 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
422 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
425 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
428 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
431 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
432 certainly be much faster.
434 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
436 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
437 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
438 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
439 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
440 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
441 that fails as well, Gnus will will try to use the machine that is
442 running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
444 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
445 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
446 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
447 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
449 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
450 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
451 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
452 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
453 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
454 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
456 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
458 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
459 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
460 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
461 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
462 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
463 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
465 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
467 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
468 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
469 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
470 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
471 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
472 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
475 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
476 would typically set this variable to
479 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
484 @section The First Time
485 @cindex first time usage
487 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
488 be subscribed by default.
490 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
491 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
492 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
493 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
496 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
497 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is here
498 defined as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
500 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
501 help you with most common problems.
503 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
504 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
508 @node The Server is Down
509 @section The Server is Down
510 @cindex server errors
512 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
513 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
514 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
516 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
517 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
518 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
519 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
520 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
521 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
522 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
524 @findex gnus-no-server
525 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
527 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
528 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
529 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
530 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
531 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
532 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
537 @section Slave Gnusae
540 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
541 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
542 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
543 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
545 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
548 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
549 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
550 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
551 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
552 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
553 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
554 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
556 Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
557 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
558 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
559 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
560 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
561 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
562 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
563 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
565 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
566 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
569 @node Fetching a Group
570 @section Fetching a Group
571 @cindex fetching a group
573 @findex gnus-fetch-group
574 It it sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
575 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
576 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
577 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
578 It takes the group name as a parameter.
586 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
587 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
588 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
589 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
590 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
591 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
592 is @code{t} by default. If you set this variable to @code{always}, then
593 Gnus will query the backends for new groups even when you do the @kbd{g}
594 command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
597 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
598 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
599 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
603 @node Checking New Groups
604 @subsection Checking New Groups
606 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
607 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
608 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
609 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
610 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
611 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
612 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
613 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
614 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
615 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
617 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
618 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
619 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
620 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
621 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
622 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
623 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
624 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
625 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
626 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
627 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
629 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
630 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
631 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
632 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
633 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
634 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
637 @node Subscription Methods
638 @subsection Subscription Methods
640 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
641 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
642 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
644 This variable should contain a function. Some handy pre-fab values
649 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
650 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
651 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
652 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
653 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
655 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
656 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
657 Subscribe all new groups randomly.
659 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
660 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
661 Subscribe all new groups alphabetically.
663 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
664 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
665 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
666 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
667 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
668 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
669 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
670 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
671 up. Or something like that.
673 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
674 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
675 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
676 you about @strong{all} new groups.
678 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
679 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
684 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
685 A closely related variable is
686 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
687 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
688 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
689 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
692 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above to
693 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
694 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
697 @node Filtering New Groups
698 @subsection Filtering New Groups
700 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
701 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
702 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
705 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
708 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
709 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
710 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
711 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
712 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
713 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
714 subscribing these groups.
715 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
716 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
718 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
719 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
720 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
721 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
722 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
723 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
724 and if the the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
725 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
727 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
728 Yet another variable that meddles here is
729 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
730 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
731 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
732 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
733 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
734 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
735 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
736 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
738 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
739 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
742 @node Changing Servers
743 @section Changing Servers
744 @cindex changing servers
746 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
747 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
748 very flaky and you want to use another.
750 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
751 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
755 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
756 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
757 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
758 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
761 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
762 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
763 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
764 functions more than absolutely necessary.
766 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
767 @findex gnus-change-server
768 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
769 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
770 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
771 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
772 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
774 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
775 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
776 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
777 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
778 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
780 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
781 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
782 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
783 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
784 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
785 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
789 @section Startup Files
790 @cindex startup files
795 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
796 information is traditionally stored in this file.
798 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
799 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
800 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
801 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
802 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
803 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
804 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
806 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
807 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
808 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
809 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file.
811 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
812 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
813 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
814 the file and save some space, as well as making exit from Gnus faster.
815 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
816 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
818 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
819 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
820 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
821 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
822 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
823 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
824 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
825 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
826 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
827 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
828 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
829 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
831 @vindex gnus-startup-file
832 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
833 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
834 file being whatever that one is with a @samp{.eld} appended.
836 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
837 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
838 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
839 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
840 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
841 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
842 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
843 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
844 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
845 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
848 (defun turn-off-backup ()
849 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
851 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
852 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
855 @vindex gnus-init-file
856 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
857 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus.el} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
858 (@file{~/.gnus.el} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
859 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{.emacs} and
860 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff.
868 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
869 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
870 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
871 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
872 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
875 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
876 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
879 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
880 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
881 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
883 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
884 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
885 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
886 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
887 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
888 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
891 @node The Active File
892 @section The Active File
894 @cindex ignored groups
896 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
897 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
898 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
900 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
901 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
902 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
903 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
904 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
905 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
906 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
909 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
910 @c if you set it to anything else.
912 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
914 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
915 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
916 reading the active file. This variable is @code{t} by default.
918 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
919 you actually subscribe to.
921 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
922 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
923 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
924 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
926 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
927 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
928 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
929 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
930 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
931 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
933 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
934 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
935 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
936 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
937 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
938 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
940 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
941 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
944 @node Startup Variables
945 @section Startup Variables
950 @vindex gnus-load-hook
951 A hook that is run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
952 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
953 times you start Gnus.
955 @item gnus-startup-hook
956 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
957 A hook that is run after starting up Gnus successfully.
959 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
960 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
961 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
962 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
963 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
964 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
965 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
966 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
968 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
969 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
970 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
971 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
972 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
973 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
975 @item gnus-no-groups-message
976 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
977 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
979 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
980 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
981 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
983 @item gnus-startup-jingle
984 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
985 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
986 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
991 @node The Group Buffer
992 @chapter The Group Buffer
995 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
996 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
997 long as Gnus is active.
1000 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1001 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1002 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1003 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1004 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1005 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1006 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1007 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1008 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1009 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1010 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1011 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1012 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1013 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1014 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1015 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1016 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1020 @node Group Buffer Format
1021 @section Group Buffer Format
1024 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1025 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1026 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1030 @node Group Line Specification
1031 @subsection Group Line Specification
1032 @cindex group buffer format
1034 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1035 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1037 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1040 25: news.announce.newusers
1041 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1046 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1047 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1048 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1049 asterisk at the beginning of the line?)
1051 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1052 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1053 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1054 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1055 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1056 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1058 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1060 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1061 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1062 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1063 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1066 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1067 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1068 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1070 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1075 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1078 Whether the group is subscribed.
1081 Level of subscribedness.
1084 Number of unread articles.
1087 Number of dormant articles.
1090 Number of ticked articles.
1093 Number of read articles.
1096 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1097 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1100 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1103 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1112 Newsgroup description.
1115 @samp{m} if moderated.
1118 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1127 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1131 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1134 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1135 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1136 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1137 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1138 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.emacs.gnus}.
1141 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1143 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1147 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1151 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1152 be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
1153 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1154 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1155 paratere as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1156 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1161 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1162 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1163 group, or a bogus native group.
1166 @node Group Modeline Specification
1167 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1168 @cindex group modeline
1170 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1171 The mode line can be changed by setting
1172 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). It
1173 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1177 The native news server.
1179 The native select method.
1183 @node Group Highlighting
1184 @subsection Group Highlighting
1185 @cindex highlighting
1186 @cindex group highlighting
1188 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1189 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1190 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1191 that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1192 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1194 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1198 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1200 ,(custom-face-lookup "Red" nil nil t nil nil))
1201 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) .
1202 ,(custom-face-lookup "SeaGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1204 ,(custom-face-lookup "SpringGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1206 ,(custom-face-lookup "SteelBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
1208 ,(custom-face-lookup "SkyBlue" nil nil t nil nil))))
1211 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1218 The number of unread articles in the group.
1222 Whether the group is a mail group.
1224 The level of the group.
1226 The score of the group.
1228 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1230 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1233 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1234 topic being inserted.
1237 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1238 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1239 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1241 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1242 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1243 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1244 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1245 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1248 @node Group Maneuvering
1249 @section Group Maneuvering
1250 @cindex group movement
1252 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1253 expected, hopefully.
1259 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1260 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1261 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1267 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1268 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1269 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1273 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1274 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1278 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1279 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1283 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1284 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1285 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1289 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1290 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1291 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1294 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1300 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1301 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1302 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1307 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1308 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1309 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1313 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1314 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1315 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1318 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1319 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1320 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1321 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1325 @node Selecting a Group
1326 @section Selecting a Group
1327 @cindex group selection
1332 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1333 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1334 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1335 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1336 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1337 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1338 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1339 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1340 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1341 negative, Gnus fetches the @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
1345 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1346 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1347 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1348 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1349 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1353 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1354 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1355 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1356 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1357 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1358 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1359 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1360 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer.
1361 This might be useful if you want to toggle threading before entering the
1365 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1366 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1367 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1368 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1369 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1372 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1373 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1374 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1375 doing any processing of its contents
1376 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1377 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1378 manner will have no permanent effects.
1382 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1383 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1384 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1385 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
1386 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1387 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1388 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1389 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1392 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1393 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1394 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1395 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1400 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1401 full summary buffer.
1404 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1407 Select the most high-scored article in the group when entering the
1411 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1412 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1413 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1417 @node Subscription Commands
1418 @section Subscription Commands
1419 @cindex subscription
1427 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1428 Toggle subscription to the current group
1429 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1435 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1436 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1437 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1438 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1444 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1445 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1451 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1452 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1455 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1456 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1457 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1458 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1459 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1465 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1466 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1470 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1471 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1474 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1475 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1476 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1477 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1478 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
1479 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1480 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
1481 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1482 @file{.newsrc} file.
1486 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1496 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1497 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1498 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1499 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1500 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
1505 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1506 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1507 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1511 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1512 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
1513 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1515 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1516 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1517 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1518 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
1519 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
1520 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
1527 @section Group Levels
1531 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1532 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1533 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1534 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1535 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1537 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1543 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1544 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1545 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1546 prompted for a level.
1549 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1550 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1551 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1552 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1553 Gnus considers groups on between levels 1 and
1554 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1555 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1556 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1557 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1558 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (default 9),
1559 completely dead. Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly
1560 the same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what
1561 articles you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and
1562 living groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely
1563 for reasons of efficiency.
1565 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1566 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
1568 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1569 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1570 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1572 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1573 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1574 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1575 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1576 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1577 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1578 relevant legal ranges.
1580 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1581 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1582 will only move to groups that are of the same level (or lower). In
1583 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1584 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1585 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1588 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1589 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1590 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1593 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1594 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1595 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1596 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1599 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1600 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1601 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1602 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1604 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1605 Gnus will normally just activate groups that are on level
1606 @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to activate
1607 unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable to
1608 5. The default is 6.
1612 @section Group Score
1615 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1616 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1617 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1620 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
1621 group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
1622 Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
1623 the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
1624 that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
1625 on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
1626 part and the score is the least significant part.))
1628 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1629 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1630 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1631 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1632 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1633 action after each summary exit, you can add
1634 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1635 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1636 slow things down somewhat.
1639 @node Marking Groups
1640 @section Marking Groups
1641 @cindex marking groups
1643 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1644 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1645 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1646 bidding on those groups.
1648 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1649 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1650 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1658 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1659 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1665 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1666 Remove the mark from the current group
1667 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1671 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1672 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1676 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1677 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1681 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1682 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1686 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1687 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1688 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1691 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1693 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1694 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1695 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1696 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1697 the command to be executed.
1700 @node Foreign Groups
1701 @section Foreign Groups
1702 @cindex foreign groups
1704 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1705 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1706 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
1707 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
1714 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1715 @cindex making groups
1716 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1717 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1718 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1722 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1723 @cindex renaming groups
1724 Rename the current group to something else
1725 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is legal only on some
1726 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1732 @findex gnus-group-customize
1733 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
1737 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1738 @cindex renaming groups
1739 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1740 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1744 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1745 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1746 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1750 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1751 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1752 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1756 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1758 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
1759 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1764 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1765 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1769 @cindex (ding) archive
1770 @cindex archive group
1771 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1772 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1773 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1774 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1775 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1776 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1777 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1781 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1783 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1784 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1785 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1786 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
1790 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1792 Read an arbitrary directory as if with were a newsgroup with the
1793 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1794 @xref{Anything Groups}.
1798 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1799 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1801 Make a group based on some file or other
1802 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1803 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1804 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1805 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs}, and
1806 @code{forward}. If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will
1807 guess at the file type. @xref{Document Groups}.
1811 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
1816 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
1817 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1818 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
1819 search engine type and the search string. Legal search engine types
1820 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
1821 @xref{Web Searches}.
1824 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1825 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1826 This function will delete the current group
1827 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1828 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1829 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1830 absolutely sure of what you are doing.
1834 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
1835 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
1836 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
1840 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
1841 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
1842 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
1845 @xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
1848 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
1849 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
1850 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
1851 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
1852 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers.
1855 @node Group Parameters
1856 @section Group Parameters
1857 @cindex group parameters
1859 The group parameters store information local to a particular group:
1864 If the group parameter list contains an element that looks like
1865 @code{(to-address . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used by
1866 the backend when doing followups and posts. This is primarily useful in
1867 mail groups that represent closed mailing lists---mailing lists where
1868 it's expected that everybody that writes to the mailing list is
1869 subscribed to it. Since using this parameter ensures that the mail only
1870 goes to the mailing list itself, it means that members won't receive two
1871 copies of your followups.
1873 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
1874 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
1875 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
1876 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
1877 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
1878 list address instead.
1882 If the group parameter list has an element that looks like
1883 @code{(to-list . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used when
1884 doing a @kbd{a} in any group. It is totally ignored when doing a
1885 followup---except that if it is present in a news group, you'll get mail
1886 group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
1888 @item broken-reply-to
1889 @cindex broken-reply-to
1890 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
1891 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
1892 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
1893 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
1894 broken behavior. So there!
1898 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
1899 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
1903 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list, Gnus will treat
1904 all responses as if they were responses to news articles. This can be
1905 useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a news group.
1909 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list and set to
1910 @code{t}, new composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current
1911 group. If it is present and set to @code{none}, no @code{Gcc:} header
1912 will be generated, if it is present and a string, this string will be
1913 inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header (this symbol takes precedence over
1914 any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later).
1918 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
1919 . t)}, , all articles that are read will be marked as expirable. For an
1920 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
1923 @cindex total-expire
1924 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
1925 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
1926 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
1931 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
1932 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
1933 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
1934 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
1935 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
1936 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
1939 @cindex score file group parameter
1940 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
1941 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. This
1942 means that all score commands you issue will end up in that file.
1945 @cindex adapt file group parameter
1946 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
1947 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
1948 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
1951 When unsubscribing to a mailing list you should never send the
1952 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
1953 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
1954 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
1957 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} says which articles to
1958 display on entering the group. Legal values are:
1962 Display all articles, both read and unread.
1965 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
1970 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
1971 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
1972 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
1975 @item @var{(variable form)}
1976 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
1977 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
1978 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
1979 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
1980 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
1981 @code{eval}ed there.
1983 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
1984 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
1985 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
1986 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
1987 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
1991 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group.
1993 Also @pxref{Topic Parameters}.
1996 @node Listing Groups
1997 @section Listing Groups
1998 @cindex group listing
2000 These commands all list various slices of the groups that are available.
2008 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2009 List all groups that have unread articles
2010 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2011 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2012 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2013 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2020 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2021 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2022 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2023 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2024 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2025 unsubscribed groups).
2029 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2030 List all unread groups on a specific level
2031 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2032 with no unread articles.
2036 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2037 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2038 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2039 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2044 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2045 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2049 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2050 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2051 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2055 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2056 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2060 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2061 List absolutely all groups that are in the active file(s) of the
2062 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2063 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2064 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2065 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list group that
2066 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they are killed groups.
2067 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2071 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2072 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2073 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2077 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2078 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2079 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2083 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2084 @cindex visible group parameter
2085 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2086 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2087 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2088 get the same effect.
2090 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2091 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2092 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2093 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2094 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2097 @node Sorting Groups
2098 @section Sorting Groups
2099 @cindex sorting groups
2101 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2102 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2103 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2104 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2105 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2106 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2111 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2112 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2113 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2115 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2116 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2117 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2119 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2120 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2121 Sort by group level.
2123 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2124 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2125 Sort by group score.
2127 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2128 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2129 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2130 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}.
2132 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2133 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2134 Sort by number of unread articles.
2136 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2137 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2138 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2143 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2144 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2148 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2149 some sorting criteria:
2153 @kindex G S a (Group)
2154 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2155 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2156 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2159 @kindex G S u (Group)
2160 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2161 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2162 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2165 @kindex G S l (Group)
2166 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2167 Sort the group buffer by group level
2168 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2171 @kindex G S v (Group)
2172 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2173 Sort the group buffer by group score
2174 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}).
2177 @kindex G S r (Group)
2178 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2179 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2180 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}).
2183 @kindex G S m (Group)
2184 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2185 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2186 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2190 When given a prefix, all these commands will sort in reverse order.
2192 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2196 @kindex G P a (Group)
2197 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2198 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2199 group name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2202 @kindex G P u (Group)
2203 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2204 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by the number of
2205 unread articles (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2208 @kindex G P l (Group)
2209 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2210 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group level
2211 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2214 @kindex G P v (Group)
2215 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2216 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group score
2217 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}).
2220 @kindex G P r (Group)
2221 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2222 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group rank
2223 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}).
2226 @kindex G P m (Group)
2227 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2228 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2229 backend name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2235 @node Group Maintenance
2236 @section Group Maintenance
2237 @cindex bogus groups
2242 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2243 Find bogus groups and delete them
2244 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2248 @findex gnus-find-new-newsgroups
2249 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-find-new-newsgroups}). If
2250 given a prefix, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server for
2254 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2255 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2256 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2257 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2260 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2261 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2262 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2263 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2268 @node Browse Foreign Server
2269 @section Browse Foreign Server
2270 @cindex foreign servers
2271 @cindex browsing servers
2276 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2277 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2278 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2279 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2282 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2283 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2284 will be use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
2285 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
2287 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2292 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2293 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2297 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2298 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2301 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2302 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2303 Enter the current group and display the first article
2304 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2307 @kindex RET (Browse)
2308 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2309 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2313 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2314 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2315 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2321 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2322 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2326 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2327 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2328 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2333 @section Exiting Gnus
2334 @cindex exiting Gnus
2336 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
2341 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2342 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
2343 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2344 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2348 @findex gnus-group-exit
2349 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2353 @findex gnus-group-quit
2354 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2355 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
2358 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2359 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2360 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
2361 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
2362 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2367 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2368 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2369 trying to customize meta-variables.
2374 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
2375 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2376 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2382 @section Group Topics
2385 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2386 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2387 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2388 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2389 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2390 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2398 2: alt.religion.emacs
2401 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2403 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2404 13: comp.sources.unix
2407 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2409 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2410 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2411 is a toggling command.)
2413 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2414 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2415 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2416 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2419 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2420 the hook for the group mode:
2423 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2427 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2428 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2429 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
2430 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2431 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2435 @node Topic Variables
2436 @subsection Topic Variables
2437 @cindex topic variables
2439 Now, if you select a topic, if will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2440 really neat, I think.
2442 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2443 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2444 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2457 Number of groups in the topic.
2459 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2461 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2464 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2465 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2466 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2469 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2470 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2472 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
2473 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
2474 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
2477 @node Topic Commands
2478 @subsection Topic Commands
2479 @cindex topic commands
2481 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2482 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2483 definitions slightly.
2489 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2490 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2491 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2495 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2496 Move the current group to some other topic
2497 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2498 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2502 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2503 Copy the current group to some other topic
2504 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2505 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2509 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2510 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2511 This command uses the process/prefix convention
2512 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2516 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2517 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2518 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2522 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2523 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2524 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2528 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2529 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2530 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2533 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2534 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2535 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2536 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2540 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2542 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2543 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2544 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2545 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2546 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2547 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2550 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2551 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2552 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2553 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2554 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2558 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2559 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
2560 topic will be removed along with the topic.
2564 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2565 Yank the previously killed group or topic
2566 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
2571 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2572 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2575 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2576 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2577 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2581 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2582 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2583 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2587 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2588 @cindex group parameters
2589 @cindex topic parameters
2591 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2592 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2598 @subsection Topic Sorting
2599 @cindex topic sorting
2601 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
2607 @kindex T S a (Topic)
2608 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2609 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
2610 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2613 @kindex T S u (Topic)
2614 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
2615 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
2616 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2619 @kindex T S l (Topic)
2620 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
2621 Sort the current topic by group level
2622 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
2625 @kindex T S v (Topic)
2626 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
2627 Sort the current topic by group score
2628 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}).
2631 @kindex T S r (Topic)
2632 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
2633 Sort the current topic by group rank
2634 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}).
2637 @kindex T S m (Topic)
2638 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
2639 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
2640 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
2644 @xref{Sorting Groups} for more information about group sorting.
2647 @node Topic Topology
2648 @subsection Topic Topology
2649 @cindex topic topology
2652 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2658 2: alt.religion.emacs
2661 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2663 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2664 13: comp.sources.unix
2667 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
2668 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
2669 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
2674 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2675 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2679 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2680 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2681 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2682 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2683 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2684 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2686 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2687 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2688 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2691 @node Topic Parameters
2692 @subsection Topic Parameters
2693 @cindex topic parameters
2695 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2696 ancestor) topic parameters. All legal group parameters are legal topic
2697 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2699 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2700 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2701 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2702 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2708 2: alt.religion.emacs
2712 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2714 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2715 13: comp.sources.unix
2719 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
2720 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
2721 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
2722 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
2723 @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
2724 . "religion.SCORE")}.
2726 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
2727 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
2728 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
2729 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
2730 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
2732 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
2733 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
2734 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
2735 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
2736 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
2737 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
2738 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
2739 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
2742 @node Misc Group Stuff
2743 @section Misc Group Stuff
2746 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
2747 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
2748 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
2749 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
2756 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
2757 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
2758 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
2762 @findex gnus-group-post-news
2763 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). The current
2764 group name will be used as the default.
2768 @findex gnus-group-mail
2769 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
2773 Variables for the group buffer:
2777 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
2778 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
2779 @code{gnus-group-mode-hook} is called after the group buffer has been
2782 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
2783 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
2784 @code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} is called after the group buffer is
2785 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
2788 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2789 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2790 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
2791 whether they are empty or not.
2796 @node Scanning New Messages
2797 @subsection Scanning New Messages
2798 @cindex new messages
2799 @cindex scanning new news
2805 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
2806 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
2807 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
2808 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
2809 command will force a total rereading of the active file(s) from the
2814 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
2815 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
2816 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
2817 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
2818 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
2819 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
2821 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
2822 @cindex activating groups
2824 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
2825 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
2830 @findex gnus-group-restart
2831 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
2832 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
2833 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
2837 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
2838 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
2840 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
2841 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
2845 @node Group Information
2846 @subsection Group Information
2847 @cindex group information
2848 @cindex information on groups
2856 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
2857 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
2860 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
2861 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
2862 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
2863 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
2864 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
2865 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
2866 for fetching the file.
2868 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
2869 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
2874 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
2875 @cindex describing groups
2876 @cindex group description
2877 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
2878 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
2879 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
2883 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
2884 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
2885 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
2890 @findex gnus-version
2891 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
2895 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
2896 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
2899 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
2902 @findex gnus-info-find-node
2903 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
2907 @node Group Timestamp
2908 @subsection Group Timestamp
2910 @cindex group timestamps
2912 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
2913 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
2914 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
2917 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
2920 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
2922 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
2923 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
2926 (setq gnus-group-line-format
2927 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
2930 This will result in lines looking like:
2933 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
2934 0: custom 19961002T012713
2937 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
2938 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
2942 (setq gnus-group-line-format
2943 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
2948 @subsection File Commands
2949 @cindex file commands
2955 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
2956 @vindex gnus-init-file
2957 @cindex reading init file
2958 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
2959 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
2963 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
2964 @cindex saving .newsrc
2965 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
2966 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
2967 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
2970 @c @kindex Z (Group)
2971 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
2972 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
2977 @node The Summary Buffer
2978 @chapter The Summary Buffer
2979 @cindex summary buffer
2981 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
2982 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
2984 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
2985 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
2987 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
2990 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
2991 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
2992 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
2993 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
2994 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
2995 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
2996 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
2997 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
2998 * Threading:: How threads are made.
2999 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3000 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3001 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3002 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3003 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3004 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3005 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3006 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3007 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3008 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3009 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3010 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3011 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3012 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3013 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3014 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
3015 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3016 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3020 @node Summary Buffer Format
3021 @section Summary Buffer Format
3022 @cindex summary buffer format
3025 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3026 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3027 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3030 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3031 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3032 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3033 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3034 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3035 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined function exist:
3036 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3037 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
3038 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
3039 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
3040 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead.
3042 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3043 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3044 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3045 with those specs that require it. The default is @samp{}.
3048 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3049 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3051 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3052 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3053 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3054 lines a a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3055 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3057 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3059 The following format specification characters are understood:
3067 Subject if the article is the root or the previous article had a
3068 different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3069 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @samp{}.)
3071 Full @code{From} header.
3073 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3075 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3076 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3077 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3078 may be more thorough.
3080 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3083 Number of lines in the article.
3085 Number of characters in the article.
3087 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3089 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3090 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3092 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3093 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3095 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3096 for adopted articles.
3098 One space for each thread level.
3100 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3108 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3109 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3110 default level. If the difference between
3111 @code{gnus-summary-default-level} and the score is less than
3112 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3120 The @code{Date} in @code{YY-MMM} format.
3122 The @code{Date} in @code{YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS} format.
3128 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3129 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3131 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3132 article has any children.
3136 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
3137 be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
3138 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
3139 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
3140 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
3141 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3144 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3145 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
3146 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3147 that. This means that it is illegal to have these specs after a
3148 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3149 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3151 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3152 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3154 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
3157 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
3158 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
3160 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
3161 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar. Set
3162 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you like. The default
3163 is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
3165 Here are the elements you can play with:
3171 Unprefixed group name.
3173 Current article number.
3177 Number of unread articles in this group.
3179 Number of unselected articles in this group.
3181 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
3182 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
3183 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
3184 and no unselected ones.
3186 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
3187 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
3189 Subject of the current article.
3193 Name of the current score file.
3195 Number of dormant articles.
3197 Number of ticked articles.
3199 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
3201 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
3205 @node Summary Highlighting
3206 @subsection Summary Highlighting
3210 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3211 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3212 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
3213 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
3214 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3216 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
3217 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
3218 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
3219 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3221 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
3222 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
3223 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) that is used to
3224 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
3226 @item gnus-summary-highlight
3227 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
3228 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
3229 list where the elements are on the format @var{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
3230 would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
3231 articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
3233 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
3234 ((> score default) . bold))
3236 As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3237 @var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
3241 @node Summary Maneuvering
3242 @section Summary Maneuvering
3243 @cindex summary movement
3245 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
3246 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
3248 None of these commands select articles.
3253 @kindex M-n (Summary)
3254 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
3255 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
3256 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
3257 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
3261 @kindex M-p (Summary)
3262 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
3263 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
3264 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
3265 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
3270 @kindex G j (Summary)
3271 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
3272 Ask for an article number and then go to that article
3273 (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
3276 @kindex G g (Summary)
3277 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
3278 Ask for an article number and then go the summary line of that article
3279 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
3282 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
3283 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
3284 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
3285 to the group buffer.
3287 Variables related to summary movement:
3291 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
3292 @item gnus-auto-select-next
3293 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
3294 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
3295 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
3296 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
3297 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
3298 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
3299 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
3300 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
3301 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
3302 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
3303 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
3304 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
3306 @item gnus-auto-select-same
3307 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
3308 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
3309 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
3310 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
3311 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) This variable is not
3312 particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
3314 @item gnus-summary-check-current
3315 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
3316 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
3317 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
3318 Instead, they will choose the current article.
3320 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
3321 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
3322 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
3323 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
3324 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
3325 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
3326 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
3327 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
3333 @node Choosing Articles
3334 @section Choosing Articles
3335 @cindex selecting articles
3338 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
3339 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
3343 @node Choosing Commands
3344 @subsection Choosing Commands
3346 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
3347 and they all select and display an article.
3351 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3352 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3353 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
3354 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3359 @kindex G n (Summary)
3360 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
3361 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
3366 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
3367 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
3372 @kindex G N (Summary)
3373 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
3374 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
3379 @kindex G P (Summary)
3380 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
3381 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
3384 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
3385 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
3386 Go to the next article with the same subject
3387 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
3390 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
3391 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
3392 Go to the previous article with the same subject
3393 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
3397 @kindex G f (Summary)
3399 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
3400 Go to the first unread article
3401 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
3405 @kindex G b (Summary)
3407 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
3408 Go to the article with the highest score
3409 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
3414 @kindex G l (Summary)
3415 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
3416 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
3419 @kindex G p (Summary)
3420 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
3421 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
3422 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
3423 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
3424 history as you like.
3428 @node Choosing Variables
3429 @subsection Choosing Variables
3431 Some variables that are relevant for moving and selecting articles:
3434 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3435 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3436 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
3437 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
3438 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
3439 the server and display it in the article buffer.
3441 @item gnus-select-article-hook
3442 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
3443 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
3444 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
3446 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
3447 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
3448 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
3449 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
3450 @findex gnus-unread-mark
3451 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
3452 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
3453 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
3454 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
3455 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
3456 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
3457 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
3458 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
3459 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
3464 @node Paging the Article
3465 @section Scrolling the Article
3466 @cindex article scrolling
3471 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3472 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3473 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
3474 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
3475 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3478 @kindex DEL (Summary)
3479 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
3480 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
3483 @kindex RET (Summary)
3484 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
3485 Scroll the current article one line forward
3486 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
3490 @kindex A g (Summary)
3492 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
3493 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
3494 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
3495 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
3496 the way it came from the server.
3501 @kindex A < (Summary)
3502 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
3503 Scroll to the beginning of the article
3504 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
3509 @kindex A > (Summary)
3510 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
3511 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
3515 @kindex A s (Summary)
3517 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
3518 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
3519 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
3524 @node Reply Followup and Post
3525 @section Reply, Followup and Post
3528 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
3529 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
3533 @node Summary Mail Commands
3534 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
3536 @cindex composing mail
3538 Commands for composing a mail message:
3544 @kindex S r (Summary)
3546 @findex gnus-summary-reply
3547 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
3548 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
3553 @kindex S R (Summary)
3554 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
3555 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
3556 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
3557 command uses the process/prefix convention.
3560 @kindex S o m (Summary)
3561 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
3562 Forward the current article to some other person
3563 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3564 headers of the forwarded article.
3569 @kindex S m (Summary)
3570 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
3571 Send a mail to some other person
3572 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
3575 @kindex S D b (Summary)
3576 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
3577 @cindex bouncing mail
3578 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
3579 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
3580 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
3581 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
3582 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
3583 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
3584 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
3585 very well fail, though.
3588 @kindex S D r (Summary)
3589 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
3590 Not to be confused with the previous command,
3591 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
3592 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
3593 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
3594 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
3595 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
3596 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
3597 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
3599 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
3600 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
3601 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
3602 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
3603 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
3606 @kindex S O m (Summary)
3607 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
3608 Digest the current series and forward the result using mail
3609 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
3610 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3613 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
3614 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
3615 @cindex crossposting
3616 @cindex excessive crossposting
3617 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
3618 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
3620 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
3621 This command is provided as a way to fight back agains the current
3622 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
3623 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
3624 command understands the process/prefix convention
3625 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
3630 @node Summary Post Commands
3631 @subsection Summary Post Commands
3633 @cindex composing news
3635 Commands for posting a news article:
3641 @kindex S p (Summary)
3642 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
3643 Post an article to the current group
3644 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
3649 @kindex S f (Summary)
3650 @findex gnus-summary-followup
3651 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
3655 @kindex S F (Summary)
3657 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
3658 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
3659 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
3660 process/prefix convention.
3663 @kindex S n (Summary)
3664 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
3665 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3666 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
3669 @kindex S n (Summary)
3670 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
3671 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3672 message through mail and include the original message
3673 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
3674 the process/prefix convention.
3677 @kindex S o p (Summary)
3678 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
3679 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
3680 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3681 headers of the forwarded article.
3684 @kindex S O p (Summary)
3685 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
3686 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
3687 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}).
3690 @kindex S u (Summary)
3691 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
3692 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
3693 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
3697 @node Canceling and Superseding
3698 @section Canceling Articles
3699 @cindex canceling articles
3700 @cindex superseding articles
3702 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
3703 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
3705 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
3707 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
3709 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
3710 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
3711 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
3712 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
3714 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
3715 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
3718 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
3719 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
3720 your original article.
3722 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
3724 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
3725 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
3726 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
3729 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
3730 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
3731 have posted almost the same article twice.
3733 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
3734 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
3735 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
3736 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
3737 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
3738 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
3739 header by substituting one of those words for the word
3740 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
3741 you would do normally. The previous article will be
3742 canceled/superseded.
3744 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
3747 @node Marking Articles
3748 @section Marking Articles
3749 @cindex article marking
3750 @cindex article ticking
3753 There are several marks you can set on an article.
3755 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
3756 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
3757 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
3759 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
3762 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
3763 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
3764 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
3768 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
3772 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
3773 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
3777 @node Unread Articles
3778 @subsection Unread Articles
3780 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
3785 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
3786 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
3788 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
3789 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
3790 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
3791 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
3792 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
3796 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
3797 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
3799 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
3800 are followups to it.
3803 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
3804 Markes as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
3806 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
3811 @subsection Read Articles
3812 @cindex expirable mark
3814 All the following marks mark articles as read.
3819 @vindex gnus-del-mark
3820 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
3821 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
3824 @vindex gnus-read-mark
3825 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
3828 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
3829 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
3830 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
3833 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
3834 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
3837 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
3838 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
3841 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
3842 Marked as read by having a too low score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
3845 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
3846 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
3849 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
3850 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
3853 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
3854 @sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
3857 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
3858 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
3862 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
3863 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
3864 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
3868 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
3869 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
3871 One more special mark, though:
3875 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
3876 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
3878 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
3879 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
3880 control the expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
3881 articles that are marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
3887 @subsection Other Marks
3888 @cindex process mark
3891 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
3897 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
3898 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
3899 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
3900 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
3901 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}
3904 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
3905 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
3906 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
3907 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
3910 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
3911 Articles that are stored in the article cache will be marked with an
3912 @samp{*} in the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}).
3915 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
3916 Articles that are ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
3917 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
3918 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}.
3921 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
3922 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
3923 It the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
3924 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
3925 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
3928 @vindex gnus-process-mark
3929 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}. A
3930 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
3931 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
3932 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
3933 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
3937 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
3938 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
3939 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
3941 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
3942 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
3943 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
3947 @subsection Setting Marks
3948 @cindex setting marks
3950 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
3956 @kindex M t (Summary)
3957 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
3958 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
3963 @kindex M ? (Summary)
3964 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
3965 Mark the current article as dormant
3966 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}).
3970 @kindex M d (Summary)
3972 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
3973 Mark the current article as read
3974 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
3978 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
3979 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
3980 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
3985 @kindex M k (Summary)
3986 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
3987 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
3988 and then select the next unread article
3989 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
3993 @kindex M K (Summary)
3994 @kindex C-k (Summary)
3995 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
3996 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
3997 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
4000 @kindex M C (Summary)
4001 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
4002 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
4005 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
4006 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
4007 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
4008 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
4011 @kindex M H (Summary)
4012 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
4013 Catchup the current group to point
4014 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
4017 @kindex C-w (Summary)
4018 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
4019 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
4020 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
4023 @kindex M V k (Summary)
4024 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
4025 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
4026 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
4030 @kindex M c (Summary)
4031 @kindex M-u (Summary)
4032 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
4033 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
4034 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}).
4038 @kindex M e (Summary)
4040 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
4041 Mark the current article as expirable
4042 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
4045 @kindex M b (Summary)
4046 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
4047 Set a bookmark in the current article
4048 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
4051 @kindex M B (Summary)
4052 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
4053 Remove the bookmark from the current article
4054 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
4057 @kindex M V c (Summary)
4058 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
4059 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
4060 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4063 @kindex M V u (Summary)
4064 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
4065 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
4066 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
4069 @kindex M V m (Summary)
4070 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
4071 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
4072 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
4073 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4076 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
4077 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
4078 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
4079 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
4080 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
4081 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
4082 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
4083 The default is @code{t}.
4086 @node Setting Process Marks
4087 @subsection Setting Process Marks
4088 @cindex setting process marks
4095 @kindex M P p (Summary)
4096 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
4097 Mark the current article with the process mark
4098 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
4099 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
4103 @kindex M P u (Summary)
4104 @kindex M-# (Summary)
4105 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
4106 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
4109 @kindex M P U (Summary)
4110 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
4111 Remove the process mark from all articles
4112 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
4115 @kindex M P i (Summary)
4116 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
4117 Invert the list of process marked articles
4118 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
4121 @kindex M P R (Summary)
4122 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
4123 Mark articles by a regular expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
4126 @kindex M P r (Summary)
4127 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
4128 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
4131 @kindex M P t (Summary)
4132 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4133 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4134 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4137 @kindex M P T (Summary)
4138 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4139 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4140 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4143 @kindex M P v (Summary)
4144 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
4145 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
4146 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
4149 @kindex M P s (Summary)
4150 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
4151 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4154 @kindex M P S (Summary)
4155 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
4156 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
4157 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
4160 @kindex M P a (Summary)
4161 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
4162 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4165 @kindex M P b (Summary)
4166 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
4167 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
4168 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
4171 @kindex M P k (Summary)
4172 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
4173 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
4174 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
4177 @kindex M P y (Summary)
4178 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
4179 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
4180 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
4183 @kindex M P w (Summary)
4184 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
4185 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
4186 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
4195 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
4196 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
4197 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
4204 @kindex / / (Summary)
4205 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
4206 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
4207 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
4210 @kindex / a (Summary)
4211 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
4212 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
4213 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4217 @kindex / u (Summary)
4219 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
4220 Limit the summary buffer to articles that are not marked as read
4221 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
4222 buffer to articles that are strictly unread. This means that ticked and
4223 dormant articles will also be excluded.
4226 @kindex / m (Summary)
4227 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
4228 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have not been marked
4229 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
4232 @kindex / t (Summary)
4233 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
4234 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles that are
4235 older than (or equal to) that number of days
4236 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
4237 articles that are younger than that number of days.
4240 @kindex / n (Summary)
4241 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
4242 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
4243 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
4244 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4247 @kindex / w (Summary)
4248 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
4249 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
4250 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
4254 @kindex / v (Summary)
4255 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
4256 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
4257 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
4261 @kindex M S (Summary)
4262 @kindex / E (Summary)
4263 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
4264 Display all expunged articles
4265 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
4268 @kindex / D (Summary)
4269 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
4270 Display all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
4273 @kindex / d (Summary)
4274 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
4275 Hide all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
4278 @kindex / c (Summary)
4279 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
4280 Hide all dormant articles that have no children
4281 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
4284 @kindex / C (Summary)
4285 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
4286 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
4287 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
4288 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
4296 @cindex article threading
4298 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put replies to
4299 articles directly after the articles they reply to---in a hierarchical
4303 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
4304 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
4308 @node Customizing Threading
4309 @subsection Customizing Threading
4310 @cindex customizing threading
4316 @item gnus-show-threads
4317 @vindex gnus-show-threads
4318 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
4319 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
4320 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
4321 slower and more awkward.
4323 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
4324 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
4325 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
4326 more old headers---headers to articles that are marked as read. If you
4327 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
4328 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
4329 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
4330 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
4331 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
4332 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
4333 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
4334 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
4336 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
4337 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
4338 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
4339 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
4340 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
4341 articles that belong in the same thread together. This will leave
4342 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
4343 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
4344 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
4345 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
4346 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
4347 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
4348 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
4349 @code{nil} by default.
4351 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4352 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4353 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
4354 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
4355 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
4356 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
4357 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subjects lines. If
4358 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
4359 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
4360 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
4361 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
4363 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
4364 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
4365 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects.
4367 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4368 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4369 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
4370 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
4371 simplification is used.
4373 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4374 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4375 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
4376 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
4378 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
4380 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4386 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
4387 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
4388 "answer" "reference" "announce"
4389 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
4394 (mapconcat 'identity
4395 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
4397 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
4400 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
4403 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4404 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4405 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
4406 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
4407 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
4408 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
4409 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process. The
4410 default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
4412 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4413 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4414 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
4415 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
4416 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
4417 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
4418 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever includes unrelated
4419 articles, but it's also means that people who have posted with broken
4420 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
4424 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4425 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4426 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
4427 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
4429 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4430 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4431 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
4434 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
4438 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4439 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
4442 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
4443 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
4444 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
4445 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
4446 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
4447 read or killed the root in a previous session.
4449 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
4450 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
4451 There are four possible values:
4453 @cindex adopting articles
4458 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
4459 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
4460 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
4461 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
4464 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
4465 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
4466 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
4467 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
4468 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
4469 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
4470 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
4473 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
4474 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
4475 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
4479 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
4480 display them after one another.
4483 Don't gather loose threads.
4486 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4487 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4488 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
4491 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
4492 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
4493 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
4494 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
4495 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
4496 threads are expunged.
4498 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
4499 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
4500 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
4503 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4504 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4505 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
4506 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
4507 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
4510 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
4511 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
4512 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
4515 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
4516 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
4517 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
4518 @code{(gnus-decode-rfc1522)}, which means that QPized headers will be
4519 slightly decoded in a hackish way. This is likely to change in the
4520 future when Gnus becomes @sc{MIME}ified.
4525 @node Thread Commands
4526 @subsection Thread Commands
4527 @cindex thread commands
4533 @kindex T k (Summary)
4534 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
4535 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
4536 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
4537 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
4538 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
4543 @kindex T l (Summary)
4544 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
4545 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
4546 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
4547 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
4550 @kindex T i (Summary)
4551 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
4552 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
4553 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
4556 @kindex T # (Summary)
4557 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4558 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
4559 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4562 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
4563 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4564 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
4565 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4568 @kindex T T (Summary)
4569 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
4570 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
4573 @kindex T s (Summary)
4574 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
4575 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
4576 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
4579 @kindex T h (Summary)
4580 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
4581 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
4584 @kindex T S (Summary)
4585 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
4586 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
4589 @kindex T H (Summary)
4590 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
4591 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
4594 @kindex T t (Summary)
4595 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
4596 Re-thread the thread the current article is part of
4597 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
4598 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
4601 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
4602 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
4603 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
4604 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}.
4608 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
4609 understand the numeric prefix.
4614 @kindex T n (Summary)
4615 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
4616 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
4619 @kindex T p (Summary)
4620 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
4621 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
4624 @kindex T d (Summary)
4625 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
4626 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
4629 @kindex T u (Summary)
4630 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
4631 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
4634 @kindex T o (Summary)
4635 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
4636 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
4639 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
4640 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
4641 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
4642 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
4643 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
4644 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
4645 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If is
4646 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
4647 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
4648 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
4649 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
4650 that have subjects that are fuzzily equal will be included.
4656 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
4657 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
4658 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
4659 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4660 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
4661 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4662 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
4663 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
4664 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which is a list of functions.
4665 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
4666 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
4667 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
4668 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
4669 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
4671 Each function takes two threads and return non-@code{nil} if the first
4672 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
4673 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. If you use
4674 more than one function, the primary sort key should be the last function
4675 in the list. You should probably always include
4676 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
4677 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
4678 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
4679 ascending article order.
4681 If you would like to sort by score, then by subject, and finally by
4682 number, you could do something like:
4685 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4686 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4687 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4688 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
4691 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
4692 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
4693 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
4694 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
4695 which the articles arrived.
4697 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
4701 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4703 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
4704 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
4707 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
4708 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
4709 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
4710 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
4713 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
4714 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
4715 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
4716 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
4717 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
4718 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
4719 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
4720 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
4721 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
4722 is uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
4723 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
4724 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
4725 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
4727 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
4731 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
4732 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
4733 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
4738 @node Asynchronous Fetching
4739 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
4740 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
4741 @cindex article pre-fetch
4744 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
4745 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
4746 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
4747 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
4748 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
4750 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
4751 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
4753 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
4754 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
4755 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
4756 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
4757 connection is blocked.
4759 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
4760 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
4761 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
4762 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
4764 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
4765 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
4766 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
4767 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
4770 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
4773 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
4774 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
4775 happen automatically.
4777 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
4778 You can control how many articles that are to be pre-fetched by setting
4779 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
4780 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
4781 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
4782 pre-fetch all the articles that it can without bound. If it is
4783 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be made.
4785 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
4786 @findex gnus-async-read-p
4787 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
4788 articles, for instance. Which articles to pre-fetch is controlled by
4789 the @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable. This function should
4790 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
4791 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
4792 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
4793 data structure as the only parameter.
4795 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles that are
4796 shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
4799 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
4800 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
4801 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
4802 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
4805 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
4808 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
4809 preferrably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
4810 It's also probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
4812 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
4813 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
4814 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
4815 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
4819 Remove articles when they are read.
4822 Remove articles when exiting the group.
4825 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
4827 @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
4828 If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
4829 from the next group.
4832 @node Article Caching
4833 @section Article Caching
4834 @cindex article caching
4837 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
4838 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
4839 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
4840 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
4841 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
4843 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
4845 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
4846 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
4847 @vindex gnus-use-cache
4848 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
4849 all articles that are ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
4850 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
4851 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
4852 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
4854 When re-select a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
4855 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
4856 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
4857 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
4858 as dormant, and don't worry.
4860 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
4862 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
4863 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
4864 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
4865 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
4866 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
4867 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
4868 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
4869 articles that are marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
4870 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
4871 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
4873 @findex gnus-jog-cache
4874 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
4875 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
4876 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, and store them in
4877 the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this command if 1)
4878 your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really, really slow
4879 and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk. Seriously.
4881 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
4882 It is likely that you do not want caching on some groups. For instance,
4883 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
4884 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
4885 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space. To limit the caching,
4886 you could set the @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to
4887 @samp{^nnml}, for instance. This variable is @code{nil} by
4890 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
4891 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
4892 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
4893 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
4894 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
4895 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
4896 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
4897 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
4898 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
4902 @node Persistent Articles
4903 @section Persistent Articles
4904 @cindex persistent articles
4906 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
4907 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
4908 useful in my opinion.
4910 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
4911 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
4912 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
4913 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
4914 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
4915 the expiry going on at the news server.
4917 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
4918 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
4919 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
4925 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
4926 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
4929 @kindex M-* (Summary)
4930 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
4931 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
4932 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
4936 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
4938 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
4939 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
4940 interested in persistent articles:
4943 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
4947 @node Article Backlog
4948 @section Article Backlog
4950 @cindex article backlog
4952 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
4953 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
4954 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
4955 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
4956 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
4957 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
4958 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
4959 increase memory usage some.
4961 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
4962 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
4963 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
4964 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
4965 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
4966 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
4967 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
4969 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
4972 @node Saving Articles
4973 @section Saving Articles
4974 @cindex saving articles
4976 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
4977 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
4978 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
4979 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
4980 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
4982 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
4983 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
4984 unwanted headers before saving the article.
4986 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
4987 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
4988 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
4989 deleted before saving.
4995 @kindex O o (Summary)
4997 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
4998 Save the current article using the default article saver
4999 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
5002 @kindex O m (Summary)
5003 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
5004 Save the current article in mail format
5005 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
5008 @kindex O r (Summary)
5009 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
5010 Save the current article in rmail format
5011 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
5014 @kindex O f (Summary)
5015 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
5016 Save the current article in plain file format
5017 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
5020 @kindex O F (Summary)
5021 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
5022 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
5023 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
5026 @kindex O b (Summary)
5027 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
5028 Save the current article body in plain file format
5029 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
5032 @kindex O h (Summary)
5033 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
5034 Save the current article in mh folder format
5035 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
5038 @kindex O v (Summary)
5039 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
5040 Save the current article in a VM folder
5041 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
5044 @kindex O p (Summary)
5045 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
5046 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
5047 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
5050 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
5051 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
5052 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
5053 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
5054 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
5055 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
5056 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
5057 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
5058 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
5059 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
5060 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
5061 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
5065 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
5066 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
5067 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
5068 functions below, or you can create your own.
5072 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5073 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5074 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
5075 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5076 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
5077 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5078 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5080 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5081 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5082 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
5083 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
5084 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5085 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5087 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
5088 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
5089 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
5090 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5091 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
5092 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5093 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5095 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5096 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5097 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
5098 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5099 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5101 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5102 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5103 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
5104 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
5105 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
5108 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
5109 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
5110 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
5111 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
5112 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}. The former creates capitalized names, and
5113 the latter does not.
5115 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5116 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5117 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
5118 reader to use this setting.
5121 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
5122 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
5123 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
5124 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
5127 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
5128 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
5129 available functions that generate names:
5133 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
5134 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
5135 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5137 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
5138 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5139 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5141 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
5142 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
5143 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5145 @item gnus-plain-save-name
5146 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5147 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5150 @vindex gnus-split-methods
5151 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
5152 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
5153 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
5154 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
5158 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
5159 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
5160 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
5161 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
5164 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
5165 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
5166 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
5167 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
5168 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
5169 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
5170 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
5171 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
5172 called returns a string or a list of strings.
5174 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
5175 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
5176 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
5177 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
5179 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
5180 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
5181 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
5184 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5185 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
5186 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
5187 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
5188 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
5189 all the files in the toplevel directory
5190 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
5191 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
5192 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
5193 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
5195 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
5196 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
5197 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
5198 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
5199 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
5202 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
5206 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
5207 (setq gnus-default-article-save 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
5210 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
5211 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
5212 the toplevel directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
5213 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
5216 @node Decoding Articles
5217 @section Decoding Articles
5218 @cindex decoding articles
5220 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
5221 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
5224 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
5225 * Shared Articles:: Unshar articles.
5226 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
5227 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
5228 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
5231 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
5232 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
5233 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
5234 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
5235 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
5237 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
5238 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
5239 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
5241 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
5242 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
5243 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
5245 Subjects that are nonstandard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
5246 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
5247 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
5250 @node Uuencoded Articles
5251 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
5253 @cindex uuencoded articles
5258 @kindex X u (Summary)
5259 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
5260 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
5263 @kindex X U (Summary)
5264 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
5265 Uudecodes and saves the current series
5266 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5269 @kindex X v u (Summary)
5270 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
5271 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
5274 @kindex X v U (Summary)
5275 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
5276 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
5277 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
5280 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
5281 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
5282 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
5283 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
5284 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5286 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
5287 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
5288 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
5289 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
5292 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
5293 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
5294 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
5295 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
5296 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
5297 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
5301 @node Shared Articles
5302 @subsection Shared Articles
5304 @cindex shared articles
5309 @kindex X s (Summary)
5310 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
5311 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
5314 @kindex X S (Summary)
5315 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
5316 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
5319 @kindex X v s (Summary)
5320 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
5321 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
5324 @kindex X v S (Summary)
5325 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
5326 Unshars, views and saves the current series
5327 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
5331 @node PostScript Files
5332 @subsection PostScript Files
5338 @kindex X p (Summary)
5339 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
5340 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
5343 @kindex X P (Summary)
5344 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
5345 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
5346 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
5349 @kindex X v p (Summary)
5350 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
5351 View the current PostScript series
5352 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
5355 @kindex X v P (Summary)
5356 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
5357 View and save the current PostScript series
5358 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
5362 @node Decoding Variables
5363 @subsection Decoding Variables
5365 Adjective, not verb.
5368 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
5369 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
5370 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
5374 @node Rule Variables
5375 @subsubsection Rule Variables
5376 @cindex rule variables
5378 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
5379 variables are on the form
5382 (list '(regexp1 command2)
5389 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5390 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5392 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
5393 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
5396 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5397 (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
5400 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5401 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5402 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
5403 user and default view rules.
5405 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5406 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5407 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
5412 @node Other Decode Variables
5413 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
5416 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5418 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5419 All functions in this list will be called right each file has been
5420 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
5421 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
5422 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
5426 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
5427 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
5430 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
5431 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
5432 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
5435 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5436 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5437 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
5438 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
5439 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
5442 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5443 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5444 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
5446 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5447 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5448 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
5449 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
5450 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
5453 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5454 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5455 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
5457 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5458 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5459 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
5460 looking for files to display.
5462 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
5463 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
5464 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
5467 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5468 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5469 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
5472 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5473 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5474 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
5477 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5478 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5479 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
5482 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5483 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5484 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark articles that were
5485 unsuccessfully decoded as unread.
5487 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5488 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5489 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
5490 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
5492 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5493 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5495 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
5496 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
5497 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
5498 @code{metamail} for viewing.
5500 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5501 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5502 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
5503 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
5504 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
5505 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
5506 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
5507 simply dropped them.
5512 @node Uuencoding and Posting
5513 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
5517 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5518 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5519 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
5520 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
5521 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
5522 for you when you post the article.
5524 @item gnus-uu-post-length
5525 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
5526 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
5527 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
5529 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
5530 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
5531 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
5532 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen are able
5533 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
5534 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
5535 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
5537 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5538 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5539 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
5540 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
5541 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
5542 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
5543 Default is @code{t}.
5549 @subsection Viewing Files
5550 @cindex viewing files
5551 @cindex pseudo-articles
5553 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
5554 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
5555 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
5556 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
5557 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
5558 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
5559 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
5561 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
5562 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
5563 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
5564 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
5566 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
5567 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
5568 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
5570 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
5571 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
5572 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
5573 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
5574 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
5576 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
5577 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
5578 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
5579 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
5580 a list of parameters to that command.
5582 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
5583 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
5584 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
5586 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
5587 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
5588 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
5591 @node Article Treatment
5592 @section Article Treatment
5594 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
5595 object of newsreaders are to actually, like, read what people have
5596 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
5597 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
5598 these articles easier.
5601 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
5602 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look niced.
5603 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
5604 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
5605 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
5606 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
5607 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
5611 @node Article Highlighting
5612 @subsection Article Highlighting
5615 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
5616 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
5621 @kindex W H a (Summary)
5622 @findex gnus-article-highlight
5623 Highlight the current article (@code{gnus-article-highlight}).
5626 @kindex W H h (Summary)
5627 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
5628 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
5629 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
5630 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
5631 variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
5632 name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
5633 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name and
5634 @var{content} is the face for highlighting the header value. The first
5635 match made will be used. Note that @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^}
5636 prepended---Gnus will add one.
5639 @kindex W H c (Summary)
5640 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
5641 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
5643 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
5646 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5648 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5649 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
5650 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
5652 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5653 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5654 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
5656 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
5657 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
5658 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
5660 @item gnus-cite-face-list
5661 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
5662 List of faces used for highlighting citations. When there are citations
5663 from multiple articles in the same message, Gnus will try to give each
5664 citation from each article its own face. This should make it easier to
5667 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
5668 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
5669 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
5671 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5672 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5673 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
5675 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5676 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5677 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
5678 that it's a citation.
5680 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5681 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5682 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
5684 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5685 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5686 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
5688 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
5689 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
5690 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
5691 cited text belonging to the attribution.
5697 @kindex W H s (Summary)
5698 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
5699 @vindex gnus-signature-face
5700 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
5701 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
5702 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
5703 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
5704 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
5710 @node Article Fontisizing
5711 @subsection Article Fontisizing
5713 @cindex article emphasis
5715 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
5716 @kindex W e (Summary)
5717 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
5718 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*}. Gnus can make this look nicer by
5719 running the article through the @kbd{W e}
5720 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
5722 @vindex gnus-article-emphasis
5723 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
5724 @code{gnus-article-emphasis} variable. This is an alist where the first
5725 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
5726 that says what regular expression grouping used to find the entire
5727 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
5728 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
5729 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
5733 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
5734 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
5735 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
5738 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
5739 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
5740 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
5741 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
5742 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
5743 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
5744 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
5745 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
5746 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
5747 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
5748 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
5749 @code{gnus-emphasis-undeline-bold}, and
5750 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
5752 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
5753 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
5754 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
5758 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
5762 @node Article Hiding
5763 @subsection Article Hiding
5764 @cindex article hiding
5766 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
5767 too much cruft in most articles.
5772 @kindex W W a (Summary)
5773 @findex gnus-article-hide
5774 Do maximum hiding on the summary buffer (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}).
5777 @kindex W W h (Summary)
5778 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
5779 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
5783 @kindex W W b (Summary)
5784 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
5785 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
5786 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
5789 @kindex W W s (Summary)
5790 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
5791 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
5795 @kindex W W p (Summary)
5796 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
5797 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}).
5800 @kindex W W P (Summary)
5801 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
5802 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) gruft
5803 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
5806 @kindex W W c (Summary)
5807 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
5808 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
5809 customizing the hiding:
5813 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
5814 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
5815 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
5816 50), hide the cited text.
5818 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
5819 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
5820 The cited text must be have at least this length (default 10) before it
5823 @item gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
5824 @vindex gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
5825 Gnus adds buttons show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
5826 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
5827 by this format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
5832 Start point of the hidden text.
5834 End point of the hidden text.
5836 Length of the hidden text.
5839 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
5840 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
5841 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
5846 @kindex W W C (Summary)
5847 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
5848 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
5849 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
5850 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
5851 in @code{gnus-article-display-hook} (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
5855 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
5856 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
5857 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
5859 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
5860 citation customization.
5863 @node Article Washing
5864 @subsection Article Washing
5866 @cindex article washing
5868 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
5869 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
5871 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
5872 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
5878 @kindex W l (Summary)
5879 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
5880 Remove page breaks from the current article
5881 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}).
5884 @kindex W r (Summary)
5885 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
5886 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
5887 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
5890 @kindex W t (Summary)
5891 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
5892 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
5893 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
5896 @kindex W v (Summary)
5897 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
5898 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
5899 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
5902 @kindex W m (Summary)
5903 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
5904 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
5905 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
5908 @kindex W o (Summary)
5909 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
5910 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
5913 @kindex W w (Summary)
5914 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
5915 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}). If you use this
5916 function in @code{gnus-article-display-hook}, it should be run fairly
5917 late and certainly after any highlighting.
5920 @kindex W c (Summary)
5921 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
5922 Remove CR (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
5925 @kindex W q (Summary)
5926 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
5927 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
5930 @kindex W f (Summary)
5932 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
5933 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
5934 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
5935 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
5936 Look for and display any X-Face headers
5937 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
5938 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
5939 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
5940 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
5941 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
5942 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
5943 The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
5944 face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
5945 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
5946 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
5947 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
5948 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
5949 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
5953 @kindex W b (Summary)
5954 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
5955 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
5958 @kindex W B (Summary)
5959 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
5960 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
5961 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
5964 @kindex W E l (Summary)
5965 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
5966 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
5967 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
5970 @kindex W E m (Summary)
5971 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
5972 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
5973 lines with a single empty line.
5974 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
5977 @kindex W E t (Summary)
5978 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
5979 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
5980 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
5983 @kindex W E a (Summary)
5984 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
5985 Do all the three commands above
5986 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
5991 @node Article Buttons
5992 @subsection Article Buttons
5995 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
5996 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
5997 with the minimum of fuzz.
5999 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
6000 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
6001 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
6006 @item gnus-button-alist
6007 @vindex gnus-button-alist
6008 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
6011 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6017 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
6018 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that match embedded URLs:
6019 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
6022 Gnus has to know which parts of the match is to be highlighted. This is
6023 a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp that is to be
6024 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
6027 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
6028 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
6029 avoid false matches.
6032 This function will be called when you click on this button.
6035 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
6036 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
6040 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
6043 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
6046 @item gnus-header-button-alist
6047 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
6048 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
6049 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
6050 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
6053 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6056 @var{header} is a regular expression.
6058 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
6059 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
6060 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
6061 default values of the variables above.
6063 @item gnus-article-button-face
6064 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
6065 Face used on buttons.
6067 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
6068 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
6069 Face is used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
6075 @subsection Article Date
6077 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
6078 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
6079 when the article was sent.
6084 @kindex W T u (Summary)
6085 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
6086 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
6087 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
6090 @kindex W T l (Summary)
6091 @findex gnus-article-date-local
6092 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
6095 @kindex W T e (Summary)
6096 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
6097 Say how much time has (e)lapsed between the article was posted and now
6098 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}).
6101 @kindex W T o (Summary)
6102 @findex gnus-article-date-original
6103 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
6104 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and is
6105 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
6106 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
6107 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
6112 @node Article Signature
6113 @subsection Article Signature
6115 @cindex article signature
6117 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6118 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
6119 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
6120 that says what is to be considered a signature is
6121 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
6122 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
6123 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
6124 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
6125 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
6128 (setq gnus-signature-separator
6129 '("^-- $" ; The standard
6130 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
6131 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
6132 ; line of dashes. Shame!
6133 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
6134 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
6135 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
6138 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
6141 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
6142 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
6147 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
6150 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
6153 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
6154 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
6156 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
6157 in question is not a signature.
6160 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
6164 @node Article Commands
6165 @section Article Commands
6172 @kindex A P (Summary)
6173 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
6174 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
6175 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}).
6180 @node Summary Sorting
6181 @section Summary Sorting
6182 @cindex summary sorting
6184 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
6185 can't really see why you'd want that.
6190 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
6191 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
6192 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
6195 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
6196 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
6197 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
6200 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
6201 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
6202 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
6205 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
6206 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
6207 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
6210 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
6211 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
6212 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
6215 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
6216 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
6217 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
6220 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
6221 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
6222 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
6223 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
6224 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
6228 @node Finding the Parent
6229 @section Finding the Parent
6230 @cindex parent articles
6231 @cindex referring articles
6233 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
6235 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
6236 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
6237 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
6238 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
6239 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
6240 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
6241 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
6242 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
6244 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
6245 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
6246 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
6247 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
6248 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
6251 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
6252 @kindex A R (Summary)
6253 You can have Gnus fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References}
6254 header of the article by pushing @kbd{A R}
6255 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
6257 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
6258 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
6260 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
6261 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
6262 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
6263 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
6264 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
6265 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
6266 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
6268 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
6269 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
6270 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
6271 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
6272 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the same
6273 as the one that keeps the spool you are reading from updated, but that's
6274 not really necessary.
6276 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
6277 not do a particularly excellent job of it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
6278 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
6279 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
6280 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
6281 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
6284 @node Alternative Approaches
6285 @section Alternative Approaches
6287 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
6288 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
6291 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
6292 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
6297 @subsection Pick and Read
6298 @cindex pick and read
6300 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{nn}) use a two-phased
6301 reading interface. The user first marks the articles she wants to read
6302 from a summary buffer. Then she starts reading the articles with just
6303 an article buffer displayed.
6305 @findex gnus-pick-mode
6306 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
6307 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
6308 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
6309 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
6310 it makes one additional command for switching to the summary buffer
6313 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
6318 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6319 Pick the article on the current line
6320 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}). If given a numerical prefix,
6321 go to the article on that line and pick that article. (The line number
6322 is normally displayed on the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
6325 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
6326 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
6327 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
6328 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
6332 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6333 Unpick the article (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6337 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6338 Unpick all articles (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6342 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6343 Pick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6347 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6348 Unpick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6352 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6353 Pick the region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6357 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6358 Unpick the region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6362 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6363 Pick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6367 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6368 Unpick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6372 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6373 Pick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6377 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-buffer
6378 Unpick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-buffer}).
6382 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
6383 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
6384 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
6385 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
6386 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
6387 will still be visible when you are reading.
6391 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
6394 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
6397 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
6398 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
6400 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
6401 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
6402 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
6404 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
6405 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different than the
6406 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
6407 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
6408 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
6409 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
6410 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
6414 @subsection Binary Groups
6415 @cindex binary groups
6417 @findex gnus-binary-mode
6418 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
6419 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
6420 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
6421 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
6422 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
6423 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
6426 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
6427 In fact, the only way to see the actual articles if you have turned this
6428 mode on is the @kbd{g} command (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
6430 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
6431 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
6435 @section Tree Display
6438 @vindex gnus-use-trees
6439 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
6440 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
6441 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
6444 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
6447 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
6448 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
6449 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
6451 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6452 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6453 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers. The default
6454 is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}. For a list of legal specs, @pxref{Summary
6457 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
6458 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
6459 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
6460 default is @code{modeline}.
6462 @item gnus-tree-line-format
6463 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
6464 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
6465 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
6466 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
6467 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
6468 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
6474 The name of the poster.
6476 The @code{From} header.
6478 The number of the article.
6480 The opening bracket.
6482 The closing bracket.
6487 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6489 Variables related to the display are:
6492 @item gnus-tree-brackets
6493 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
6494 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
6495 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
6496 (sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
6497 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}))}.
6499 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
6500 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
6501 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
6502 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
6506 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
6507 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
6508 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
6509 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
6510 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
6511 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}.
6513 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
6514 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
6515 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
6516 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
6517 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
6518 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
6519 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
6523 Here's and example from a horizontal tree buffer:
6526 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
6536 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
6540 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
6541 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
6543 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
6545 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
6551 @node Mail Group Commands
6552 @section Mail Group Commands
6553 @cindex mail group commands
6555 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
6556 illegal in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
6558 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
6559 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6564 @kindex B e (Summary)
6565 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
6566 Expire all expirable articles in the group
6567 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
6570 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
6571 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
6572 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
6573 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
6574 articles that are eligible for expiry in the current group will
6575 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
6578 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
6579 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
6580 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
6581 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
6582 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
6585 @kindex B m (Summary)
6587 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
6588 Move the article from one mail group to another
6589 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6592 @kindex B c (Summary)
6594 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
6595 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
6596 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
6599 @kindex B C (Summary)
6600 @cindex crosspost mail
6601 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
6602 Crosspost the current article to some other group
6603 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
6604 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
6605 be properly updated.
6608 @kindex B i (Summary)
6609 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
6610 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
6611 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
6612 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
6615 @kindex B r (Summary)
6616 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
6617 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6618 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
6619 method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which
6620 means that the current group method will be used instead.
6624 @kindex B w (Summary)
6626 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
6627 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
6628 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
6629 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
6630 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}).
6633 @kindex B q (Summary)
6634 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
6635 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
6636 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
6637 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
6640 @kindex B p (Summary)
6641 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
6642 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
6643 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
6644 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
6645 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
6646 article from your news server (or rather, from
6647 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
6648 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
6649 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
6650 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
6651 just not have arrived yet.
6655 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
6656 @cindex moving articles
6657 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
6658 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
6659 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
6660 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
6661 suggestions you find reasonable.
6664 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
6665 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
6666 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
6667 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
6671 @node Various Summary Stuff
6672 @section Various Summary Stuff
6675 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
6676 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
6677 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
6678 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
6682 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
6683 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
6684 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
6686 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
6687 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
6688 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
6689 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
6690 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
6691 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
6694 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6695 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6696 Is is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
6697 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
6698 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
6703 @node Summary Group Information
6704 @subsection Summary Group Information
6709 @kindex H f (Summary)
6710 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
6711 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
6712 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
6713 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
6714 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
6715 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
6716 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
6717 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} probably will be used for
6721 @kindex H d (Summary)
6722 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
6723 Give a brief description of the current group
6724 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
6725 rereading the description from the server.
6728 @kindex H h (Summary)
6729 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
6730 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
6731 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
6734 @kindex H i (Summary)
6735 @findex gnus-info-find-node
6736 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
6740 @node Searching for Articles
6741 @subsection Searching for Articles
6746 @kindex M-s (Summary)
6747 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
6748 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
6749 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
6752 @kindex M-r (Summary)
6753 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
6754 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
6755 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
6759 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
6760 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
6761 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
6762 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}).
6765 @kindex M-& (Summary)
6766 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
6767 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
6768 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
6771 @node Summary Generation Commands
6772 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
6777 @kindex Y g (Summary)
6778 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
6779 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
6782 @kindex Y c (Summary)
6783 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
6784 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
6785 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
6790 @node Really Various Summary Commands
6791 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
6796 @kindex C-d (Summary)
6797 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
6798 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
6799 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
6800 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
6801 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
6802 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
6803 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages on
6804 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
6808 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
6809 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
6810 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
6811 several documents into one biiig group
6812 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
6813 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
6814 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
6815 command understands the process/prefix convention
6816 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6819 @kindex C-t (Summary)
6820 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
6821 Toggle truncation of summary lines
6822 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
6823 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
6824 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
6828 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
6829 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
6830 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
6835 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
6836 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
6837 @cindex summary exit
6838 @cindex exiting groups
6840 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
6841 group and return you to the group buffer.
6847 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
6849 @findex gnus-summary-exit
6850 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
6851 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
6852 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
6853 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
6854 called before doing much of the exiting, and calls
6855 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
6856 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exiting
6857 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
6858 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
6862 @kindex Z E (Summary)
6864 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
6865 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
6866 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
6870 @kindex Z c (Summary)
6872 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
6873 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
6874 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
6877 @kindex Z C (Summary)
6878 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
6879 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
6880 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
6883 @kindex Z n (Summary)
6884 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
6885 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
6886 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
6889 @kindex Z R (Summary)
6890 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
6891 Exit this group, and then enter it again
6892 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
6893 all articles, both read and unread.
6897 @kindex Z G (Summary)
6898 @kindex M-g (Summary)
6899 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
6900 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
6901 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
6902 articles, both read and unread.
6905 @kindex Z N (Summary)
6906 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
6907 Exit the group and go to the next group
6908 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
6911 @kindex Z P (Summary)
6912 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
6913 Exit the group and go to the previous group
6914 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
6917 @kindex Z s (Summary)
6918 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
6919 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
6920 (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, also save the
6921 @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this command will make exit without
6922 updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
6925 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
6926 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
6929 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
6930 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
6931 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
6932 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
6933 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
6934 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
6935 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
6936 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
6937 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
6938 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
6939 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
6940 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
6942 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
6944 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
6945 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
6946 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
6947 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
6948 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
6949 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
6950 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
6951 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
6952 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
6955 @node Crosspost Handling
6956 @section Crosspost Handling
6960 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
6961 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
6962 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
6963 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
6964 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
6965 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
6968 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
6969 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
6970 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
6971 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
6972 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
6974 @cindex cross-posting
6977 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
6978 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
6979 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
6980 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
6981 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
6982 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
6983 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
6984 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
6985 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
6986 the cross reference mechanism.
6988 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
6989 @cindex overview.fmt
6990 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
6991 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
6992 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
6993 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
6994 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
6995 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
6998 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
6999 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
7000 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
7005 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
7008 @node Duplicate Suppression
7009 @section Duplicate Suppression
7011 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
7012 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
7013 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
7014 approach may not work satisfactorily for some users for various
7019 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
7020 is evil and not very common.
7023 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
7024 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
7027 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
7028 different @sc{nntp} servers.
7031 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
7034 I'm sure there are other situations that @code{Xref} handling fails as
7035 well, but these four are the most common situations.
7037 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
7038 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
7039 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
7040 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
7041 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
7042 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
7043 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
7046 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
7047 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
7048 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
7049 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
7050 article as read the the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
7054 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
7055 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
7056 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
7058 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
7059 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
7060 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
7061 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
7062 However, this means that only duplicate articles that is read in a
7063 single Gnus session are suppressed.
7065 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
7066 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
7067 This variables says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
7068 suppression list. The default is 10000.
7070 @item gnus-duplicate-file
7071 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
7072 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list. The
7073 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
7076 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
7077 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
7078 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
7079 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
7080 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
7081 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
7082 to you to figure out, I think.
7085 @node The Article Buffer
7086 @chapter The Article Buffer
7087 @cindex article buffer
7089 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
7090 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
7091 tell Gnus otherwise.
7094 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
7095 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
7096 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
7097 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
7098 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
7102 @node Hiding Headers
7103 @section Hiding Headers
7104 @cindex hiding headers
7105 @cindex deleting headers
7107 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
7108 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
7110 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
7111 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
7112 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
7113 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
7114 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
7115 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
7116 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
7117 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
7118 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
7120 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
7124 @item gnus-visible-headers
7125 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
7126 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
7127 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
7128 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
7130 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
7131 the article and the subject, you'd say:
7134 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
7137 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers that are to
7140 @item gnus-ignored-headers
7141 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
7142 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
7143 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
7144 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
7145 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
7147 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
7148 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
7151 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
7154 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers that are to
7157 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
7158 variable will have no effect.
7162 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
7163 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
7164 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
7165 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
7166 the headers are to be displayed.
7168 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
7169 and then the subject, you might say something like:
7172 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
7175 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
7176 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers that
7177 are listed in this variable.
7179 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7180 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7181 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
7182 You can hide further boring headers by entering
7183 @code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers} into
7184 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}. What this function does depends on
7185 the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a list, but this
7186 list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is lists various
7187 @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove from sight.
7189 These conditions are:
7192 Remove all empty headers.
7194 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
7197 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
7198 @code{Newsgroups} header.
7200 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
7203 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
7207 To include the four first elements, you could say something like;
7210 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
7211 '(empty newsgroups followup-to reply-to))
7214 This is also the default value for this variable.
7218 @section Using @sc{mime}
7221 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
7222 while people stand around yawning.
7224 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
7225 while all newsreaders die of fear.
7227 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
7228 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
7229 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
7231 @vindex gnus-show-mime
7232 @vindex gnus-show-mime-method
7233 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
7234 @findex metamail-buffer
7235 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
7236 @code{gnus-show-mime-method}, which is @code{metamail-buffer} by
7237 default. Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
7238 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
7239 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
7240 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
7241 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
7242 buffer. These can't be avoided.
7244 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the summary
7245 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
7246 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
7247 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
7248 comes streaming out out your speakers, and you can't find the volume
7249 button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you,
7250 and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the
7251 program to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly
7252 decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
7254 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
7257 @node Customizing Articles
7258 @section Customizing Articles
7259 @cindex article customization
7261 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7262 The @code{gnus-article-display-hook} is called after the article has
7263 been inserted into the article buffer. It is meant to handle all
7264 treatment of the article before it is displayed.
7266 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7267 By default this hook just contains @code{gnus-article-hide-headers},
7268 @code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}, and
7269 @code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight}, but there are thousands, nay
7270 millions, of functions you can put in this hook. For an overview of
7271 functions @pxref{Article Highlighting}, @pxref{Article Hiding},
7272 @pxref{Article Washing}, @pxref{Article Buttons} and @pxref{Article
7273 Date}. Note that the order of functions in this hook might affect
7274 things, so you may have to fiddle a bit to get the desired results.
7276 You can, of course, write your own functions. The functions are called
7277 from the article buffer, and you can do anything you like, pretty much.
7278 There is no information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can
7279 change everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead
7280 make them invisible if you want to make them go away.
7283 @node Article Keymap
7284 @section Article Keymap
7286 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
7287 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
7288 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
7289 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
7292 A few additional keystrokes are available:
7297 @kindex SPACE (Article)
7298 @findex gnus-article-next-page
7299 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
7302 @kindex DEL (Article)
7303 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
7304 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
7307 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
7308 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
7309 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
7310 @kbd{r}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
7311 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
7314 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
7315 @findex gnus-article-mail
7316 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
7317 given a prefix, include the mail.
7321 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
7322 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
7323 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
7327 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
7328 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
7329 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
7332 @kindex TAB (Article)
7333 @findex gnus-article-next-button
7334 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}. This
7335 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
7338 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
7339 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
7340 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}.
7346 @section Misc Article
7350 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
7351 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
7352 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
7353 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
7356 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
7357 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
7358 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
7359 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
7360 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
7361 the contents of the article buffer.
7363 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7364 @item gnus-article-display-hook
7365 This hook is called as the last thing when displaying an article, and is
7366 intended for modifying the contents of the buffer, doing highlights,
7367 hiding headers, and the like.
7369 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
7370 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
7371 Hook called in article mode buffers.
7373 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7374 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7375 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
7376 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
7378 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
7379 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
7380 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
7381 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. It accepts the same
7382 format specifications as that variable, with one extension:
7386 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
7387 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
7391 @vindex gnus-break-pages
7393 @item gnus-break-pages
7394 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
7395 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
7396 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
7397 paging will not be done.
7399 @item gnus-page-delimiter
7400 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
7401 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
7406 @node Composing Messages
7407 @chapter Composing Messages
7412 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
7413 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
7414 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
7415 by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
7416 Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
7417 article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
7418 to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
7421 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
7422 * Post:: Posting and following up.
7423 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
7424 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
7425 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
7426 @c * Posting Styles:: An easier way to configure some key elements.
7427 @c * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
7428 @c * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
7431 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
7432 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
7438 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
7441 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
7442 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
7443 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
7444 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
7452 Variables for composing news articles:
7455 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
7456 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
7457 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
7458 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
7459 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
7460 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to sent the
7461 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
7462 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
7463 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
7466 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
7467 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
7468 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
7469 file. It is 1000 by default.
7474 @node Posting Server
7475 @section Posting Server
7477 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
7478 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
7480 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
7482 @vindex gnus-post-method
7484 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
7485 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
7486 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
7487 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
7488 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
7491 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
7494 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
7495 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
7496 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
7497 the ``current'' server for posting.
7499 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
7500 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
7502 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
7503 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
7508 @section Mail and Post
7510 Here's a list of variables that are relevant to both mailing and
7514 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
7515 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
7516 @cindex mailing lists
7518 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists that are
7519 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
7520 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
7521 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
7522 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
7523 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that match the groups that
7524 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
7525 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
7526 still a pain, though.
7530 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
7531 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
7532 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
7535 @findex ispell-message
7537 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
7541 @node Archived Messages
7542 @section Archived Messages
7543 @cindex archived messages
7544 @cindex sent messages
7546 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail you send.
7547 The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to store
7548 the mail. If you want to disable this completely, you should set
7549 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil}.
7551 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
7552 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
7553 use to store sent messages. The default is:
7557 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive/"))
7560 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
7561 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
7562 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
7563 directory chosen, you could say something like:
7566 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
7567 '(nnfolder "archive"
7568 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
7569 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
7570 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
7573 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
7575 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
7576 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
7577 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
7579 This variable can be:
7583 Messages will be saved in that group.
7584 @item a list of strings
7585 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
7586 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
7587 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
7589 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
7594 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
7596 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
7599 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
7601 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
7604 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
7606 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7607 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
7608 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
7609 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
7614 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7615 '((if (message-news-p)
7620 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
7621 messages in one file per month:
7624 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7625 '((if (message-news-p)
7627 (concat "mail." (format-time-string
7628 "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
7631 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
7632 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
7633 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
7634 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
7635 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
7636 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
7637 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
7638 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
7639 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
7640 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
7642 That's the default method of archiving sent mail. Gnus also a different
7643 way for the people who don't like the default method. In that case you
7644 should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil}; this will
7647 XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
7648 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.
7651 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
7652 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
7653 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
7654 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
7655 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
7658 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
7659 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
7660 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
7665 @c @node Posting Styles
7666 @c @section Posting Styles
7667 @c @cindex posting styles
7670 @c All them variables, they make my head swim.
7672 @c So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
7673 @c on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
7674 @c and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
7677 @c @vindex gnus-posting-styles
7678 @c One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
7679 @c variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
7680 @c came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
7681 @c a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
7686 @c (signature . "Peace and happiness")
7687 @c (organization . "What me?"))
7689 @c (signature . "Death to everybody"))
7690 @c ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
7691 @c (organization . "Emacs is it")))
7694 @c As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
7695 @c @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
7696 @c ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
7697 @c over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
7698 @c applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
7699 @c the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
7700 @c @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
7701 @c signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
7703 @c The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
7704 @c string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
7705 @c If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
7706 @c arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
7707 @c referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
7708 @c any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
7711 @c Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
7712 @c attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name
7713 @c can be one of @code{signature}, @code{organization} or @code{from}. The
7714 @c attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
7715 @c a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
7718 @c The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
7719 @c return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
7720 @c list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
7722 @c So here's a new example:
7725 @c (setq gnus-posting-styles
7727 @c (signature . "~/.signature")
7728 @c (from . "user@@foo (user)")
7729 @c ("X-Home-Page" . (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
7730 @c (organization . "People's Front Against MWM"))
7732 @c (signature . my-funny-signature-randomizer))
7733 @c ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
7734 @c (signature . my-quote-randomizer))
7735 @c (posting-from-work-p
7736 @c (signature . "~/.work-signature")
7737 @c (from . "user@@bar.foo (user)")
7738 @c (organization . "Important Work, Inc"))
7740 @c (signature . "~/.mail-signature"))))
7747 @c If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
7748 @c you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
7749 @c craazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save the
7750 @c message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some other
7751 @c day, and send it when you feel its finished.
7753 @c Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
7754 @c some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
7755 @c automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
7756 @c If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
7757 @c article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
7761 @c @vindex gnus-draft-group-directory
7762 @c The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
7763 @c @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
7764 @c @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{gnus-draft-group-directory}
7765 @c controls both the name of the group and the location---the leaf element
7766 @c in the path will be used as the name of the group. What makes this
7767 @c group special is that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any
7768 @c articles as read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
7770 @c If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
7773 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
7774 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
7775 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
7776 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
7777 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
7778 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
7779 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
7780 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
7781 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
7782 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
7783 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
7784 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
7785 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
7786 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
7788 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
7789 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
7790 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
7792 @c @findex gnus-summary-send-draft
7793 @c @kindex S D c (Summary)
7794 @c When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
7795 @c draft group and push @kbd{S D c} (@code{gnus-summary-send-draft}) to do
7796 @c that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
7798 @c Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
7801 @c @findex gnus-summary-send-all-drafts
7802 @c If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
7803 @c doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{S D a} command
7804 @c (@code{gnus-summary-send-all-drafts}). This command understands the
7805 @c process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7808 @c @node Rejected Articles
7809 @c @section Rejected Articles
7810 @c @cindex rejected articles
7812 @c Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
7813 @c doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
7814 @c @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
7815 @c Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
7817 @c These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
7818 @c (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
7819 @c fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
7820 @c you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
7821 @c articles until some later time when the server feels better.
7823 @c The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
7824 @c (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
7825 @c typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
7828 @node Select Methods
7829 @chapter Select Methods
7830 @cindex foreign groups
7831 @cindex select methods
7833 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group that is not read by the usual (or
7834 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
7835 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
7836 personal mail group.
7838 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
7839 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
7840 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
7841 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
7842 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
7843 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
7845 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
7846 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
7848 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
7851 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
7852 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
7853 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
7854 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
7855 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
7857 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
7860 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
7861 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
7862 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
7863 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
7864 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
7868 @node The Server Buffer
7869 @section The Server Buffer
7871 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
7872 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
7873 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
7874 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
7875 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
7876 backend represents a virtual server.
7878 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
7879 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
7880 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
7881 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
7883 These select methods specifications can sometimes become quite
7884 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
7885 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
7886 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
7887 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
7888 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
7889 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
7891 To enter the server buffer, user the @kbd{^}
7892 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
7895 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
7896 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
7897 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
7898 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
7899 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
7900 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
7903 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
7904 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
7907 @node Server Buffer Format
7908 @subsection Server Buffer Format
7909 @cindex server buffer format
7911 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
7912 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
7913 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
7914 variable, with some simple extensions:
7919 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
7922 The name of this server.
7925 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
7928 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
7931 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
7932 The mode line can also be customized by using the
7933 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable. The following specs are
7944 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
7947 @node Server Commands
7948 @subsection Server Commands
7949 @cindex server commands
7955 @findex gnus-server-add-server
7956 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
7960 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
7961 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
7964 @kindex SPACE (Server)
7965 @findex gnus-server-read-server
7966 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
7970 @findex gnus-server-exit
7971 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
7975 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
7976 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
7980 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
7981 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
7985 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
7986 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
7990 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
7991 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
7995 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
7996 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
7997 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
8002 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
8003 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
8004 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
8005 a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
8010 @node Example Methods
8011 @subsection Example Methods
8013 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
8016 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
8019 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
8025 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
8026 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
8029 After these two elements, there may be a arbitrary number of
8030 @var{(variable form)} pairs.
8032 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
8033 port 15 from that machine. This is what the select method should
8037 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
8040 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
8041 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example.
8043 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
8044 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
8045 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
8049 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
8052 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
8055 Here's the method for a public spool:
8059 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
8060 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
8063 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
8064 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
8065 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
8066 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
8067 should probably look something like this:
8071 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
8072 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
8073 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
8074 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
8075 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
8080 @node Creating a Virtual Server
8081 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
8083 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
8084 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
8086 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
8087 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
8088 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
8090 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
8092 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
8093 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
8094 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
8095 will contain the following:
8105 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
8106 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
8107 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
8110 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
8111 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
8112 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
8115 @node Servers and Methods
8116 @subsection Servers and Methods
8118 Wherever you would normally use a select method
8119 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
8120 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
8121 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
8125 @node Unavailable Servers
8126 @subsection Unavailable Servers
8128 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
8129 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
8130 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
8131 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
8132 actually the case or not.
8134 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
8135 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to the server
8136 @samp{nepholococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
8137 away from you, the machine is quite, so it takes 1 minute just to find
8138 out that it refuses connection from you today. If Gnus were to attempt
8139 to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't attempt to do
8140 that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'', it will
8141 regard that server as ``down''.
8143 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
8144 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
8146 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
8147 with the following commands:
8153 @findex gnus-server-open-server
8154 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
8155 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
8159 @findex gnus-server-close-server
8160 Close the connection (if any) to the server
8161 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
8165 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
8166 Mark the current server as unreachable
8167 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
8170 @kindex M-o (Server)
8171 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
8172 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
8173 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
8176 @kindex M-c (Server)
8177 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
8178 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
8179 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
8183 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
8184 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from all servers
8185 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
8191 @section Getting News
8192 @cindex reading news
8193 @cindex news backends
8195 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
8196 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
8197 or it can read from a local spool.
8200 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
8201 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
8206 @subsection @sc{nntp}
8209 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
8210 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
8211 server as the, uhm, address.
8213 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
8214 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
8215 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
8216 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
8218 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
8219 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
8220 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
8222 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
8227 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
8228 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
8229 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
8231 @cindex authentification
8232 @cindex nntp authentification
8233 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8234 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
8235 @code{nntp-server-opened-hook} is run after a connection has been made.
8236 It can be used to send commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has
8237 been contacted. By default is sends the command @code{MODE READER} to
8238 the server with the @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function.
8240 @item nntp-authinfo-function
8241 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
8242 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
8243 server. Available functions include:
8246 @item nntp-send-authinfo
8247 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8248 This function will used you current login name as the user name and will
8249 prompt you for the password. This is the default.
8251 @item nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
8252 @findex nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
8253 This function will prompt you for both user name and password.
8255 @item nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
8256 @findex nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
8257 This function will use your current login name as the user name and will
8258 read the @sc{nntp} password from @file{~/.nntp-authinfo}.
8261 @item nntp-server-action-alist
8262 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
8263 This is an list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
8264 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
8265 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
8268 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
8272 You probably don't want to do that, though.
8274 The default value is
8277 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
8278 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook nntp-send-mode-reader)))
8281 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
8282 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
8284 @item nntp-maximum-request
8285 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
8286 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
8287 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
8288 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
8289 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
8290 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
8291 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
8293 @item nntp-connection-timeout
8294 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
8295 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
8296 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
8297 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
8298 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
8299 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
8300 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
8301 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
8302 no timeouts are done.
8304 @item nntp-command-timeout
8305 @vindex nntp-command-timeout
8306 @cindex PPP connections
8307 @cindex dynamic IP addresses
8308 If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
8309 address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
8310 changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
8311 waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
8312 unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
8313 then, if it sits waiting longer than that number of seconds for a reply
8314 from the server, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
8315 the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
8316 likely number is 30 seconds.
8318 @item nntp-retry-on-break
8319 @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
8320 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
8321 hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
8324 @item nntp-server-hook
8325 @vindex nntp-server-hook
8326 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
8329 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
8330 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
8331 @item nntp-open-connection-function
8332 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
8333 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Two pre-made
8334 functions are @code{nntp-open-network-stream}, which is the default, and
8335 simply connects to some port or other on the remote system. The other
8336 is @code{nntp-open-rlogin}, which does an rlogin on the remote system,
8337 and then does a telnet to the @sc{nntp} server available there.
8339 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
8340 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
8341 If you use @code{nntp-open-rlogin} as the
8342 @code{nntp-open-connection-function}, this list will be used as the
8343 parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
8345 @item nntp-end-of-line
8346 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
8347 String to use as end-of-line markers when talking to the @sc{nntp}
8348 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
8349 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
8351 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
8352 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
8353 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
8357 @vindex nntp-address
8358 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
8360 @item nntp-port-number
8361 @vindex nntp-port-number
8362 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
8365 @item nntp-buggy-select
8366 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
8367 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
8369 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
8370 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
8371 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
8372 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks whether @sc{nov}
8373 can be used automatically.
8375 @item nntp-xover-commands
8376 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
8379 List of strings that are used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
8380 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
8384 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
8385 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
8386 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
8387 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
8388 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
8389 lines that you do not want, and will not use. This variable says how
8390 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
8391 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
8392 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
8393 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
8394 @code{nntp} will never split requests.
8396 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
8397 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
8398 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
8400 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
8401 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
8402 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
8403 server closes connection.
8409 @subsection News Spool
8413 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
8414 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
8415 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
8418 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @samp{} (or
8419 anything else) as the address.
8421 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
8422 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
8423 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
8424 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
8428 @item nnspool-inews-program
8429 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
8430 Program used to post an article.
8432 @item nnspool-inews-switches
8433 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
8434 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
8436 @item nnspool-spool-directory
8437 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
8438 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
8439 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
8441 @item nnspool-nov-directory
8442 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
8443 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
8444 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
8446 @item nnspool-lib-dir
8447 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
8448 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
8450 @item nnspool-active-file
8451 @vindex nnspool-active-file
8452 The path of the active file.
8454 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
8455 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
8456 The path of the group descriptions file.
8458 @item nnspool-history-file
8459 @vindex nnspool-history-file
8460 The path of the news history file.
8462 @item nnspool-active-times-file
8463 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
8464 The path of the active date file.
8466 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
8467 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
8468 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
8471 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
8472 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
8474 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
8475 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
8476 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
8482 @section Getting Mail
8483 @cindex reading mail
8486 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
8490 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
8491 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
8492 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
8493 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
8494 * Mail and Procmail:: Reading mail groups that procmail create.
8495 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
8496 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
8497 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
8498 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
8499 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
8500 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
8504 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
8505 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
8507 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
8508 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
8509 and things will happen automatically.
8511 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a one file per
8512 mail backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
8515 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
8516 '((nnml "private")))
8519 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
8520 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
8521 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
8522 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
8523 like any other group.
8525 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
8528 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8529 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
8530 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
8534 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
8535 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
8536 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
8539 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
8540 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though,
8541 especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
8544 @node Splitting Mail
8545 @subsection Splitting Mail
8546 @cindex splitting mail
8547 @cindex mail splitting
8549 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
8550 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
8551 to be split into groups.
8554 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8555 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
8556 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
8560 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
8561 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
8562 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
8563 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
8564 determine if it belongs in this mail group.
8566 If the first element is the special symbol @code{junk}, then messages
8567 that match the regexp will disappear into the aether. Use with
8570 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
8571 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
8572 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
8573 mail belongs in that group.
8575 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
8576 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any
8577 mails that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps.
8579 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
8580 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
8581 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
8582 message. The function should return a list of groups names that it
8583 thinks should carry this mail message.
8585 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent
8586 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
8587 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
8588 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
8590 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
8591 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
8592 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
8593 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
8594 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
8596 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
8599 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
8600 the crossposted articles. However, not all files systems support hard
8601 links. If that's the case for you, set
8602 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
8603 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
8605 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
8606 @kindex nnmail-split-history
8607 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
8608 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
8610 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
8611 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
8612 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
8613 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
8614 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
8615 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
8616 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
8617 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
8621 @node Mail Backend Variables
8622 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
8624 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
8628 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
8629 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
8630 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
8631 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
8633 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
8634 @item nnmail-spool-file
8638 @vindex nnmail-pop-password
8639 @vindex nnmail-pop-password-required
8640 The backends will look for new mail in this file. If this variable is
8641 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
8642 themselves. If you are using a POP mail server and your name is
8643 @samp{larsi}, you should set this variable to @samp{po:larsi}. If
8644 your name is not @samp{larsi}, you should probably modify that
8645 slightly, but you may have guessed that already, you smart & handsome
8646 devil! You can also set this variable to @code{pop}, and Gnus will try
8647 to figure out the POP mail string by itself. In any case, Gnus will
8648 call @code{movemail} which will contact the POP server named in the
8649 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable. If the POP server needs a
8650 password, you can either set @code{nnmail-pop-password-required} to
8651 @code{t} and be prompted for the password, or set
8652 @code{nnmail-pop-password} to the password itself.
8654 Your Emacs has to have been configured with @samp{--with-pop} before
8655 compilation. This is the default, but some installations have it
8658 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
8659 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
8660 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
8661 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
8662 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
8663 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
8665 @vindex nnmail-use-procmail
8666 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
8667 @item nnmail-use-procmail
8668 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will look in
8669 @code{nnmail-procmail-directory} for incoming mail. All the files in
8670 that directory that have names ending in @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix}
8671 will be considered incoming mailboxes, and will be searched for new
8674 @vindex nnmail-crash-box
8675 @item nnmail-crash-box
8676 When the mail backends read a spool file, it is first moved to this
8677 file, which is @file{~/.gnus-crash-box} by default. If this file
8678 already exists, it will always be read (and incorporated) before any
8681 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
8682 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
8683 This is run in a buffer that holds all the new incoming mail, and can be
8684 used for, well, anything, really.
8686 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
8687 @item nnmail-split-hook
8688 @findex article-decode-rfc1522
8689 @findex RFC1522 decoding
8690 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
8691 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
8692 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
8693 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
8694 in the buffer will show up in any files. @code{gnus-article-decode-rfc1522}
8695 is one likely function to add to this hook.
8697 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
8698 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
8699 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
8700 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
8701 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
8702 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
8703 starting to handle the new mail) and
8704 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
8705 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
8706 default file modes the new mail files get:
8709 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
8710 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
8712 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
8713 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
8716 @item nnmail-tmp-directory
8717 @vindex nnmail-tmp-directory
8718 This variable says where to move the incoming mail to while processing
8719 it. This is usually done in the same directory that the mail backend
8720 inhabits (i.e., @file{~/Mail/}), but if this variable is non-@code{nil},
8721 it will be used instead.
8723 @item nnmail-movemail-program
8724 @vindex nnmail-movemail-program
8725 This program is executed to move mail from the user's inbox to her home
8726 directory. The default is @samp{movemail}.
8728 This can also be a function. In that case, the function will be called
8729 with two parameters -- the name of the inbox, and the file to be moved
8732 @item nnmail-delete-incoming
8733 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
8734 @cindex incoming mail files
8735 @cindex deleting incoming files
8736 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will delete the temporary incoming
8737 file after splitting mail into the proper groups. This is @code{nil} by
8738 default for reasons of security.
8740 Since Red Gnus is an alpha release, it is to be expected to lose mail.
8741 (No Gnus release since (ding) Gnus 0.10 (or something like that) have
8742 lost mail, I think, but that's not the point.) By not deleting the
8743 Incoming* files, one can be sure to not lose mail -- if Gnus totally
8744 whacks out, one can always recover what was lost.
8746 Delete the @file{Incoming*} files at will.
8748 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
8749 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
8750 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
8751 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories like
8752 @file{mail.misc/}. If it is @code{nil}, the same group will end up in
8755 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
8756 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
8758 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
8763 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
8764 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
8765 @cindex mail splitting
8766 @cindex fancy mail splitting
8768 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
8769 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
8770 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
8771 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
8772 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
8773 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
8775 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
8778 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
8779 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
8780 ;; from real errors.
8781 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
8783 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
8784 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
8785 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
8786 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
8787 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
8788 ;; Other mailing lists...
8789 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
8790 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
8792 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen"))
8793 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
8797 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
8798 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
8799 the five possible split syntaxes:
8804 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name.
8807 @var{(FIELD VALUE SPLIT)}: If the split is a list, and the first
8808 element is a string, then that means that if header FIELD (a regexp)
8809 contains VALUE (also a regexp), then store the message as specified by
8813 @var{(| SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
8814 @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them
8815 matches. A SPLIT is said to match if it will cause the mail message to
8816 be stored in one or more groups.
8819 @var{(& SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
8820 @code{&}, then process all SPLITs in the list.
8823 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
8824 this message anywhere.
8827 @var{(: function arg1 arg2 ...)}: If the split is a list, and the first
8828 element is @code{:}, then the second element will be called as a
8829 function with @var{args} given as arguments. The function should return
8834 In these splits, @var{FIELD} must match a complete field name.
8835 @var{VALUE} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
8836 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
8837 field names or words. In other words, all @var{VALUE}'s are wrapped in
8838 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
8840 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
8841 @var{FIELD} and @var{VALUE} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
8842 are expanded as specified by the variable
8843 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
8844 the car of the cells contains the key, and the cdr contains a string.
8846 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
8847 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
8848 when all this splitting is performed.
8850 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
8851 information in the headers, you can say things like:
8854 (any "debian-\(\\w*\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
8857 That is, do @code{replace-match}-like substitions in the group names.
8860 @node Mail and Procmail
8861 @subsection Mail and Procmail
8866 Many people use @code{procmail} (or some other mail filter program or
8867 external delivery agent---@code{slocal}, @code{elm}, etc) to split
8868 incoming mail into groups. If you do that, you should set
8869 @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{procmail} to ensure that the mail
8870 backends never ever try to fetch mail by themselves.
8872 This also means that you probably don't want to set
8873 @code{nnmail-split-methods} either, which has some, perhaps, unexpected
8876 When a mail backend is queried for what groups it carries, it replies
8877 with the contents of that variable, along with any groups it has figured
8878 out that it carries by other means. None of the backends (except
8879 @code{nnmh}) actually go out to the disk and check what groups actually
8880 exist. (It's not trivial to distinguish between what the user thinks is
8881 a basis for a newsgroup and what is just a plain old file or directory.)
8883 This means that you have to tell Gnus (and the backends) what groups
8886 Let's take the @code{nnmh} backend as an example.
8888 The folders are located in @code{nnmh-directory}, say, @file{~/Mail/}.
8889 There are three folders, @file{foo}, @file{bar} and @file{mail.baz}.
8891 Go to the group buffer and type @kbd{G m}. When prompted, answer
8892 @samp{foo} for the name and @samp{nnmh} for the method. Repeat
8893 twice for the two other groups, @samp{bar} and @samp{mail.baz}. Be sure
8894 to include all your mail groups.
8896 That's it. You are now set to read your mail. An active file for this
8897 method will be created automatically.
8899 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
8900 @vindex nnmail-procmail-directory
8901 If you use @code{nnfolder} or any other backend that store more than a
8902 single article in each file, you should never have procmail add mails to
8903 the file that Gnus sees. Instead, procmail should put all incoming mail
8904 in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory}. To arrive at the file name to put
8905 the incoming mail in, append @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix} to the group
8906 name. The mail backends will read the mail from these files.
8908 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
8909 When Gnus reads a file called @file{mail.misc.spool}, this mail will be
8910 put in the @code{mail.misc}, as one would expect. However, if you want
8911 Gnus to split the mail the normal way, you could set
8912 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to @code{t}.
8914 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
8915 If you use @code{procmail} to split things directory into an @code{nnmh}
8916 directory (which you shouldn't do), you should set
8917 @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} to non-@code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
8918 ever expiring the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is quite,
8921 Here's an example setup: The incoming spools are located in
8922 @file{~/incoming/} and have @samp{""} as suffixes (i. e., the incoming
8923 spool files have the same names as the equivalent groups). The
8924 @code{nnfolder} backend is to be used as the mail interface, and the
8925 @code{nnfolder} directory is @file{~/fMail/}.
8928 (setq nnfolder-directory "~/fMail/")
8929 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
8930 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/incoming/")
8931 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnfolder "")))
8932 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "")
8936 @node Incorporating Old Mail
8937 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
8939 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
8940 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
8941 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
8944 Doing so can be quite easy.
8946 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
8947 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
8948 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
8949 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
8950 your @code{nnml} groups.
8956 Go to the group buffer.
8959 Type `G f' and give the path of the mbox file when prompted to create an
8960 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
8963 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
8966 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group (@pxref{Setting
8970 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
8971 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
8974 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
8975 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
8976 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
8977 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
8978 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
8980 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
8981 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
8982 using the new mail backend.
8986 @subsection Expiring Mail
8987 @cindex article expiry
8989 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
8990 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
8991 different approach to mail reading.
8993 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
8994 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
8995 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
8996 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
8997 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
8998 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
9001 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
9002 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
9003 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
9004 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
9005 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
9006 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
9007 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
9008 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
9010 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9011 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
9012 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
9013 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
9014 articles that are marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
9015 column in the summary buffer.
9017 Note that making a group auto-expirable don't mean that all read
9018 articles are expired---only the articles that are marked as expirable
9019 will be expired. Also note the using the @kbd{d} command won't make
9020 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
9021 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
9023 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
9024 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
9027 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9028 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
9031 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
9032 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
9034 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
9035 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
9036 doesn't really mix very well.
9038 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
9039 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
9040 expirable article has to live. The default is seven days.
9042 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
9043 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
9044 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
9045 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
9048 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9050 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9052 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
9054 ((string= group "mail.junk")
9056 ((string= group "important")
9062 The group names that this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
9063 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
9065 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
9066 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can be either a number (not
9067 necessarily an integer) or the symbols @code{immediate} or
9070 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
9071 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9073 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
9074 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
9075 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
9076 easier for procmail users.
9078 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
9079 By the way, that line up there about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
9080 articles is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
9081 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
9082 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
9083 caution. Even more dangerous is the
9084 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
9085 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
9086 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
9087 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
9088 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
9089 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
9090 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
9093 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
9097 @subsection Washing Mail
9098 @cindex mail washing
9099 @cindex list server brain damage
9100 @cindex incoming mail treatment
9102 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
9103 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
9104 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
9105 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
9106 Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
9107 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
9109 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
9110 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
9111 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
9114 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
9115 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
9116 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
9117 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
9120 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9121 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9122 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
9123 grand, sweeping gestures. Functions to be used include:
9126 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9127 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9128 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
9129 Emacs running on MS machines.
9133 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9134 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9135 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
9136 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
9139 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9140 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9141 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
9142 headers too make them look nice. Aaah.
9144 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
9145 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
9146 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
9147 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
9148 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
9149 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
9150 also be a list of regexp.
9152 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
9153 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
9156 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
9157 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
9160 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
9161 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
9162 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
9166 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
9167 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
9168 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
9172 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
9173 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
9174 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
9181 @subsection Duplicates
9183 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
9184 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
9185 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
9186 @cindex duplicate mails
9187 If you are a member of a couple of mailing list, you will sometime
9188 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
9189 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
9190 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
9191 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
9192 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
9193 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
9194 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
9195 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
9196 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
9197 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
9198 will generate a brand new @code{Message-ID} for the mail and insert a
9199 warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks that this is a
9200 duplicate of a different message.
9202 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
9203 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
9204 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
9205 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
9207 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
9210 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
9211 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
9215 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
9216 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
9217 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
9218 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
9219 (any mail "mail.misc")
9226 (setq nnmail-split-methods
9227 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
9232 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
9233 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
9234 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
9235 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
9236 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
9239 @node Not Reading Mail
9240 @subsection Not Reading Mail
9242 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
9243 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
9244 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
9246 If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
9247 will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
9249 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9250 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
9251 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
9252 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
9253 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
9254 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
9255 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
9256 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
9257 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
9258 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
9259 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
9261 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
9262 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
9266 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
9267 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
9269 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
9270 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
9271 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
9274 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
9275 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
9276 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
9277 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
9278 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
9283 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
9285 @cindex unix mail box
9287 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
9288 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
9289 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
9290 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
9291 which group it belongs in.
9293 Virtual server settings:
9296 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
9297 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
9298 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
9300 @item nnmbox-active-file
9301 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
9302 The name of the active file for the mail box.
9304 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
9305 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
9306 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
9312 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
9316 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
9317 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
9318 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
9319 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
9320 article to say which group it belongs in.
9322 Virtual server settings:
9325 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
9326 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
9327 The name of the rmail mbox file.
9329 @item nnbabyl-active-file
9330 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
9331 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
9333 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9334 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9335 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
9340 @subsubsection Mail Spool
9342 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
9344 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
9345 format. It should be used with some caution.
9347 @vindex nnml-directory
9348 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files;
9349 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the correct
9350 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
9351 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
9353 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
9356 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
9357 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
9358 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
9359 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
9360 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
9361 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
9362 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
9363 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
9365 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
9366 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
9367 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes is the fastest
9368 backend when it comes to reading mail.
9370 Virtual server settings:
9373 @item nnml-directory
9374 @vindex nnml-directory
9375 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
9377 @item nnml-active-file
9378 @vindex nnml-active-file
9379 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
9381 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
9382 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
9383 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
9386 @item nnml-get-new-mail
9387 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
9388 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
9390 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
9391 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
9392 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
9394 @item nnml-nov-file-name
9395 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
9396 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
9398 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
9399 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
9400 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
9404 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
9405 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
9406 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
9407 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
9408 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
9409 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
9410 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
9415 @subsubsection MH Spool
9417 @cindex mh-e mail spool
9419 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
9420 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
9421 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
9422 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
9424 Virtual server settings:
9427 @item nnmh-directory
9428 @vindex nnmh-directory
9429 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
9431 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
9432 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
9433 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
9436 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
9437 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
9438 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
9439 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
9440 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
9441 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
9442 to set this variable to @code{t}.
9447 @subsubsection Mail Folders
9449 @cindex mbox folders
9450 @cindex mail folders
9452 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
9453 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
9454 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
9457 Virtual server settings:
9460 @item nnfolder-directory
9461 @vindex nnfolder-directory
9462 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
9464 @item nnfolder-active-file
9465 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
9466 The name of the active file.
9468 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
9469 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
9470 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
9472 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
9473 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
9474 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
9477 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
9478 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
9479 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
9480 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
9481 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
9482 @code{nnfolder-directory}.
9486 @section Other Sources
9488 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
9489 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
9493 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
9494 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
9495 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
9496 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
9497 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
9498 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
9502 @node Directory Groups
9503 @subsection Directory Groups
9505 @cindex directory groups
9507 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
9508 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
9511 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp}, that most
9512 wonderful of all wonderful Emacs packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I
9513 didn't think much about it---a backend to read directories. Big deal.
9515 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
9516 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
9517 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the the directory name,
9518 @code{ange-ftp} will actually allow you to read this directory over at
9519 @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
9521 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
9523 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
9524 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
9525 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
9526 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
9529 @node Anything Groups
9530 @subsection Anything Groups
9533 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
9534 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
9535 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
9538 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
9539 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
9540 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
9541 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
9542 forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
9543 snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
9544 the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
9545 If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source
9546 file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
9547 will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
9550 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
9551 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
9552 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
9553 in the article buffer, just as usual.
9555 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
9556 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
9557 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
9558 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
9560 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
9561 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
9562 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
9563 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
9564 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
9565 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
9566 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
9567 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
9572 @item nneething-map-file-directory
9573 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
9574 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
9575 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
9577 @item nneething-exclude-files
9578 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
9579 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
9580 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
9582 @item nneething-map-file
9583 @vindex nneething-map-file
9584 Name of the map files.
9588 @node Document Groups
9589 @subsection Document Groups
9591 @cindex documentation group
9594 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
9595 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
9602 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
9607 The standard Unix mbox file.
9609 @cindex MMDF mail box
9611 The MMDF mail box format.
9614 Several news articles appended into a file.
9617 @cindex rnews batch files
9618 The rnews batch transport format.
9619 @cindex forwarded messages
9628 @cindex RFC 1153 digest
9629 @cindex RFC 341 digest
9630 MIME (RFC 1341) digest format.
9632 @item standard-digest
9633 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
9636 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
9639 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
9640 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
9641 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
9644 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
9645 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
9646 group. And that's it.
9648 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
9649 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
9650 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
9651 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
9652 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
9653 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
9654 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
9655 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
9656 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
9657 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
9659 Virtual server variables:
9662 @item nndoc-article-type
9663 @vindex nndoc-article-type
9664 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
9665 @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{news}, @code{rnews},
9666 @code{mime-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, or @code{guess}.
9668 @item nndoc-post-type
9669 @vindex nndoc-post-type
9670 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
9671 a mail group. There are two legal values: @code{mail} (the default)
9676 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
9680 @node Document Server Internals
9681 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
9683 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
9684 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
9685 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
9686 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
9688 First, here's an example document type definition:
9692 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
9693 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
9696 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
9697 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
9698 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
9699 types can be defined with very few settings:
9703 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
9704 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
9708 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
9709 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
9711 @item head-begin-function
9712 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
9715 @item nndoc-head-begin
9716 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
9719 @item nndoc-head-end
9720 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
9721 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
9723 @item body-begin-function
9724 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
9728 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
9731 @item body-end-function
9732 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
9736 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
9738 @item nndoc-file-end
9739 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
9740 regexp will be totally ignored.
9744 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
9745 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
9746 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
9747 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
9748 something that's palatable for Gnus:
9751 @item prepare-body-function
9752 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
9753 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
9754 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
9756 @item article-transform-function
9757 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
9758 meant to be used how more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
9759 body of the article.
9761 @item generate-head-function
9762 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
9763 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
9764 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
9765 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
9769 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
9774 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
9775 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
9776 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
9777 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
9779 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
9780 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
9781 (subtype digest guess))
9784 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
9785 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
9786 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
9787 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
9788 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
9790 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
9791 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
9792 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
9793 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
9794 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for each
9795 type. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
9796 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
9797 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
9798 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
9799 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
9800 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest legal number.
9808 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
9809 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
9810 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
9812 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
9813 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
9814 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
9817 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a that's a bit
9818 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
9819 that interested in doing things properly.
9821 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
9822 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
9825 First some terminology:
9830 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
9831 get news and/or mail from.
9834 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
9835 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
9838 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
9842 @item message packets
9843 These are packets made at the server, and typically contains lots of
9844 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
9845 default, where @var{X} is a number.
9847 @item response packets
9848 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
9849 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
9850 default, where @var{X} is a number.
9860 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
9861 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
9862 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
9863 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
9866 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
9869 You put the packet in your home directory.
9872 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
9873 the native or secondary server.
9876 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
9877 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
9880 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
9884 You transfer this packet to the server.
9887 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
9890 You then repeat until you die.
9894 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
9895 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
9898 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
9899 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
9900 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
9905 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
9907 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
9911 @kindex G s b (Group)
9912 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
9913 Pack all unread articles in the current group
9914 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
9915 process/prefix convention.
9918 @kindex G s w (Group)
9919 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
9920 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
9923 @kindex G s s (Group)
9924 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
9925 Send all replies from the replies packet
9926 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
9929 @kindex G s p (Group)
9930 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
9931 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
9934 @kindex G s r (Group)
9935 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
9936 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
9939 @kindex O s (Summary)
9940 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
9941 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
9942 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
9943 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9948 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
9953 @item gnus-soup-directory
9954 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
9955 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
9956 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
9958 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
9959 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
9960 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
9961 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
9963 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
9964 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
9965 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
9968 @item gnus-soup-packer
9969 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
9970 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
9971 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
9973 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
9974 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
9975 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
9976 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
9978 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
9979 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
9980 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
9982 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
9983 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
9984 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
9985 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
9991 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
9994 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
9995 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
9996 you can read them at leisure.
9998 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
10002 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
10003 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
10004 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
10005 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
10007 @item nnsoup-directory
10008 @vindex nnsoup-directory
10009 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
10010 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
10012 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
10013 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
10014 All replies will stored in this directory before being packed into a
10015 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
10017 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
10018 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
10019 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
10020 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
10021 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
10023 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
10024 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
10025 The index type of the replies packet. The is @samp{?n}, which means
10026 ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
10028 @item nnsoup-active-file
10029 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
10030 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
10031 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
10032 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
10033 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
10035 @item nnsoup-packer
10036 @vindex nnsoup-packer
10037 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
10038 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
10040 @item nnsoup-unpacker
10041 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
10042 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
10043 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10045 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
10046 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
10047 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
10050 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
10051 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
10052 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
10059 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
10061 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
10062 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
10063 more for that to happen.
10065 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
10066 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
10067 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
10070 In specific, this is what it does:
10073 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
10074 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
10077 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
10078 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
10079 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
10083 @subsection Web Searches
10087 @cindex InReference
10088 @cindex Usenet searches
10089 @cindex searching the Usenet
10091 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
10092 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
10093 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
10094 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
10095 searches without having to use a browser.
10097 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
10098 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
10099 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
10100 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
10101 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
10103 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
10104 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
10105 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
10106 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
10107 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@code{Duplicate
10108 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
10109 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
10110 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
10111 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
10112 header---mark all articles that were posted before the last date you
10113 read the group as read.
10115 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
10116 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
10117 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
10118 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
10119 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
10120 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
10122 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
10123 to use @code{nnweb}.
10125 Virtual server variables:
10130 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
10131 are @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
10134 @vindex nnweb-search
10135 The search string to feed to the search engine.
10137 @item nnweb-max-hits
10138 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
10139 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
10142 @item nnweb-type-definition
10143 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
10144 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
10145 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
10150 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
10154 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
10157 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
10160 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
10164 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
10171 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
10172 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
10173 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
10176 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
10177 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
10178 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
10180 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
10186 @item nngateway-address
10187 @vindex nngateway-address
10188 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
10190 @item nngateway-header-transformation
10191 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
10192 News headers have often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
10193 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
10194 transformation should be called, and defaults to
10195 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
10196 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
10199 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
10200 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address---an article with this
10201 @code{Newsgroups} header:
10204 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
10207 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
10210 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
10215 So, to use this, simply say something like:
10218 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
10222 @node Combined Groups
10223 @section Combined Groups
10225 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
10229 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
10230 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
10234 @node Virtual Groups
10235 @subsection Virtual Groups
10237 @cindex virtual groups
10239 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
10242 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small group, you can
10243 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
10244 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
10246 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
10247 regexp to match component groups.
10249 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
10250 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
10251 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
10252 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
10253 the virtual group.)
10255 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
10256 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
10259 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
10262 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
10263 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
10265 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
10266 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
10267 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
10268 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
10271 "^nntp+some.server.jp:soc.motss$\\|^nntp+some.server.no:soc.motss$"
10274 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
10275 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
10276 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
10277 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
10278 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}.
10280 One limitation, however---all groups that are included in a virtual
10281 group has to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
10282 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
10284 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
10285 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
10286 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
10287 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
10288 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
10289 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
10290 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
10291 effect if you have two virtual groups that contain the same component
10292 group. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
10293 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
10294 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
10297 @node Kibozed Groups
10298 @subsection Kibozed Groups
10302 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
10303 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
10304 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
10305 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
10307 @kindex G k (Group)
10308 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
10311 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
10312 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
10313 @code{nnkiboze} group. There most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
10314 and @code{nnvirtual} ends.
10316 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
10317 must have a score file to say what articles that are to be included in
10318 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
10320 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
10321 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
10322 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
10323 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
10324 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
10325 all the articles in all the components groups and run them through the
10326 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
10327 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
10329 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
10330 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
10331 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
10332 Stranger things have happened.
10334 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
10335 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
10337 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
10338 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
10339 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
10340 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
10341 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
10342 on what groups that have been searched through to find component
10345 Articles that are marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have their
10346 @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
10353 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
10354 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
10355 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
10358 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
10359 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
10360 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
10361 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
10362 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
10364 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
10365 before generating the summary buffer.
10367 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
10368 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
10369 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
10371 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
10372 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
10373 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
10374 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
10377 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
10378 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
10379 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
10380 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
10381 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
10382 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
10383 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
10384 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
10385 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
10386 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
10387 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
10388 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
10389 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
10390 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
10391 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
10392 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
10396 @node Summary Score Commands
10397 @section Summary Score Commands
10398 @cindex score commands
10400 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
10401 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
10402 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
10403 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
10404 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
10406 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
10407 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
10408 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
10409 score file the current one.
10411 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
10416 @kindex V s (Summary)
10417 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
10418 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
10421 @kindex V S (Summary)
10422 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
10423 Display the score of the current article
10424 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
10427 @kindex V t (Summary)
10428 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
10429 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
10430 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
10433 @kindex V R (Summary)
10434 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
10435 Run the current summary through the scoring process
10436 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
10437 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
10438 effect you're having.
10441 @kindex V a (Summary)
10442 @findex gnus-summary-score-entry
10443 Add a new score entry, and allow specifying all elements
10444 (@code{gnus-summary-score-entry}).
10447 @kindex V c (Summary)
10448 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
10449 Make a different score file the current
10450 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
10453 @kindex V e (Summary)
10454 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
10455 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
10456 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
10460 @kindex V f (Summary)
10461 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
10462 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
10463 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
10466 @kindex V F (Summary)
10467 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
10468 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
10469 after editing score files.
10472 @kindex V C (Summary)
10473 @findex gnus-score-customize
10474 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
10475 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
10478 @kindex I C-i (Summary)
10479 @findex gnus-summary-raise-score
10480 Increase the score of the current article
10481 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-score}).
10484 @kindex L C-l (Summary)
10485 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
10486 Lower the score of the current article
10487 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-score}).
10490 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
10495 @kindex V m (Summary)
10496 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
10497 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
10498 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
10501 @kindex V x (Summary)
10502 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
10503 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
10504 expunge all articles below this score
10505 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
10508 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
10509 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
10514 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
10515 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
10517 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
10518 keys are available:
10522 Score on the author name.
10525 Score on the subject line.
10528 Score on the Xref line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
10531 Score on thread---the References line.
10537 Score on the number of lines.
10540 Score on the Message-ID.
10543 Score on followups.
10553 The third key is the match type. Which match types are legal depends on
10554 what headers you are scoring on.
10566 Substring matching.
10598 Greater than number.
10603 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
10604 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
10605 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
10609 Temporary score entry.
10612 Permanent score entry.
10615 Immediately scoring.
10620 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
10621 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
10622 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
10623 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
10625 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
10626 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
10627 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
10628 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
10629 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
10631 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
10632 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
10633 pretend they are keymaps or not.
10636 @node Group Score Commands
10637 @section Group Score Commands
10638 @cindex group score commands
10640 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
10645 @kindex W f (Group)
10646 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
10647 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
10648 all the time. This command will flush the cache
10649 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
10654 @node Score Variables
10655 @section Score Variables
10656 @cindex score variables
10660 @item gnus-use-scoring
10661 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
10662 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
10663 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
10665 @item gnus-kill-killed
10666 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
10667 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
10668 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
10669 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
10670 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
10671 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
10672 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
10674 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
10675 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
10676 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
10677 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
10678 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
10680 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
10681 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
10682 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
10683 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
10685 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
10686 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
10687 @cindex score cache
10688 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
10689 score files. However, if this might make you Emacs grow big and
10690 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files that are
10691 unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
10692 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
10693 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
10694 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
10697 @item gnus-save-score
10698 @vindex gnus-save-score
10699 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
10700 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
10701 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
10703 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
10704 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
10705 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
10706 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
10707 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
10708 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
10709 manually entered data.
10711 @item gnus-summary-default-score
10712 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
10713 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
10715 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
10716 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
10717 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
10718 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
10719 articles will be hidden.
10721 @item gnus-score-over-mark
10722 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
10723 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
10724 default. Default is @samp{+}.
10726 @item gnus-score-below-mark
10727 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
10728 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
10729 default. Default is @samp{-}.
10731 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
10732 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
10733 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
10734 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
10736 Predefined functions available are:
10739 @item gnus-score-find-single
10740 @findex gnus-score-find-single
10741 Only apply the group's own score file.
10743 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
10744 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
10745 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
10746 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
10747 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
10748 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
10749 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
10750 then a regexp match is done.
10752 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
10753 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
10755 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
10756 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
10757 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
10758 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
10760 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
10761 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
10762 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
10763 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
10764 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
10767 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
10768 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
10769 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
10770 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
10771 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
10772 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
10775 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
10776 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
10777 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
10778 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
10779 are expired. It's 7 by default.
10781 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
10782 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
10783 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
10784 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
10785 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
10786 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
10787 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
10790 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
10791 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
10792 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
10797 @node Score File Format
10798 @section Score File Format
10799 @cindex score file format
10801 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
10802 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
10803 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
10805 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
10809 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
10811 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
10813 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
10815 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
10820 (mark-and-expunge -10)
10824 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
10825 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
10826 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
10827 (gnus-summary-make-false-root 'empty))
10831 This example demonstrates absolutely everything about a score file.
10833 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
10834 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
10835 has to be legal syntactically, if not semantically.
10837 Six keys are supported by this alist:
10842 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
10843 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
10844 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
10845 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
10846 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
10847 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
10848 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
10849 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
10850 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
10851 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
10852 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
10853 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
10854 to articles that matches these score entries.
10856 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
10857 score entry has one to four elements.
10861 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
10862 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
10866 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
10867 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
10868 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
10869 is successful. If this element is not present, the
10870 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
10871 instead. This is 1000 by default.
10874 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
10875 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
10876 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
10877 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
10878 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 ce.
10881 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
10882 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
10883 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
10884 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
10887 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
10888 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
10889 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
10890 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
10891 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
10892 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
10893 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
10894 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
10895 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
10896 instead, if you feel like.
10899 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
10900 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}. When matching on @code{Lines}, be
10901 careful because some backends (like @code{nndir}) do not generate
10902 @code{Lines} header, so every article ends up being marked as having 0
10903 lines. This can lead to strange results if you happen to lower score of
10904 the articles with few lines.
10907 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
10908 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
10909 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
10910 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
10911 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
10912 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
10913 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
10917 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
10918 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
10919 ISO8601 compact format first---@samp{YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS}. If you want to
10920 match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in every year, you
10921 could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string, for instance.
10922 (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so this will
10923 match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where the article
10924 was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the whole
10927 @item Head, Body, All
10928 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
10932 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
10933 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
10934 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
10935 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
10936 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
10937 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
10941 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
10942 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread that is
10943 started by an article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{X}, then you add a
10944 @samp{thread} match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each
10945 article that has @var{X} in its @code{References} header. (These new
10946 @samp{thread} matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching
10947 articles.) This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an
10948 entire thread, even though some articles in the thread may not have
10949 complete @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
10950 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread.
10955 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
10956 lower than this number will be marked as read.
10959 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
10960 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
10962 @item mark-and-expunge
10963 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
10964 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
10967 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
10968 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
10969 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
10970 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
10971 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
10974 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
10975 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
10978 @item exclude-files
10979 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
10980 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
10984 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
10985 ignored when handling global score files.
10988 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
10989 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}).
10992 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
10993 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
10994 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
10995 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
10997 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
11001 (mark-and-expunge -100)
11004 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
11005 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
11006 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
11007 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
11008 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
11010 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
11011 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
11012 ordinary scoring rules.
11015 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
11016 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
11017 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
11018 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
11019 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
11020 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
11021 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
11022 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
11023 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
11024 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
11025 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
11029 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
11030 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
11031 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
11032 file for a number of groups.
11035 @cindex local variables
11036 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
11037 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
11038 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
11039 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
11044 @node Score File Editing
11045 @section Score File Editing
11047 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
11048 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
11049 with a mode for that.
11051 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
11052 additional commands:
11057 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
11058 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
11059 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
11060 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
11063 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
11064 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
11065 Insert the current date in numerical format
11066 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
11067 you were wondering.
11070 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
11071 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
11072 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
11073 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
11074 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
11079 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
11081 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
11082 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
11084 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
11085 e} to begin editing score files.
11088 @node Adaptive Scoring
11089 @section Adaptive Scoring
11090 @cindex adaptive scoring
11092 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
11093 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
11094 stupidity, to be precise.
11096 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
11097 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
11098 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
11099 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
11100 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
11101 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
11102 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
11103 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
11104 variable to @code{(word line)}.
11106 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
11107 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
11108 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
11109 might look something like this:
11112 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
11113 '((gnus-unread-mark)
11114 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
11115 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
11116 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
11117 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
11118 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
11119 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
11120 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
11121 (gnus-ancient-mark)
11122 (gnus-low-score-mark)
11123 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
11126 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
11127 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
11128 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
11129 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
11130 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
11131 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
11134 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
11135 will be applied to each article.
11137 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
11138 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
11139 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
11140 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
11142 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
11143 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
11144 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
11145 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
11147 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
11148 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
11149 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
11150 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
11152 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
11153 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
11154 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
11155 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
11156 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
11157 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
11159 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
11160 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
11161 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
11162 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
11163 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
11164 aspirins afterwards.)
11166 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
11167 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
11168 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
11170 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
11171 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
11172 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
11174 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
11175 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
11176 let you use different rules in different groups.
11178 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
11179 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
11180 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
11183 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
11184 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
11185 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
11186 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
11187 the length of the match is less than
11188 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
11189 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
11192 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
11193 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
11194 headers. If you adapt on words, the
11195 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
11196 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
11199 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
11200 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
11201 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
11202 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
11203 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
11206 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
11207 word that appears in subjects of articles that are marked with
11208 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
11209 score with 30 points.
11211 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
11212 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
11213 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
11214 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
11215 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
11217 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
11218 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
11219 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
11220 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
11222 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
11223 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
11224 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
11226 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
11227 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
11228 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
11229 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
11232 @node Home Score File
11233 @section Home Score File
11235 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
11236 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
11237 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
11238 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
11240 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
11241 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
11242 could perhaps use the same home score file.
11244 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
11245 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
11250 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
11254 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
11255 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
11259 A list. The elements in this list can be:
11263 @var{(regexp file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
11264 the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
11267 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
11268 the home score file.
11271 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
11274 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
11279 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
11282 (setq gnus-home-score-file
11283 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
11286 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
11287 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
11290 (setq gnus-home-score-file
11291 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
11294 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
11296 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
11297 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
11298 their own home score files:
11301 (setq gnus-home-score-file
11302 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
11303 '("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
11304 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
11305 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE"))
11308 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
11309 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
11310 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
11311 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
11312 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
11314 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
11315 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
11316 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
11317 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
11318 precedence over this variable.
11321 @node Followups To Yourself
11322 @section Followups To Yourself
11324 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
11325 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
11326 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
11327 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
11328 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
11329 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
11333 @item gnus-score-followup-article
11334 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
11335 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
11338 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
11339 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
11340 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
11344 @vindex message-sent-hook
11345 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
11346 @code{message-sent-hook}.
11348 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
11349 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
11353 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
11354 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
11357 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
11358 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
11363 "<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf@@.*eyesore.no>" 1000 nil r)
11366 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
11367 is system-dependent.
11371 @section Scoring Tips
11372 @cindex scoring tips
11378 @cindex scoring crossposts
11379 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
11380 the @code{Xref} header.
11382 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
11385 @item Multiple crossposts
11386 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
11387 more than, say, 3 groups:
11389 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
11392 @item Matching on the body
11393 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
11394 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
11395 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
11396 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
11397 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
11398 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
11399 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
11402 @item Marking as read
11403 You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
11404 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
11405 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
11409 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
11411 @item Negated character classes
11412 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
11413 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
11414 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
11418 @node Reverse Scoring
11419 @section Reverse Scoring
11420 @cindex reverse scoring
11422 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
11423 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
11424 like this in your score file:
11428 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
11433 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
11434 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
11437 @node Global Score Files
11438 @section Global Score Files
11439 @cindex global score files
11441 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
11442 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
11443 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
11445 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
11446 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
11447 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
11449 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
11450 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
11451 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
11452 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
11453 files are applicable to which group.
11455 Say you want to use the score file
11456 @file{/ftp@@ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
11457 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
11460 (setq gnus-global-score-files
11461 '("/ftp@@ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
11462 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
11465 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
11466 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
11467 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
11468 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
11469 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
11471 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
11472 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
11474 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
11475 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
11476 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
11477 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
11478 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
11479 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
11481 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
11487 Articles that are heavily crossposted are probably junk.
11489 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
11491 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
11493 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
11494 lowered out of existence.
11496 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
11497 articles completely.
11500 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
11501 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
11502 old articles for a long time.
11505 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
11506 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
11507 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
11508 holding our breath yet?
11512 @section Kill Files
11515 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
11516 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
11517 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
11519 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
11520 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
11521 files into score files.
11523 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
11524 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
11525 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
11526 that isn't a very good idea.
11528 Normal kill files look like this:
11531 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11532 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
11536 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove them from
11537 the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
11539 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
11540 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
11543 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
11548 @kindex M-k (Summary)
11549 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
11550 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
11553 @kindex M-K (Summary)
11554 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
11555 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
11558 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
11563 @kindex M-k (Group)
11564 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
11565 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
11568 @kindex M-K (Group)
11569 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
11570 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
11573 Kill file variables:
11576 @item gnus-kill-file-name
11577 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
11578 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
11579 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
11580 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
11581 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
11582 course) is called just @file{KILL}.
11584 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
11585 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
11586 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
11587 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
11590 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
11591 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
11592 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
11593 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
11594 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
11595 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
11596 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
11597 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
11598 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
11600 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
11601 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
11602 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
11607 @node Converting Kill Files
11608 @section Converting Kill Files
11610 @cindex converting kill files
11612 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
11613 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
11614 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
11617 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
11618 You can fetch it from
11619 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
11621 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
11622 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
11623 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
11631 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
11632 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
11633 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
11635 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
11636 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
11637 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
11638 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
11639 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
11640 Once it has found for you some people you agree with it tells you, in
11641 the form of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use
11642 this prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
11646 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
11647 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
11648 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
11649 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
11653 @node Using GroupLens
11654 @subsection Using GroupLens
11656 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
11658 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
11659 better bit in town is at the moment.
11661 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
11665 @item gnus-use-grouplens
11666 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
11667 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
11668 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
11670 @item grouplens-pseudonym
11671 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
11672 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
11673 with the Better Bit Bureau.
11675 @item grouplens-newsgroups
11676 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
11677 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
11681 Thats the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
11682 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
11683 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
11684 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
11685 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
11686 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
11689 @node Rating Articles
11690 @subsection Rating Articles
11692 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
11693 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
11694 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
11695 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
11698 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
11703 @kindex r (GroupLens)
11704 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
11705 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
11708 @kindex k (GroupLens)
11709 @findex grouplens-score-thread
11710 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
11711 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
11712 threads in rec.humor.
11716 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
11717 the score of the article you're reading.
11722 @kindex n (GroupLens)
11723 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
11724 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
11727 @kindex , (GroupLens)
11728 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
11729 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
11733 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
11734 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
11737 @node Displaying Predictions
11738 @subsection Displaying Predictions
11740 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
11741 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
11742 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
11743 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
11744 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
11746 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
11747 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
11748 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
11749 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
11750 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
11751 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
11752 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
11753 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
11754 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
11755 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
11756 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
11757 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
11758 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
11760 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
11761 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
11762 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
11763 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
11765 The following are legal values for that variable.
11768 @item prediction-spot
11769 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
11772 @item confidence-interval
11773 A numeric confidence interval.
11775 @item prediction-bar
11776 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
11778 @item confidence-bar
11779 Numerical confidence.
11781 @item confidence-spot
11782 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
11784 @item prediction-num
11785 Plain-old numeric value.
11787 @item confidence-plus-minus
11788 Prediction +/i confidence.
11793 @node GroupLens Variables
11794 @subsection GroupLens Variables
11798 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
11799 The summary line format used in summary buffers that are GroupLens
11800 enhanced. It accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format
11801 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). The default is
11802 @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
11804 @item grouplens-bbb-host
11805 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
11808 @item grouplens-bbb-port
11809 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
11811 @item grouplens-score-offset
11812 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
11813 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
11816 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
11817 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
11818 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
11823 @node Advanced Scoring
11824 @section Advanced Scoring
11826 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
11827 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
11828 about a particular subject? Or what about if you really don't want to
11829 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
11830 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
11832 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
11836 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
11837 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
11838 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
11842 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
11843 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
11845 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
11846 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
11847 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
11848 non-@code{nil} value.
11850 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
11851 operator, and various match operators.
11858 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
11859 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
11860 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
11865 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
11866 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
11867 then this operator will return @code{false}.
11872 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
11873 inverse of the value of its argument.
11877 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
11878 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
11879 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
11880 current article. @code{2-} will make score fules apply to the
11881 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
11882 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) say how far back into
11883 the ancestry you want to go.
11885 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
11886 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
11887 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
11888 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
11889 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
11892 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
11893 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
11895 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
11896 when he's talking about Gnus:
11900 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11901 ("subject" "Gnus"))
11907 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
11911 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11918 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
11919 really don't want to read what he's written:
11923 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11924 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
11928 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
11929 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
11930 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
11937 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
11938 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
11939 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
11940 ("body" "white.*socks"))
11944 The possibilities are endless.
11947 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
11948 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
11950 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
11951 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
11952 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
11953 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
11954 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
11955 (@samp{body}, @code{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
11956 @samp{subject}) first.
11958 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
11959 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
11970 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
11971 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
11977 ("subject" "Gnus")))
11984 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
11985 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
11990 @section Score Decays
11991 @cindex score decays
11994 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
11995 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
11996 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
11997 use them in any sensible way.
11999 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
12000 @findex gnus-decay-score
12001 @vindex gnus-score-decay-function
12002 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
12003 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
12004 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
12005 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
12006 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-score-decay-function}
12007 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
12008 definition of that function:
12011 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
12014 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
12016 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
12018 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
12021 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
12022 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
12023 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
12024 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
12028 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
12031 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
12034 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
12038 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
12039 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
12040 the new score, which should be an integer.
12042 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
12043 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
12050 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
12051 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
12052 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
12053 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
12054 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
12055 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
12056 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
12057 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
12058 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
12059 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
12060 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
12061 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
12062 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
12063 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
12064 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
12068 @node Process/Prefix
12069 @section Process/Prefix
12070 @cindex process/prefix convention
12072 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
12073 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
12075 This is a method for figuring out what articles that the user wants the
12076 command to be performed on.
12080 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
12081 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
12082 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
12083 with the current one.
12085 @vindex transient-mark-mode
12086 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
12087 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
12089 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
12090 process mark, perform the operation on the articles that are marked with
12093 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
12094 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
12096 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
12099 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
12100 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
12101 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
12102 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
12104 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
12105 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
12106 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
12107 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
12108 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
12109 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
12110 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
12111 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
12115 @section Interactive
12116 @cindex interaction
12120 @item gnus-novice-user
12121 @vindex gnus-novice-user
12122 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
12123 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
12124 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
12125 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
12128 @item gnus-expert-user
12129 @vindex gnus-expert-user
12130 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will never ever be asked any
12131 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
12132 matter how strange.
12134 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
12135 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
12136 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
12137 is @code{t} by default.
12139 @item gnus-interactive-exit
12140 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
12141 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
12146 @node Formatting Variables
12147 @section Formatting Variables
12148 @cindex formatting variables
12150 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables that
12151 are called things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
12152 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
12153 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
12154 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
12157 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
12158 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
12159 lots of percentages everywhere.
12162 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
12163 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
12164 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
12165 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
12168 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
12169 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
12170 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
12171 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
12172 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
12173 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
12174 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
12175 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
12177 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
12178 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
12180 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
12181 @findex gnus-update-format
12182 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
12183 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
12184 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
12185 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
12189 @node Formatting Basics
12190 @subsection Formatting Basics
12192 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
12193 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
12194 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
12196 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
12197 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
12198 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
12199 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
12200 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
12203 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
12204 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
12205 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
12206 less than 4 characters wide.
12209 @node Advanced Formatting
12210 @subsection Advanced Formatting
12212 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
12213 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
12214 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
12215 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
12217 These are the legal modifiers:
12222 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
12226 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
12231 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
12234 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
12239 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
12242 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
12245 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
12248 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
12252 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
12253 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
12254 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
12255 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
12256 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
12257 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
12258 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
12260 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
12261 last operation, padding.
12263 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
12264 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
12265 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
12266 @xref{Compilation}.
12269 @node User-Defined Specs
12270 @subsection User-Defined Specs
12272 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
12273 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
12274 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
12275 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
12276 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
12277 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
12278 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
12279 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
12280 should protect against that.
12282 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
12283 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
12284 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
12285 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
12289 @node Formatting Fonts
12290 @subsection Formatting Fonts
12292 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
12293 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
12294 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
12295 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
12298 Text inside the @samp{%[} and @samp{%]} specifiers will have their
12299 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
12300 default. If you say @samp{%1[} instead, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1}
12301 instead, and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes
12302 for the @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
12303 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
12305 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
12308 ;; Create three face types.
12309 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
12310 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
12312 ;; We want the article count to be in
12313 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
12314 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
12315 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
12317 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
12318 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
12320 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
12321 (setq gnus-group-line-format
12322 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
12325 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
12326 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
12328 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
12329 mode-line variables.
12332 @node Windows Configuration
12333 @section Windows Configuration
12334 @cindex windows configuration
12336 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
12338 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
12339 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
12340 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
12341 @code{t} by default.
12343 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
12344 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
12345 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
12348 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
12349 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
12350 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
12354 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
12355 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
12356 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
12357 possible names is listed below.
12359 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
12360 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
12363 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
12367 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
12368 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
12369 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
12370 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
12371 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
12372 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
12373 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
12374 size spec per split.
12376 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
12379 Here's a more complicated example:
12382 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
12383 (summary 0.25 point)
12384 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
12388 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
12389 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
12390 occupy, not a percentage.
12392 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
12393 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
12394 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
12395 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
12396 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
12399 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
12402 (article (horizontal 1.0
12407 (summary 0.25 point)
12412 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
12413 @code{horizontal} thingie?
12415 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
12416 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
12417 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
12418 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
12419 the screen is to be given to this strip.
12421 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
12422 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
12423 lines from the splits.
12425 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a legal split
12429 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
12430 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
12431 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
12432 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
12433 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] ")"
12434 size = number | frame-params
12435 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
12438 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
12439 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
12440 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
12441 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
12443 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
12444 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
12445 @cindex window height
12446 @cindex window width
12447 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
12448 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
12449 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
12450 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
12451 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
12452 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
12454 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
12455 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
12456 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
12457 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
12459 @findex gnus-configure-frame
12460 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
12461 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
12462 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
12463 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
12464 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
12465 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
12466 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
12467 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
12468 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
12469 configuration list.
12472 (gnus-configure-frame
12476 (article 0.3 point))
12484 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
12485 @code{frame} split:
12488 (gnus-configure-frame
12491 (summary 0.25 point)
12493 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
12494 (user-position . t)
12495 (left . -1) (top . 1))
12500 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
12501 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
12502 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
12503 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
12504 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
12505 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
12508 Here's a list of all possible keys for
12509 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration}:
12511 @code{group}, @code{summary}, @code{article}, @code{server},
12512 @code{browse}, @code{message}, @code{pick}, @code{info},
12513 @code{summary-faq}, @code{edit-group}, @code{edit-server},
12514 @code{edit-score}, @code{post}, @code{reply}, @code{forward},
12515 @code{reply-yank}, @code{mail-bounce}, @code{draft},
12516 @code{pipe}, @code{bug}, @code{compose-bounce}.
12518 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
12519 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
12520 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
12524 (message (horizontal 1.0
12525 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
12527 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
12532 @findex gnus-add-configuration
12533 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
12534 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
12535 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
12536 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
12539 (gnus-add-configuration
12540 '(article (vertical 1.0
12542 (summary .25 point)
12546 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
12547 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
12548 Gnus has been loaded.
12550 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
12551 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
12552 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
12553 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
12554 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
12558 @section Compilation
12559 @cindex compilation
12560 @cindex byte-compilation
12562 @findex gnus-compile
12564 Remember all those line format specification variables?
12565 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
12566 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
12567 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
12568 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
12569 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
12572 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
12573 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
12574 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
12575 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
12576 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
12577 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
12578 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
12582 @section Mode Lines
12585 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
12586 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
12587 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
12588 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
12589 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
12590 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
12591 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
12594 @cindex display-time
12596 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
12597 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
12598 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
12599 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
12600 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
12601 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
12602 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
12603 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
12606 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
12608 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
12609 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
12611 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
12612 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
12613 (length display-time-string)))))
12616 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
12617 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either.
12620 @node Highlighting and Menus
12621 @section Highlighting and Menus
12623 @cindex highlighting
12626 @vindex gnus-visual
12627 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the prettifying Gnus
12628 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
12629 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
12632 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
12633 following elements are legal, and are all included by default:
12636 @item group-highlight
12637 Do highlights in the group buffer.
12638 @item summary-highlight
12639 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
12640 @item article-highlight
12641 Do highlights in the article buffer.
12643 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
12645 Create menus in the group buffer.
12647 Create menus in the summary buffers.
12649 Create menus in the article buffer.
12651 Create menus in the browse buffer.
12653 Create menus in the server buffer.
12655 Create menus in the score buffers.
12657 Create menus in all buffers.
12660 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
12661 buffers, you could say something like:
12664 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
12667 If you want only highlighting and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
12670 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
12673 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
12674 in all Gnus buffers.
12676 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
12679 @item gnus-mouse-face
12680 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
12681 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
12682 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
12684 @item gnus-display-type
12685 @vindex gnus-display-type
12686 This variable is symbol indicating the display type Emacs is running
12687 under. The symbol should be one of @code{color}, @code{grayscale} or
12688 @code{mono}. If Gnus guesses this display attribute wrongly, either set
12689 this variable in your @file{~/.emacs} or set the resource
12690 @code{Emacs.displayType} in your @file{~/.Xdefaults}.
12692 @item gnus-background-mode
12693 @vindex gnus-background-mode
12694 This is a symbol indicating the Emacs background brightness. The symbol
12695 should be one of @code{light} or @code{dark}. If Gnus guesses this
12696 frame attribute wrongly, either set this variable in your @file{~/.emacs} or
12697 set the resource @code{Emacs.backgroundMode} in your @file{~/.Xdefaults}.
12698 `gnus-display-type'.
12701 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
12705 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
12706 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
12707 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
12709 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
12710 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
12711 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
12713 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
12714 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
12715 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
12717 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
12718 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
12719 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
12721 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
12722 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
12723 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
12725 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
12726 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
12727 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
12738 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
12739 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
12740 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
12741 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
12742 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
12746 @vindex gnus-carpal
12747 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
12748 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
12749 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
12754 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
12755 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
12756 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
12758 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
12759 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
12760 Face used on buttons.
12762 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
12763 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
12764 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
12766 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
12767 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
12768 Buttons in the group buffer.
12770 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
12771 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
12772 Buttons in the summary buffer.
12774 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
12775 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
12776 Buttons in the server buffer.
12778 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
12779 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
12780 Buttons in the browse buffer.
12783 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
12784 is either a cons cell where the car contains a text to be displayed and
12785 the cdr contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
12793 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
12794 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
12795 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
12796 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
12797 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
12799 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
12800 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
12801 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
12803 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
12804 been idle for thirty minutes:
12807 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
12810 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
12814 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
12817 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter works together
12818 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
12819 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
12821 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
12822 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
12823 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
12824 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
12826 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
12827 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
12828 @var{idle} minutes.
12830 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
12831 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
12834 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
12835 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
12836 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
12838 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
12839 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
12840 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
12841 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
12843 @vindex gnus-use-demon
12844 To set the whole thing in motion, though, you have to set
12845 @code{gnus-use-demon} to @code{t}.
12847 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
12848 your @file{.gnus} file:
12850 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
12852 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
12855 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
12856 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
12857 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
12858 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
12859 Some ready-made functions to do this has been created:
12860 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
12861 @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just
12862 put those functions in your @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
12864 @findex gnus-demon-init
12865 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
12866 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
12867 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
12868 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
12869 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
12871 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you overdo it. Adding
12872 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
12873 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
12882 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
12883 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
12885 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
12886 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
12887 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
12888 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
12891 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
12892 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
12893 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
12894 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
12896 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
12897 this will make spam disappear.
12899 There are some variables to customize, of course:
12902 @item gnus-use-nocem
12903 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
12904 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
12907 @item gnus-nocem-groups
12908 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
12909 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
12910 default is @code{("alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
12912 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
12913 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
12914 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
12915 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
12916 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;" "jem@@xpat.com;" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
12917 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
12919 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
12922 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
12923 @cindex Chris Lewis
12924 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
12925 usenet abuse than anybody else.
12928 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
12929 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
12930 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
12932 @item jem@@xpat.com;
12934 John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
12937 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
12938 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
12939 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
12942 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
12943 ones you want to listen to.
12945 @item gnus-nocem-directory
12946 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
12947 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
12948 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
12950 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
12951 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
12952 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
12953 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
12954 might then see old spam.
12962 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
12963 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
12964 over your shoulder as you read news.
12967 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
12968 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
12969 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
12970 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
12971 * Picon Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
12976 @subsection Picon Basics
12978 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
12981 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
12982 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
12983 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
12984 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
12985 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
12986 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
12987 @code{GIF} formats.
12990 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases, point
12991 your Web browser at
12992 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
12994 @vindex gnus-picons-database
12995 Gnus expects picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
12996 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
12999 @node Picon Requirements
13000 @subsection Picon Requirements
13002 To use have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
13003 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
13006 Additionally, you must have @code{xpm} support compiled into XEmacs.
13008 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13009 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you must have
13010 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
13011 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
13015 @subsection Easy Picons
13017 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
13018 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
13021 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
13022 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
13023 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-prepare-hook 'gnus-group-display-picons t)
13024 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-picons-article-display-x-face)
13029 @subsection Hard Picons
13031 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
13032 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
13033 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
13034 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
13035 feature, you need to first decide where to display them.
13039 @item gnus-picons-display-where
13040 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
13041 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
13042 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
13043 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
13044 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
13045 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
13046 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
13050 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
13051 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
13053 Now that you've made that decision, you need to add the following
13054 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get
13055 displayed at the right time.
13057 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
13058 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
13060 @item gnus-article-display-picons
13061 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
13062 Looks up and display the picons for the author and the author's domain
13063 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer. Should be added to
13064 the @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
13066 @item gnus-group-display-picons
13067 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
13068 Displays picons representing the current group. This function should
13069 be added to the @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook} or to the
13070 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} if @code{gnus-picons-display-where}
13071 is set to @code{article}.
13073 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
13074 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
13075 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present. This function
13076 should be added to @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
13080 Note: You must append them to the hook, so make sure to specify 't'
13081 to the append flag of @code{add-hook}:
13084 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
13088 @node Picon Configuration
13089 @subsection Picon Configuration
13091 The following variables offer further control over how things are
13092 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
13093 don't need to worry about.
13096 @item gnus-picons-database
13097 @vindex gnus-picons-database
13098 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
13099 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
13100 subdirectories. Defaults to @file{/usr/local/faces}.
13102 @item gnus-picons-news-directory
13103 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directory
13104 Sub-directory of the faces database containing the icons for
13107 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
13108 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
13109 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
13110 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc/MISC")} is the default.
13112 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
13113 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
13114 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
13115 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
13116 want to add @samp{unknown} to this list.
13118 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13119 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13120 The command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
13121 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
13122 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
13123 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
13125 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
13126 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
13127 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
13128 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
13130 @item gnus-picons-buffer
13131 @vindex gnus-picons-buffer
13132 The name of the buffer that @code{picons} points to. Defaults to
13133 @samp{*Icon Buffer*}.
13142 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
13143 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
13144 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
13146 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
13147 Gnus---it's all just data that is designed to look nice to the user.
13148 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
13149 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
13150 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
13151 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
13152 @code{undo} function.
13154 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
13155 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
13156 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
13157 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
13158 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
13159 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
13160 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
13161 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
13162 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
13163 never be totally undoable.
13165 @findex gnus-undo-mode
13166 @vindex gnus-use-undo
13168 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
13169 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
13170 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
13171 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
13176 @section Moderation
13179 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
13180 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
13181 @samp{larsi@@ifi.uio.no} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
13184 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
13188 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
13191 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
13193 If you are the moderation of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
13198 You split your incoming mail by matching on
13199 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
13200 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
13203 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
13204 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
13207 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
13208 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
13212 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
13215 (setq gnus-moderated-list
13216 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
13220 @node XEmacs Enhancements
13221 @section XEmacs Enhancements
13224 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
13225 advantage of that. Relevant variables include:
13228 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
13229 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
13230 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
13231 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
13232 unusual directory structure.
13234 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
13235 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
13236 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
13237 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
13239 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
13240 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
13241 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
13242 Legal values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
13243 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
13244 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
13246 @item gnus-use-toolbar
13247 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
13248 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
13249 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
13250 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
13252 @item gnus-group-toolbar
13253 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
13254 The toolbar in the group buffer.
13256 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
13257 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
13258 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
13260 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
13261 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
13262 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
13264 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
13265 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
13266 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
13272 @node Various Various
13273 @section Various Various
13279 @item gnus-directory
13280 @vindex gnus-directory
13281 All Gnus directories will be initialized from this variable, which
13282 defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or @file{~/News/}
13283 if that variable isn't set.
13285 @item gnus-default-directory
13286 @vindex gnus-default-directory
13287 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
13288 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
13289 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
13290 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
13291 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
13292 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
13295 @vindex gnus-verbose
13296 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
13297 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
13298 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
13299 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
13300 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
13302 @item gnus-verbose-backends
13303 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
13304 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
13305 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
13307 @item nnheader-max-head-length
13308 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
13309 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
13310 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
13311 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
13312 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
13313 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
13314 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
13315 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
13318 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
13319 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
13320 This variable says how big a piece of each article to read when doing
13321 the operation described above.
13323 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
13324 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
13326 @cindex illegal characters in file names
13327 @cindex characters in file names
13328 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
13329 For instance, if @samp{:} is illegal as a file character in file names
13330 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
13333 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
13337 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
13338 Windows (phooey) systems.
13340 @item gnus-hidden-properties
13341 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
13342 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
13343 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
13344 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
13346 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
13347 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
13348 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
13349 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
13350 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
13352 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
13353 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
13354 String used to separate to shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
13363 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
13364 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
13366 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
13368 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
13374 Not because of victories @*
13377 but for the common sunshine,@*
13379 the largess of the spring.
13383 but for the day's work done@*
13384 as well as I was able;@*
13385 not for a seat upon the dais@*
13386 but at the common table.@*
13391 @chapter Appendices
13394 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
13395 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
13396 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
13397 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
13398 * A Programmers Guide to Gnus:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
13399 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
13400 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
13408 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
13409 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
13411 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
13412 can point your (feh!) web browser to
13413 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
13414 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
13415 as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
13417 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
13418 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
13419 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
13420 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
13421 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
13422 appropriate name, don't you think?)
13424 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
13425 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
13426 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
13427 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
13429 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
13430 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution.
13432 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'') was
13433 released under the name ``Gnus 5.2''.
13435 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun.
13437 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a name that is prefixed --
13438 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Mamey Sapote Gnus''
13439 -- don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
13440 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
13441 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
13445 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
13446 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
13447 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
13448 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
13449 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
13450 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
13451 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
13458 What's the point of Gnus?
13460 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
13461 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
13462 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
13463 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
13464 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
13465 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
13466 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
13467 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
13468 keep track of millions of people who post?
13470 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
13471 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
13472 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
13473 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
13474 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
13475 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
13476 everywhere I could imagine useful. By doing so, I'm inviting every one
13477 of you to explore and invent.
13479 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x hail-emacs}.
13482 @node Compatibility
13483 @subsection Compatibility
13485 @cindex compatibility
13486 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
13487 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
13488 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
13493 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
13497 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
13500 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @pxref{Decoding
13503 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
13504 buffers. All variables that are relevant while reading a group are
13505 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
13506 important variables have their values copied into their global
13507 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
13508 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
13510 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
13511 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
13512 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
13513 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
13514 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
13518 @cindex highlighting
13519 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
13520 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
13521 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
13522 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
13523 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
13524 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
13527 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
13528 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
13529 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
13530 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
13532 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
13533 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
13534 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
13535 to stop doing it the old way.
13537 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
13539 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
13541 @cindex reporting bugs
13543 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
13544 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
13545 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
13549 @subsection Conformity
13551 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
13552 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
13559 There are no known breaches of this standard.
13563 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
13565 @item Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
13566 @cindex Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
13567 Gnus has been through the Seal process and failed. I think it'll pass
13568 the next inspection.
13570 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
13571 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
13572 We do have some breaches to this one.
13577 Gnus does no MIME handling, and this standard-to-be seems to think that
13578 MIME is the bees' knees, so we have major breakage here.
13581 This is considered to be a ``vanity header'', while I consider it to be
13582 consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
13583 coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
13584 those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
13585 for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
13588 Gnus does line breaking on this header. I infer from RFC1036 that being
13589 conservative in what you output is not creating 5000-character lines, so
13590 it seems like a good idea to me. However, this standard-to-be says that
13591 whitespace in the @code{References} header is to be preserved, so... It
13592 doesn't matter one way or the other to Gnus, so if somebody tells me
13593 what The Way is, I'll change it. Or not.
13598 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliantly with regards to the texts
13599 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
13604 @subsection Emacsen
13610 Gnus should work on :
13615 Emacs 19.32 and up.
13618 XEmacs 19.14 and up.
13621 Mule versions based on Emacs 19.32 and up.
13625 Gnus will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than that. Not
13626 reliably, at least.
13628 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
13629 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
13630 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
13635 @subsection Contributors
13636 @cindex contributors
13638 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
13639 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
13640 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
13641 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
13642 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
13643 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
13644 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
13645 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
13646 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
13647 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
13649 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
13655 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
13658 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
13659 well as numerous other things).
13662 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
13665 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
13668 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
13669 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
13672 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
13673 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
13676 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
13679 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
13682 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
13685 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
13688 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinsky---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
13689 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
13692 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
13695 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
13698 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
13701 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
13705 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
13708 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
13711 Ricardo Nassif, Mark Borges, and Jost Krieger---proof-reading.
13714 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
13717 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports.
13721 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
13730 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
13734 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
13745 Massimo Campostrini,
13749 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
13764 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
13765 Francois Felix Ingrand,
13770 Peter Skov Knudsen,
13771 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
13772 Thor Kristoffersen,
13784 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
13785 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
13791 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
13800 Randal L. Schwartz,
13818 Katsumi Yamaoka. @c Yamaoka
13821 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
13824 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
13825 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
13829 @subsection New Features
13830 @cindex new features
13833 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
13834 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
13835 * Red Gnus:: The future---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
13838 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
13839 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
13840 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
13844 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
13846 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
13851 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
13852 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
13855 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
13856 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
13859 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
13862 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
13863 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
13864 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
13867 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
13868 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
13869 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
13870 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
13873 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
13874 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
13877 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
13878 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
13879 (@pxref{The Active File}).
13882 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
13883 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
13886 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
13887 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
13888 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
13891 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
13892 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
13893 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
13896 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
13897 the @file{.emacs} file.
13900 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
13901 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13904 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
13905 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
13908 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
13909 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
13912 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
13913 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
13916 Gnus can fetch articles asynchronously on a second connection to the
13917 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
13920 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
13923 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
13924 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
13927 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
13928 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
13931 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
13932 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
13935 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
13938 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
13939 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
13942 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
13946 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
13950 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
13951 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
13954 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
13960 @node September Gnus
13961 @subsubsection September Gnus
13963 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
13968 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
13969 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
13973 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
13974 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
13978 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
13982 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
13983 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
13986 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
13990 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
13993 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
13996 A @code{trn}-line tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
13999 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
14003 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
14004 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
14007 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
14011 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
14015 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
14019 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
14023 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
14026 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
14027 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
14030 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
14034 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
14035 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
14038 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
14041 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
14042 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
14043 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
14046 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
14050 The Gnus cache is much faster.
14053 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
14057 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-address and
14058 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14061 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
14062 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
14065 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
14066 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14069 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
14070 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
14071 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
14074 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
14075 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
14078 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
14081 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
14084 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
14085 'gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head)
14089 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
14092 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
14095 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
14096 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
14099 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
14103 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
14106 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
14109 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
14113 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
14116 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
14120 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
14123 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
14126 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
14127 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
14130 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
14131 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
14135 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
14136 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
14139 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
14143 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
14144 buffer to allow easier treatment.
14147 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
14150 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
14154 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
14158 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
14159 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
14162 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
14166 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
14167 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
14170 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
14171 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
14174 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
14178 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
14181 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
14182 'gnus-article-hide-boring-headers t)
14186 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
14189 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
14195 @subsubsection Red Gnus
14197 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
14202 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
14205 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
14206 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
14209 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
14210 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
14214 Article washing status can be displayed in the
14215 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
14218 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
14221 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
14222 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
14225 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
14229 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
14230 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}).
14233 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
14234 Server Internals}).
14237 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
14241 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
14244 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
14245 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
14248 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
14249 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
14250 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
14253 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
14254 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
14257 A way to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed when
14258 generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
14261 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
14265 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
14266 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
14269 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
14270 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
14273 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
14277 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
14280 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
14284 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
14285 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
14288 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
14289 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
14292 A new command for reading collections of documents
14293 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
14294 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
14297 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
14301 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the NNTP
14302 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
14305 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
14306 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
14307 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
14310 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
14311 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
14315 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
14319 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
14323 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
14327 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
14331 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
14332 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
14335 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
14338 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-emphasize)
14344 @node Newest Features
14345 @subsection Newest Features
14348 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
14351 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
14355 Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done.
14357 Really do unbinhexing.
14360 And much, much, much more. There is more to come than has already been
14361 implemented. (But that's always true, isn't it?)
14363 @file{<URL:http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/rgnus/todo>} is where the actual
14364 up-to-the-second todo list is located, so if you're really curious, you
14365 could point your Web browser over that-a-way.
14370 @section The Manual
14374 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
14375 either @code{texi2dvi}
14377 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
14378 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
14380 to get what you hold in your hands now.
14382 The following conventions have been used:
14387 This is a @samp{string}
14390 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
14393 This is a @file{file}
14396 This is a @code{symbol}
14400 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
14404 (setq flargnoze "yes")
14407 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
14410 (setq flumphel 'yes)
14413 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
14414 ever get them confused.
14418 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
14419 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
14420 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
14421 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
14422 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
14423 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
14424 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
14431 @section Terminology
14433 @cindex terminology
14438 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
14439 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
14440 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
14441 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
14442 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
14446 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
14447 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
14448 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
14449 not posting, and replying is not following up.
14453 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
14457 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
14462 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
14463 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
14464 is all done by the backends.
14468 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
14469 default, way of getting news.
14473 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
14474 These are groups that use different backends for getting news.
14478 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
14479 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
14483 A message that has been posted as news.
14486 @cindex mail message
14487 A message that has been mailed.
14491 A mail message or news article
14495 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
14500 The rest of an article. Everything that is not in the head is in the
14505 A line from the head of an article.
14509 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
14510 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
14514 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
14515 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
14516 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
14517 normal @sc{head} format.
14521 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
14522 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
14523 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
14524 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
14525 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
14526 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
14528 @item killed groups
14529 @cindex killed groups
14530 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
14531 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
14533 @item zombie groups
14534 @cindex zombie groups
14535 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
14538 @cindex active file
14539 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
14540 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
14541 is rather large, as you might surmise.
14544 @cindex bogus groups
14545 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
14546 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
14547 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
14551 A machine than one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
14553 @item select method
14554 @cindex select method
14555 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
14558 @item virtual server
14559 @cindex virtual server
14560 A named select method. Since a select methods defines all there is to
14561 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the things as a
14562 whole is a virtual server.
14566 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
14567 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
14570 @item ephemeral groups
14571 @cindex ephemeral groups
14572 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
14573 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
14574 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
14577 @cindex solid groups
14578 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
14579 group buffer are solid groups.
14581 @item sparse articles
14582 @cindex sparse articles
14583 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
14584 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
14589 @node Customization
14590 @section Customization
14591 @cindex general customization
14593 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
14594 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
14595 for some quite common situations.
14598 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
14599 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
14600 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
14601 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
14605 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
14606 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
14608 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
14609 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
14610 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
14614 @item gnus-read-active-file
14615 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
14616 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
14617 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
14618 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
14619 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
14621 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
14622 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
14623 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
14624 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
14628 @node Slow Terminal Connection
14629 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
14631 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that
14632 runs Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce the
14633 amount of data that is sent over the wires as much as possible.
14637 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
14638 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
14639 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
14640 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
14641 horizontal and vertical recentering.
14643 @item gnus-visible-headers
14644 Cut down on the headers that are included in the articles to the
14645 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
14646 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
14647 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
14649 @item gnus-article-display-hook
14650 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
14652 (setq gnus-article-display-hook
14653 '(gnus-article-hide-headers gnus-article-hide-signature
14654 gnus-article-hide-citation))
14657 @item gnus-use-full-window
14658 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
14659 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
14660 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
14661 want to read them anyway.
14663 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
14664 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
14667 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
14668 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
14669 lines, which might save some time.
14673 @node Little Disk Space
14674 @subsection Little Disk Space
14677 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
14678 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
14682 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
14683 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
14684 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
14685 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
14688 @item gnus-save-killed-list
14689 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
14690 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
14691 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
14692 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
14698 @subsection Slow Machine
14699 @cindex slow machine
14701 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
14702 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
14704 Set@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
14705 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
14707 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
14708 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
14709 summary buffer faster.
14711 Set @code{gnus-article-display-hook} to @code{nil} to make article
14712 processing a bit faster.
14715 @node Troubleshooting
14716 @section Troubleshooting
14717 @cindex troubleshooting
14719 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
14727 Make sure your computer is switched on.
14730 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
14731 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
14735 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
14736 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
14737 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
14738 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
14741 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
14745 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
14746 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
14747 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
14748 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
14749 something like that.
14752 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
14755 @cindex reporting bugs
14757 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
14759 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
14760 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
14761 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
14762 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
14764 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
14765 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
14766 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
14767 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
14770 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
14771 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you send back
14772 just ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
14773 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
14774 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
14775 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
14777 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
14778 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
14779 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
14782 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
14783 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
14785 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
14786 @cindex ding mailing list
14787 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@ifi.uio.no}.
14788 Write to @samp{ding-request@@ifi.uio.no} to subscribe.
14791 @node A Programmers Guide to Gnus
14792 @section A Programmer@'s Guide to Gnus
14794 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
14795 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
14796 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
14797 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
14800 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
14801 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
14802 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
14803 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
14804 and general method of operations.
14807 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
14808 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
14809 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
14810 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
14811 * Group Info:: The group info format.
14812 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
14813 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
14817 @node Backend Interface
14818 @subsection Backend Interface
14820 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
14821 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
14822 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
14823 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
14824 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
14825 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
14827 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
14828 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
14829 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
14830 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
14831 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
14832 been opened, the function should fail.
14834 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
14835 name. Take this example:
14839 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
14840 (nntp-port-number 4324))
14843 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
14844 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
14846 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
14847 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
14848 server environments that it pulls down/pushes up when needed.
14850 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
14851 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
14852 always check whether are present before attempting to call.
14854 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
14855 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
14856 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
14857 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
14858 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
14859 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
14862 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
14863 some might be said to not be. The latter are backends that generally
14864 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
14865 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
14868 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
14871 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
14874 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
14875 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
14876 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
14877 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
14878 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
14879 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
14883 @node Required Backend Functions
14884 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
14888 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
14890 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
14891 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
14892 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
14893 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
14895 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
14896 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
14897 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
14898 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
14900 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try to fetch "extra
14901 headers, in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
14902 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
14903 article number in @code{articles}, and fill in the gaps as well. The
14904 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
14905 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
14906 number, do maximum fetches.
14908 Here's an example HEAD:
14911 221 1056 Article retrieved.
14912 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
14913 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
14914 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
14915 Subject: Re: Something very droll
14916 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
14917 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
14919 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
14920 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
14921 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
14925 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
14926 these in the data buffer.
14928 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
14932 head = error / valid-head
14933 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
14934 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
14935 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
14936 header = <text> eol
14939 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
14940 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
14944 nov-buffer = *nov-line
14945 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
14946 field = <text except TAB>
14949 For a closer explanation what should be in those fields,
14953 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
14955 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
14956 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that defines this virtual server.
14958 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
14959 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
14960 server. In fact, it should do so.
14962 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
14963 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
14966 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
14968 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
14969 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
14972 There should be no data returned.
14975 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
14977 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
14978 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
14979 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
14980 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
14982 There should be no data returned.
14985 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
14987 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
14988 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
14989 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
14990 attempt to reconnect to a server that is has lost connection to.
14992 There should be no data returned.
14995 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
14997 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
14999 There should be no data returned.
15002 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
15004 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
15005 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
15006 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
15007 it would be nice if that were possible.
15009 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
15010 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
15011 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
15012 another, and Gnus mainly request articles to be inserted directly into
15013 its article buffer.
15015 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
15016 the car is the group name the article was fetched from, and the cdr is
15017 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
15018 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
15019 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
15020 on successful article retrievement.
15023 @item (nnchoke-open-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
15025 Make @var{group} the current group.
15027 There should be no data returned by this function.
15030 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
15032 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
15033 making @var{group} the current group.
15035 If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
15038 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
15041 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
15044 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
15045 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
15046 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
15047 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
15048 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
15049 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
15050 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
15051 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
15054 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
15055 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
15056 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
15060 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
15062 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
15063 a no-op on most backends.
15065 There should be no data returned.
15068 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
15070 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
15073 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
15076 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
15077 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
15080 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
15081 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
15084 active-file = *active-line
15085 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
15087 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
15090 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
15091 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
15092 (@samp{=other-group} or none of the above (@samp{y}).
15095 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
15097 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
15098 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
15099 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
15100 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
15101 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
15102 clear if the posting could not be completed.
15104 There should be no result data from this function.
15109 @node Optional Backend Functions
15110 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
15114 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
15116 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
15117 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
15118 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
15120 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
15121 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
15122 former is in the same format as the data from
15123 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
15124 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
15127 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
15131 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
15133 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
15134 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
15135 information (as is the case with virtual an imap groups). This function
15136 should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and should return
15137 the (altered) group info.
15139 There should be no result data from this function.
15142 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
15144 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
15145 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
15146 user is following up is news or mail. This function should return
15147 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
15148 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
15149 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
15150 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
15151 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
15153 There should be no result data from this function.
15156 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
15158 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
15159 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
15160 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
15161 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
15162 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
15164 The only use for this that I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
15165 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
15166 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
15169 There should be no result data from this function.
15172 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
15174 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
15175 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
15176 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
15177 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
15178 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
15179 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
15180 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
15182 There should be no result data from this function.
15185 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
15187 The result data from this function should be a description of
15191 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
15193 description = <text>
15196 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
15198 The result data from this function should be the description of all
15199 groups available on the server.
15202 description-buffer = *description-line
15206 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
15208 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
15209 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
15210 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
15213 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
15215 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
15217 There should be no return data.
15220 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
15222 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
15223 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
15224 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
15225 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
15226 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
15229 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
15232 There should be no result data returned.
15235 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
15238 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
15239 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
15241 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
15242 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
15243 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
15244 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
15245 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
15246 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
15248 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
15249 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
15252 The function should return a cons where the car is the group name and
15253 the cdr is the article number that the article was entered as.
15255 There should be no data returned.
15258 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
15260 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
15261 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
15262 this function in short order.
15264 The function should return a cons where the car is the group name and
15265 the cdr is the article number that the article was entered as.
15267 There should be no data returned.
15270 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
15272 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
15273 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
15275 There should be no data returned.
15278 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
15280 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
15281 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
15282 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
15284 There should be no data returned.
15287 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
15289 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
15290 articles that are in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
15292 There should be no data returned.
15297 @node Error Messaging
15298 @subsubsection Error Messaging
15300 @findex nnheader-report
15301 @findex nnheader-get-report
15302 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
15303 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
15304 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
15305 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
15306 there are many of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
15307 This function always returns @code{nil}.
15310 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
15312 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
15315 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
15316 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
15317 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
15318 takes one argument---the server symbol.
15320 Internally, these function access @var{backend}@code{-status-string}, so
15321 the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
15322 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
15325 @node Writing New Backends
15326 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
15328 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
15329 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
15330 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
15331 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
15332 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
15335 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
15336 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
15337 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
15339 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
15340 package called @code{nnoo}.
15342 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
15343 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
15350 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
15351 parameters. For instance:
15354 (nnoo-declare nndir
15358 @code{nndir} has here declared that it intends to inherit functions from
15359 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
15362 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
15363 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
15364 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
15366 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
15367 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
15368 a function in those backends.
15371 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
15372 "Where nndir will look for groups."
15373 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
15376 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
15377 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
15378 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
15380 @item nnoo-define-basics
15381 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
15385 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
15389 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
15390 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
15391 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
15393 @item nnoo-map-functions
15394 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
15395 functions from the parent backends.
15398 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
15399 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
15400 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
15403 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
15404 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
15405 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
15406 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
15409 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
15410 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
15411 haven't already been defined.
15417 nnmh-request-newgroups)
15421 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
15422 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
15423 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
15428 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
15431 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
15432 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
15436 (require 'nnheader)
15440 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
15442 (nnoo-declare nndir
15445 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
15446 "Where nndir will look for groups."
15447 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
15449 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
15450 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
15453 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
15454 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
15455 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
15457 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
15458 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
15460 ;;; Interface functions.
15462 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
15464 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
15465 (setq nndir-directory
15466 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
15468 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
15469 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
15470 (push `(nndir-current-group
15471 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
15473 (push `(nndir-top-directory
15474 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
15476 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
15478 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
15479 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
15480 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
15481 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
15482 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
15486 nnmh-status-message
15488 nnmh-request-newgroups))
15494 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
15495 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
15497 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
15498 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
15499 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
15500 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
15502 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
15503 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
15508 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
15511 The abilities can be:
15515 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
15517 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
15519 This backend supports both mail and news.
15521 This is neither a post or mail backend---it's something completely
15524 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
15525 articles and groups.
15527 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
15528 true for almost all backends.
15529 @item prompt-address
15530 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
15531 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
15532 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
15536 @node Mail-like Backends
15537 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
15539 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
15540 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
15541 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
15542 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
15545 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
15546 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
15547 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
15550 It simply just calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will a few parameters,
15551 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
15554 This function takes four parameters.
15558 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
15561 @item exit-function
15562 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
15564 @item temp-directory
15565 Where the temporary files should be stored.
15568 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
15569 performed for one group only.
15572 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
15573 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
15574 find the article number assigned to this article.
15576 The function also uses the following variables:
15577 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
15578 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
15579 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
15580 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
15584 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
15585 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
15589 @node Score File Syntax
15590 @subsection Score File Syntax
15592 Score files are meant to be easily parsable, but yet extremely
15593 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
15594 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
15596 Here's a typical score file:
15600 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
15607 BNF definition of a score file:
15610 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
15611 element = rule / atom
15612 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
15613 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
15614 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
15615 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
15617 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
15618 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
15619 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
15620 date-header = "date"
15621 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
15622 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
15623 score = "nil" / <integer>
15624 date = "nil" / <natural number>
15625 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
15626 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
15627 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
15628 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
15629 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
15630 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
15631 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
15632 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
15633 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
15634 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
15635 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
15636 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
15637 exclude-files / read-only / touched
15638 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
15639 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
15640 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
15641 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
15642 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
15643 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
15644 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
15645 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
15646 adapt = "adapt" [ space "nil" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
15647 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
15648 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
15649 eval = "eval" space <form>
15650 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
15653 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
15656 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
15657 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
15658 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
15659 one looong line, then that's ok.
15661 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
15666 @subsection Headers
15668 Gnus uses internally a format for storing article headers that
15669 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
15670 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
15671 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
15673 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
15674 RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
15675 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
15676 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
15677 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
15678 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
15679 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
15681 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
15682 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
15683 @code{xref}. There are macros for accessing and setting these
15684 slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
15685 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
15687 The @code{xref} slot is really a @code{misc} slot. Any extra info will
15694 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
15695 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
15697 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
15698 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
15699 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
15700 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
15702 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
15706 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
15709 is transformed into
15712 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
15715 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
15716 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
15719 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
15722 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
15723 is slightly tricky:
15726 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
15732 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
15735 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
15741 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
15748 and is equal to the previous range.
15750 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
15751 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
15752 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
15756 range = simple-range / normal-range
15757 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
15758 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
15759 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
15760 number *[ " " contents ]
15763 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
15764 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
15765 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
15766 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
15767 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
15772 @subsection Group Info
15774 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
15775 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
15776 describes the group.
15778 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
15779 second is a more complex one:
15782 ("no.group" 5 (1 . 54324))
15784 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
15785 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
15787 (auto-expire (to-address "ding@@ifi.uio.no")))
15790 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
15791 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
15792 normally is a small integer. The third element is a list of ranges of
15793 read articles. The fourth element is a list of lists of article marks
15794 of various kinds. The fifth element is the select method (or virtual
15795 server, if you like). The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group
15796 parameters}, which is what this section is about.
15798 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
15799 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
15800 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
15802 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
15805 info = "(" group space level space read
15806 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
15807 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
15808 group = quote <string> quote
15809 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
15811 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
15812 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
15813 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
15814 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
15817 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
15818 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
15822 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
15823 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
15827 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
15828 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
15829 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
15831 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
15832 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
15833 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
15834 Gnus, that's very useful.
15836 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
15837 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
15838 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
15839 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
15840 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
15841 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
15842 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
15843 following function:
15846 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
15850 (,function ,@@args))
15854 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
15855 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
15856 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
15859 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
15860 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
15861 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
15864 @node Various File Formats
15865 @subsection Various File Formats
15868 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
15869 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
15873 @node Active File Format
15874 @subsubsection Active File Format
15876 The active file lists all groups that are available on the server in
15877 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
15880 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
15883 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
15884 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
15885 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
15886 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
15887 no.general 1000 900 y
15890 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
15893 active = *group-line
15894 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
15895 group = <non-white-space string>
15897 high-number = <non-negative integer>
15898 low-number = <positive integer>
15899 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
15903 @node Newsgroups File Format
15904 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
15906 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
15907 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
15908 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
15911 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
15912 Here's the definition:
15916 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
15917 group = <non-white-space string>
15919 description = <string>
15923 @node Emacs for Heathens
15924 @section Emacs for Heathens
15926 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
15927 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
15928 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
15929 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
15930 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
15931 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
15932 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
15936 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
15937 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
15942 @subsection Keystrokes
15946 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
15949 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
15952 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
15953 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
15954 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
15955 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
15956 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
15957 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
15959 The shift key is normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
15960 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
15961 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
15962 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
15963 keyboards. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
15964 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
15965 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
15967 Now, us Emacs people doesn't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
15968 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
15969 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
15970 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
15971 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
15972 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
15973 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
15975 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
15976 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
15977 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
15978 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
15979 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
15985 @subsection Emacs Lisp
15987 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
15988 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
15989 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
15990 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
15992 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
15993 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
15994 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
15995 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
15996 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
15997 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
15998 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
16001 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
16002 write the following:
16005 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
16008 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
16009 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
16010 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
16013 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
16014 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
16015 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
16016 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
16017 previous ``form'', which here is a simple @code{setq} statement.
16019 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
16020 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
16021 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
16025 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
16029 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
16032 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
16033 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
16036 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
16039 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
16040 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
16043 @include gnus-faq.texi