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334 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
339 @setchapternewpage odd
346 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
348 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
354 @top The Gnus Newsreader
358 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
359 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
360 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
363 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.3.
374 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
375 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
377 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
378 being accused of plagiarism:
380 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
381 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
382 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
383 can even read news with it!
385 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
386 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
387 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
388 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
389 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
395 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
396 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
397 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
398 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
399 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
400 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
401 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
402 * Various:: General purpose settings.
403 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
404 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
405 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
406 * Key Index:: Key Index.
408 Other related manuals
410 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
411 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
412 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
413 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
414 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
417 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
421 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
422 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
423 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
424 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
425 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
426 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
427 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
428 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
429 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
430 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
431 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
435 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
436 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
437 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
441 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
442 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
443 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
444 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
445 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
446 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
447 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
448 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
449 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
450 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
451 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
452 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
453 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
454 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
455 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
456 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
457 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
461 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
462 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
463 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
467 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
468 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
469 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
470 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
471 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
475 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
476 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
477 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
478 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
479 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
483 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
484 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
485 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
486 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
487 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
488 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
489 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
490 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
491 * Threading:: How threads are made.
492 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
493 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
494 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
495 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
496 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
497 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
498 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
499 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
500 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
501 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
502 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
503 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
504 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
505 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
506 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
507 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
508 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
509 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
510 or reselecting the current group.
511 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
512 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
513 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
514 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
516 Summary Buffer Format
518 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
519 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
520 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
521 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
525 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
526 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
528 Reply, Followup and Post
530 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
531 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
532 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
533 * Canceling and Superseding::
537 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
538 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
539 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
540 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
541 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
542 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
546 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
547 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
549 Customizing Threading
551 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
552 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
553 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
554 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
558 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
559 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
560 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
561 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
562 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
563 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
567 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
568 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
569 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
573 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
574 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
575 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
576 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
577 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
578 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
579 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
580 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
581 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
582 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
583 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
585 Alternative Approaches
587 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
588 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
590 Various Summary Stuff
592 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
593 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
594 * Summary Generation Commands::
595 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
599 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
600 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
601 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
602 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
603 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
607 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
608 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
609 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
610 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
611 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
612 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
613 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
614 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
615 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
619 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
620 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
621 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
622 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
623 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
624 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
625 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
626 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
627 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
631 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
632 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
633 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
634 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
635 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
636 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
637 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
641 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
642 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
646 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
647 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
648 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
649 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
653 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
654 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
655 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
656 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
657 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
658 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
659 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
660 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
661 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
662 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
663 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
664 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
665 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
669 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
670 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
671 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
673 Choosing a Mail Back End
675 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
676 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
677 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
678 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
679 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
680 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
681 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
686 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
687 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
688 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
689 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
690 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
691 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
695 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
696 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
697 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
698 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
699 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
700 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
704 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
705 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
706 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
707 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
708 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
712 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
716 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
717 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
718 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
722 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
723 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
727 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
728 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
729 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
733 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
734 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
735 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
737 The Gnus Diary Library
739 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
740 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
741 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
742 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
746 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
747 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
748 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
749 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
750 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
751 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
752 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
753 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
754 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
755 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
756 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
757 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
758 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
759 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
763 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
764 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
765 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
769 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
770 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
771 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
775 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
776 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
777 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
778 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
779 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
780 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
781 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
782 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
783 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
784 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
785 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
786 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
787 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
788 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
789 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
790 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
794 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
795 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
796 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
800 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
801 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
802 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
803 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
804 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
805 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
806 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
807 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
808 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
809 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
810 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
811 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
812 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
813 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
814 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
815 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
816 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
817 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
818 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
819 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
823 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
824 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
825 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
826 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
827 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
828 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
829 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
830 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
834 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
835 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
836 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
837 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
838 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
842 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
843 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
844 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
845 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
846 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
847 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
849 Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
851 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
852 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
853 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
854 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
855 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
857 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
858 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
860 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
862 * SpamAssassin back end::
863 * ifile spam filtering::
864 * spam-stat spam filtering::
866 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
868 Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
870 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
871 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
872 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
876 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
877 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
878 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
879 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
880 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
881 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
882 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
883 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
884 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
888 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
889 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
890 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
891 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
892 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
893 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
894 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
895 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
896 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
900 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
901 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
902 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
903 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
904 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
905 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
906 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
910 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
911 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
912 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
913 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
917 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
918 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
919 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
920 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
921 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
922 * Group Info:: The group info format.
923 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
924 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
925 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
929 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
930 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
931 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
932 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
933 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
934 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
938 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
939 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
943 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
944 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
950 @chapter Starting Gnus
955 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
956 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
959 @findex gnus-other-frame
960 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
961 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
962 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
964 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
965 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
966 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
968 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
969 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
972 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
973 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
974 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
975 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
976 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
977 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
978 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
979 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
980 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
981 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
985 @node Finding the News
986 @section Finding the News
989 @vindex gnus-select-method
991 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
992 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
993 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
994 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
997 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
998 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1001 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1004 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1007 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1010 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1011 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1012 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1013 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1015 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1017 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1018 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1019 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1020 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1021 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1022 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1023 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1025 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1026 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1027 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1028 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1030 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1031 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1032 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1033 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1034 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1035 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1036 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1037 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1038 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1041 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1043 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1044 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1045 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1046 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1047 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1048 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1050 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1052 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1053 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1054 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1055 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1056 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1057 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1060 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1061 you would typically set this variable to
1064 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1067 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1068 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1069 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1070 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1073 @node The First Time
1074 @section The First Time
1075 @cindex first time usage
1077 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1078 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1080 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1081 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1082 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1083 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1086 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1087 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1088 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1090 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1091 help you with most common problems.
1093 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1094 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1098 @node The Server is Down
1099 @section The Server is Down
1100 @cindex server errors
1102 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1103 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1104 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1106 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1107 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1108 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1109 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1110 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1111 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1112 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1114 @findex gnus-no-server
1115 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1117 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1118 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1119 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1120 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1121 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1122 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1123 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1127 @section Slave Gnusae
1130 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1131 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1132 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1133 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1135 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1136 @file{.newsrc} file.
1138 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1139 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1140 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1141 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1142 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1143 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1144 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1147 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1148 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1149 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1150 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1151 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1152 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1153 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1154 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1156 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1157 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1159 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1160 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1161 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1162 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1163 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1170 @cindex subscription
1172 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1173 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1174 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1175 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1176 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1177 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1178 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1179 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1180 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1183 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1184 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1185 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1189 @node Checking New Groups
1190 @subsection Checking New Groups
1192 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1193 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1194 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1195 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1196 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1197 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1198 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1199 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1200 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1201 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1203 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1204 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1205 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1206 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1207 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1208 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1209 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1210 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1211 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1212 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1213 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1215 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1216 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1217 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1218 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1219 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1220 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1223 @node Subscription Methods
1224 @subsection Subscription Methods
1226 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1227 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1228 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1230 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1231 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1233 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1237 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1238 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1239 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1240 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1241 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1243 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1244 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1245 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1246 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1248 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1249 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1250 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1252 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1253 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1254 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1255 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1256 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1257 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1258 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1259 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1260 up. Or something like that.
1262 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1264 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1265 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1266 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1268 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1269 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1270 Kill all new groups.
1272 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1273 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1274 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1275 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1276 topic parameter that looks like
1282 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1285 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1290 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1291 A closely related variable is
1292 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1293 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1294 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1295 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1298 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1299 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1300 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1301 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1304 @node Filtering New Groups
1305 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1307 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1308 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1309 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1312 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1315 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1316 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1317 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1318 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1319 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1320 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1321 subscribing these groups.
1322 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1323 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1325 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1326 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1327 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1328 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1329 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1330 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1331 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1332 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1334 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1335 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1336 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1337 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1338 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1339 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1340 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1341 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1342 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1343 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1346 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1347 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1350 @node Changing Servers
1351 @section Changing Servers
1352 @cindex changing servers
1354 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1355 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1356 very flaky and you want to use another.
1358 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1359 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1363 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1364 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1365 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1366 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1369 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1370 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1371 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1372 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1374 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1375 @findex gnus-change-server
1376 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1377 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1378 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1379 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1380 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1382 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1383 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1384 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1385 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1386 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1388 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1389 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1390 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1391 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1392 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1393 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1395 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1396 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1397 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1398 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1400 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1401 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1402 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1403 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1404 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1405 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1406 cache for all groups).
1410 @section Startup Files
1411 @cindex startup files
1416 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1417 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1418 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1421 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1422 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1423 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1424 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1425 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1426 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1427 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1429 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1430 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1431 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1432 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1433 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1434 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1436 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1437 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1438 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1439 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1440 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1441 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1442 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1443 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1444 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1445 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1446 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1449 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1450 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1451 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1452 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1453 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1454 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1455 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1456 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1457 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1458 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1459 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1460 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1462 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1463 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1464 @vindex version-control
1465 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1466 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1467 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1468 If you want version control for this file, set
1469 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1470 @code{version-control} variable.
1472 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1473 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1474 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1475 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1476 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1477 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1478 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1479 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1480 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1481 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1484 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1485 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1487 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1488 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1491 @vindex gnus-init-file
1492 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1493 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1494 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1495 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1496 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1497 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1498 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1499 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1500 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1501 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1502 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1503 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1504 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1509 @cindex dribble file
1512 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1513 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1514 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1515 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1516 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1519 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1520 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1523 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1524 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1525 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1527 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1528 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1529 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1530 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1531 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1532 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1534 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1535 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1536 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1539 @node The Active File
1540 @section The Active File
1542 @cindex ignored groups
1544 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1545 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1546 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1548 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1549 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1550 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1551 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1552 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1553 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1554 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1557 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1558 @c if you set it to anything else.
1560 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1562 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1563 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1564 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1566 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1567 you actually subscribe to.
1569 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1570 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1571 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1572 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1574 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1575 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1576 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1577 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1578 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1579 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1581 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1582 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1583 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1586 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1587 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1588 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1589 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1590 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1591 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1593 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1594 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1596 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1597 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1599 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1600 secondary select methods.
1603 @node Startup Variables
1604 @section Startup Variables
1608 @item gnus-load-hook
1609 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1610 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1611 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1612 times you start Gnus.
1614 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1615 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1616 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1618 @item gnus-startup-hook
1619 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1620 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1622 @item gnus-started-hook
1623 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1624 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1627 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1628 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1629 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1630 generating the group buffer.
1632 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1633 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1634 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1635 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1636 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1637 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1638 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1639 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1641 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1642 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1643 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1644 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1645 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1646 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1648 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1649 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1650 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1652 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1653 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1654 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1656 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1657 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1658 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1659 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1665 @chapter Group Buffer
1666 @cindex group buffer
1668 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1670 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1671 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1672 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1673 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1674 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1675 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1676 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1677 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1678 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1679 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1680 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1681 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1682 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1683 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1684 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1685 @c human rights at 9...
1688 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1689 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1690 long as Gnus is active.
1694 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1695 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1696 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1697 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1698 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1699 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1700 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1701 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1707 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1708 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1709 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1710 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1711 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1712 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1713 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1714 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1715 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1716 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1717 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1718 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1719 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1720 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1721 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1722 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1723 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1727 @node Group Buffer Format
1728 @section Group Buffer Format
1731 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1732 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1733 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1737 @node Group Line Specification
1738 @subsection Group Line Specification
1739 @cindex group buffer format
1741 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1742 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1744 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1747 25: news.announce.newusers
1748 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1753 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1754 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1755 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1756 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1758 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1759 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1760 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1761 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1762 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1763 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1765 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1767 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1768 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1769 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1770 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1771 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1773 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1774 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1775 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1777 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1782 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1785 Whether the group is subscribed.
1788 Level of subscribedness.
1791 Number of unread articles.
1794 Number of dormant articles.
1797 Number of ticked articles.
1800 Number of read articles.
1803 Number of unseen articles.
1806 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1807 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1809 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1810 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1811 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1812 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1813 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1814 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1815 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1816 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1819 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1822 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1831 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1832 comment element in the group parameters.
1835 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1836 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1837 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1841 @samp{m} if moderated.
1844 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1850 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1856 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1860 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1863 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1864 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1865 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1866 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1867 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1870 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1872 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1876 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1879 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1883 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1884 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1885 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1886 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1889 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1890 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1891 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1892 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1893 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1894 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1899 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1900 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1901 group, or a bogus native group.
1904 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1905 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1906 @cindex group mode line
1908 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1909 The mode line can be changed by setting
1910 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1911 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1915 The native news server.
1917 The native select method.
1921 @node Group Highlighting
1922 @subsection Group Highlighting
1923 @cindex highlighting
1924 @cindex group highlighting
1926 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1927 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1928 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1929 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1930 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1932 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1936 (cond (window-system
1937 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1938 (defface my-group-face-1
1939 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1940 (defface my-group-face-2
1941 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1942 "Second group face")
1943 (defface my-group-face-3
1944 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1945 (defface my-group-face-4
1946 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1947 (defface my-group-face-5
1948 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1950 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1951 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1952 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1953 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1954 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1955 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1958 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1960 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1967 The number of unread articles in the group.
1971 Whether the group is a mail group.
1973 The level of the group.
1975 The score of the group.
1977 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1979 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1980 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1982 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1983 topic being inserted.
1986 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1987 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1988 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1990 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1991 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1992 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1993 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1994 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1997 @node Group Maneuvering
1998 @section Group Maneuvering
1999 @cindex group movement
2001 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2002 expected, hopefully.
2008 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2009 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2010 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2016 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2017 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2018 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2022 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2023 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2027 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2028 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2032 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2033 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2034 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2038 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2039 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2040 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2043 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2049 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2050 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2051 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2056 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2057 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2058 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2062 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2063 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2064 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2067 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2068 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2069 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2070 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2074 @node Selecting a Group
2075 @section Selecting a Group
2076 @cindex group selection
2081 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2082 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2083 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2084 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2085 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2086 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2087 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2088 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2089 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2090 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2092 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2093 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2094 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2096 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2097 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2102 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2103 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2104 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2105 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2106 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2110 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2111 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2112 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2113 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2114 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2115 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2116 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2117 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2118 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2119 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2122 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2123 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2124 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2125 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2126 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2129 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2130 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2131 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2132 doing any processing of its contents
2133 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2134 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2135 manner will have no permanent effects.
2139 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2140 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2141 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2142 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2143 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2144 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2145 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2146 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2147 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2148 most recently will be fetched.
2150 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2151 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2152 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2155 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2156 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2157 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2158 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2159 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2160 Which article this is is controlled by the
2161 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2167 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2170 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2173 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2175 @item unseen-or-unread
2176 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2177 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2181 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2185 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2186 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2188 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2189 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2190 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2191 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2195 @node Subscription Commands
2196 @section Subscription Commands
2197 @cindex subscription
2205 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2206 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2207 Toggle subscription to the current group
2208 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2214 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2215 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2216 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2217 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2223 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2224 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2225 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2231 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2232 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2235 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2236 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2237 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2238 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2239 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2245 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2246 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2250 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2251 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2254 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2255 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2256 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2257 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2258 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2259 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2260 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2261 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2262 @file{.newsrc} file.
2266 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2276 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2277 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2278 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2279 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2280 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2281 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2286 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2287 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2288 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2292 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2293 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2294 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2296 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2297 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2298 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2299 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2300 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2301 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2308 @section Group Levels
2312 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2313 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2314 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2315 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2316 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2318 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2324 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2325 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2326 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2327 prompted for a level.
2330 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2331 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2332 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2333 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2334 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2335 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2336 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2337 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2338 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2339 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2340 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2341 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2342 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2343 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2344 reasons of efficiency.
2346 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2347 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2349 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2350 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2351 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2352 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2353 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2354 groups are hidden, in a way.
2356 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2357 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2358 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2359 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2360 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2361 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2363 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2364 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2365 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2366 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2367 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2368 list of killed groups.)
2370 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2371 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2372 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2374 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2375 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2376 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2377 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2378 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2379 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2380 relevant valid ranges.
2382 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2383 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2384 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2385 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2386 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2387 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2390 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2391 one with the best level.
2393 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2394 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2395 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2398 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2399 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2400 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2401 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2404 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2405 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2406 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2407 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2409 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2410 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2411 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2412 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2413 to 5. The default is 6.
2417 @section Group Score
2422 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2423 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2424 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2427 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2428 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2429 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2430 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2431 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2432 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2433 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2434 least significant part.))
2436 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2437 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2438 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2439 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2440 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2441 action after each summary exit, you can add
2442 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2443 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2444 slow things down somewhat.
2447 @node Marking Groups
2448 @section Marking Groups
2449 @cindex marking groups
2451 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2452 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2453 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2454 bidding on those groups.
2456 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2457 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2458 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2466 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2467 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2473 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2474 Remove the mark from the current group
2475 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2479 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2480 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2484 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2485 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2489 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2490 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2494 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2495 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2496 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2499 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2501 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2502 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2503 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2504 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2505 the command to be executed.
2508 @node Foreign Groups
2509 @section Foreign Groups
2510 @cindex foreign groups
2512 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2513 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2514 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2515 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2522 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2523 @cindex making groups
2524 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2525 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2526 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2530 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2531 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2532 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2536 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2537 @cindex renaming groups
2538 Rename the current group to something else
2539 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2540 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2546 @findex gnus-group-customize
2547 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2551 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2552 @cindex renaming groups
2553 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2554 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2558 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2559 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2560 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2564 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2565 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2566 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2570 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2572 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2573 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2578 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2579 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2583 @cindex (ding) archive
2584 @cindex archive group
2585 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2586 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2587 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2588 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2589 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2590 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2591 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2595 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2597 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2598 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2599 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2600 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2604 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2606 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2607 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2608 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2612 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2613 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2615 Make a group based on some file or other
2616 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2617 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2618 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2619 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2620 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2621 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2622 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2623 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2624 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2628 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2629 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2630 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2631 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2635 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2639 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2640 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2641 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2642 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2643 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2644 @xref{Web Searches}.
2646 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2647 to a particular group by using a match string like
2648 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2652 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2653 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2654 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2658 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2659 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2660 This function will delete the current group
2661 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2662 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2663 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2664 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2665 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2669 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2670 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2671 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2675 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2676 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2677 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2680 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2683 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2684 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2685 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2686 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2687 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2688 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2692 @node Group Parameters
2693 @section Group Parameters
2694 @cindex group parameters
2696 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2697 Here's an example group parameter list:
2700 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2704 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2705 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2706 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2707 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2709 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2710 is an alist of regexps and values.
2712 The following group parameters can be used:
2717 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2720 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2723 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2724 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2725 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2726 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2727 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2729 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2730 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2731 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2732 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2733 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2734 list address instead.
2736 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2740 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2743 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2746 It is totally ignored
2747 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2748 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2750 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2751 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2752 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2753 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2754 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2756 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2757 @cindex mail list groups
2758 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2759 entering summary buffer.
2761 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2766 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2767 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2768 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2769 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2770 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2771 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2772 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2773 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2776 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2777 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2780 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2781 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2785 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2786 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2787 of whether it has any unread articles.
2789 @item broken-reply-to
2790 @cindex broken-reply-to
2791 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2792 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2793 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2794 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2795 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2796 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2800 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2801 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2805 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2806 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2807 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2812 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2813 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2814 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2815 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2816 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2817 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2818 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2820 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2821 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2822 doesn't accept articles.
2826 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2827 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2828 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2830 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2833 @cindex total-expire
2834 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2835 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2836 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2837 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2840 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2844 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2845 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2846 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2847 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2848 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2849 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2850 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2853 @cindex expiry-target
2854 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2855 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2858 @cindex score file group parameter
2859 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2860 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2861 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2864 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2865 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2866 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2867 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2870 @cindex admin-address
2871 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2872 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2873 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2874 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2878 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2879 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2883 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2886 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2887 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2890 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2894 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2896 Here are some examples:
2900 Display only unread articles.
2903 Display everything except expirable articles.
2905 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2906 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2910 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2911 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2912 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2913 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2914 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2918 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2919 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2920 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2924 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2925 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2926 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2930 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2931 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2932 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2934 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2936 @item ignored-charsets
2937 @cindex ignored-charset
2938 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2939 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2940 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2942 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2945 @cindex posting-style
2946 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2947 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2948 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2949 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2950 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2952 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2953 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2954 like this in the group parameters:
2959 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2960 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2965 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2966 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2970 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2971 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2972 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2973 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2974 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2978 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2979 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2980 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2981 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2983 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
2984 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2985 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2986 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2989 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
2990 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
2994 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
2995 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
2996 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
2997 like the following is generated:
3000 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3001 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3005 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3006 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3008 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3009 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3011 @item (agent parameters)
3012 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3013 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3014 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3015 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3016 minimize the configuration effort.
3018 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3019 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3020 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3021 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3022 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3023 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3024 @code{eval}ed there.
3026 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3027 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3028 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3029 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3030 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3031 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3032 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3033 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3036 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3039 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3040 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3041 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3044 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3047 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3048 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3049 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3050 into the group parameters for the group.
3052 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3053 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3054 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
3055 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
3058 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3059 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3060 following is added to a group parameter
3063 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3064 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3067 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3072 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3073 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3074 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3075 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3076 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3078 @vindex gnus-parameters
3079 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3080 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3084 (setq gnus-parameters
3086 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3087 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3088 (gnus-summary-line-format
3089 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3093 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3097 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3101 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3104 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3105 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3107 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3108 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3109 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3110 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3111 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3112 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3113 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3114 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3115 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3116 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3117 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3118 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3120 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3121 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3122 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3123 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3124 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3125 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3126 weekly news RSS feed
3127 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3133 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3134 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3135 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3136 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3137 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3139 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3140 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3141 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3142 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3143 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3144 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3148 @node Listing Groups
3149 @section Listing Groups
3150 @cindex group listing
3152 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3160 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3161 List all groups that have unread articles
3162 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3163 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3164 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3165 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3172 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3173 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3174 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3175 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3176 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3177 unsubscribed groups).
3181 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3182 List all unread groups on a specific level
3183 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3184 with no unread articles.
3188 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3189 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3190 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3191 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3196 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3197 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3201 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3202 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3203 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3207 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3208 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3212 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3213 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3214 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3215 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3216 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3217 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3218 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3219 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3223 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3224 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3225 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3229 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3230 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3231 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3235 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3236 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3240 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3241 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3245 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3246 List groups limited within the current selection
3247 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3251 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3252 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3256 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3257 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3261 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3262 @cindex visible group parameter
3263 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3264 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3265 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3266 get the same effect.
3268 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3269 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3270 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3271 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3272 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3275 @node Sorting Groups
3276 @section Sorting Groups
3277 @cindex sorting groups
3279 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3280 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3281 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3282 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3283 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3284 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3289 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3290 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3291 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3293 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3294 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3295 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3297 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3298 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3299 Sort by group level.
3301 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3302 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3303 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3305 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3306 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3307 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3308 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3310 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3311 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3312 Sort by number of unread articles.
3314 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3315 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3316 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3318 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3319 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3320 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3325 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3326 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3330 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3331 some sorting criteria:
3335 @kindex G S a (Group)
3336 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3337 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3338 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3341 @kindex G S u (Group)
3342 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3343 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3344 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3347 @kindex G S l (Group)
3348 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3349 Sort the group buffer by group level
3350 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3353 @kindex G S v (Group)
3354 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3355 Sort the group buffer by group score
3356 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3359 @kindex G S r (Group)
3360 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3361 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3362 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3365 @kindex G S m (Group)
3366 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3367 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3368 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3371 @kindex G S n (Group)
3372 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3373 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3374 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3378 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3379 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3381 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3382 commands will sort in reverse order.
3384 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3388 @kindex G P a (Group)
3389 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3390 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3391 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3394 @kindex G P u (Group)
3395 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3396 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3397 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3400 @kindex G P l (Group)
3401 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3402 Sort the groups by group level
3403 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3406 @kindex G P v (Group)
3407 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3408 Sort the groups by group score
3409 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3412 @kindex G P r (Group)
3413 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3414 Sort the groups by group rank
3415 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3418 @kindex G P m (Group)
3419 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3420 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3421 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3424 @kindex G P n (Group)
3425 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3426 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3427 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3430 @kindex G P s (Group)
3431 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3432 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3436 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3440 @node Group Maintenance
3441 @section Group Maintenance
3442 @cindex bogus groups
3447 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3448 Find bogus groups and delete them
3449 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3453 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3454 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3455 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3456 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3457 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3461 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3462 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3463 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3464 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3465 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3466 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3469 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3470 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3471 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3472 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3477 @node Browse Foreign Server
3478 @section Browse Foreign Server
3479 @cindex foreign servers
3480 @cindex browsing servers
3485 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3486 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3487 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3488 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3491 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3492 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3493 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3494 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3496 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3501 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3502 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3506 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3507 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3510 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3511 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3512 Enter the current group and display the first article
3513 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3516 @kindex RET (Browse)
3517 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3518 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3522 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3523 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3524 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3530 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3531 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3535 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3536 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3540 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3541 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3542 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3547 @section Exiting Gnus
3548 @cindex exiting Gnus
3550 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3555 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3556 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3557 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3558 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3562 @findex gnus-group-exit
3563 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3564 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3568 @findex gnus-group-quit
3569 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3570 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3573 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3574 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3575 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3576 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3577 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3578 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3584 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3585 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3586 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3592 @section Group Topics
3595 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3596 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3597 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3598 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3599 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3600 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3604 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3605 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3616 2: alt.religion.emacs
3619 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3621 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3622 13: comp.sources.unix
3625 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3627 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3628 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3629 is a toggling command.)
3631 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3632 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3633 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3634 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3637 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3638 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3639 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3642 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3646 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3647 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3648 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3649 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3650 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3654 @node Topic Commands
3655 @subsection Topic Commands
3656 @cindex topic commands
3658 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3659 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3660 definitions slightly.
3662 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3663 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3664 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3665 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3666 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3667 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3669 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3676 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3677 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3678 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3682 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3684 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3685 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3686 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3687 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3690 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3691 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3692 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3693 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3697 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3698 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3699 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3700 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3706 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3707 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3708 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3712 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3713 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3714 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3717 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3718 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3719 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3720 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3721 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3723 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3724 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3728 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3729 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3736 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3738 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3739 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3740 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3741 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3742 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3743 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3747 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3753 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3754 Move the current group to some other topic
3755 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3756 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3760 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3761 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3765 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3766 Copy the current group to some other topic
3767 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3768 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3772 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3773 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3774 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3778 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3779 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3780 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3784 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3785 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3786 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3787 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3788 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3789 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3790 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3793 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3794 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3798 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3799 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3800 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3804 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3805 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3806 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3810 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3811 Toggle hiding empty topics
3812 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3816 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3817 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3818 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3819 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3822 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3823 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3824 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3825 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3826 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3829 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3830 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3831 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3832 expiry process (if any)
3833 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3837 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3838 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3841 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3842 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3843 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3847 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3848 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3849 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3852 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3853 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3854 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3857 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3858 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3859 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3863 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3864 @cindex group parameters
3865 @cindex topic parameters
3867 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3868 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3873 @node Topic Variables
3874 @subsection Topic Variables
3875 @cindex topic variables
3877 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3878 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3880 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3881 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3882 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3895 Number of groups in the topic.
3897 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3899 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3902 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3903 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3904 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3907 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3908 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3910 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3911 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3912 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3916 @subsection Topic Sorting
3917 @cindex topic sorting
3919 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3925 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3926 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3927 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3928 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3931 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3932 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3933 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3934 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3937 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3938 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3939 Sort the current topic by group level
3940 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3943 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3944 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3945 Sort the current topic by group score
3946 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3949 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3950 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3951 Sort the current topic by group rank
3952 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3955 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3956 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3957 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3958 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3961 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3962 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3963 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3964 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3967 @kindex T S s (Topic)
3968 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3969 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3970 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3971 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3975 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3976 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3980 @node Topic Topology
3981 @subsection Topic Topology
3982 @cindex topic topology
3985 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3992 2: alt.religion.emacs
3995 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3997 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3998 13: comp.sources.unix
4002 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4003 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4004 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4009 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4010 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4014 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4015 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4016 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4017 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4018 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4019 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4021 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4022 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4023 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4026 @node Topic Parameters
4027 @subsection Topic Parameters
4028 @cindex topic parameters
4030 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4031 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4032 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4033 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4034 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4036 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4041 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4042 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4043 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4046 @item subscribe-level
4047 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4048 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4049 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4053 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4054 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4055 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4056 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4063 2: alt.religion.emacs
4067 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4069 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4070 13: comp.sources.unix
4075 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4076 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4077 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4078 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4079 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4080 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4082 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4083 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4084 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4085 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4086 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4088 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4089 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4090 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4091 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4092 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4093 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4094 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4095 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4098 @node Misc Group Stuff
4099 @section Misc Group Stuff
4102 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4103 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4104 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4105 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4106 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4113 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4114 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4115 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4119 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4120 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4121 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4122 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4123 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4124 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4125 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4129 @findex gnus-group-mail
4130 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4131 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4132 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4133 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4137 @findex gnus-group-news
4138 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4139 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4140 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4142 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4143 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4144 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4145 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4146 for this to work though.
4150 Variables for the group buffer:
4154 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4155 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4156 is called after the group buffer has been
4159 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4160 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4161 is called after the group buffer is
4162 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4165 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4166 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4167 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4168 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4170 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4171 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4172 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4173 whether they are empty or not.
4175 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4176 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4177 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4178 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4182 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4183 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4186 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4187 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4188 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4189 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4190 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4191 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4192 default is @code{nil}.
4196 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4197 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4202 @node Scanning New Messages
4203 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4204 @cindex new messages
4205 @cindex scanning new news
4211 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4212 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4213 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4214 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4215 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4216 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4221 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4222 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4223 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4224 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4225 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4226 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4227 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4229 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4230 @cindex activating groups
4232 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4233 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4238 @findex gnus-group-restart
4239 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4240 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4241 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4245 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4246 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4248 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4249 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4253 @node Group Information
4254 @subsection Group Information
4255 @cindex group information
4256 @cindex information on groups
4263 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4264 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4267 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4268 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4269 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4270 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4271 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4272 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4273 used for fetching the file.
4275 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4276 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4280 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4281 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4283 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4284 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4287 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4288 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4289 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4293 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4294 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4295 @cindex control message
4296 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4297 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4298 group if given a prefix argument.
4300 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4301 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4302 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4303 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4305 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4306 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4307 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4311 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4313 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4314 @cindex describing groups
4315 @cindex group description
4316 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4317 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4318 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4322 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4323 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4324 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4331 @findex gnus-version
4332 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4336 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4337 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4340 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4343 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4344 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4348 @node Group Timestamp
4349 @subsection Group Timestamp
4351 @cindex group timestamps
4353 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4354 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4355 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4358 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4361 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4363 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4364 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4367 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4368 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4371 This will result in lines looking like:
4374 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4375 0: custom 19961002T012713
4378 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4379 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4383 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4384 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4387 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4388 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4392 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4393 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4394 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4395 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4397 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4403 @subsection File Commands
4404 @cindex file commands
4410 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4411 @vindex gnus-init-file
4412 @cindex reading init file
4413 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4414 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4418 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4419 @cindex saving .newsrc
4420 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4421 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4422 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4425 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4426 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4427 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4432 @node Sieve Commands
4433 @subsection Sieve Commands
4434 @cindex group sieve commands
4436 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4437 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4438 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4439 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4440 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4442 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4443 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4444 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4445 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4446 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4447 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4448 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4449 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4450 regenerate the Sieve script.
4452 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4453 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4454 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4455 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4456 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4457 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4458 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4459 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4460 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4461 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4464 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4465 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4470 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4476 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4477 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4478 @cindex generating sieve script
4479 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4480 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4484 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4485 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4486 @cindex updating sieve script
4487 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4488 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4489 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4494 @node Summary Buffer
4495 @chapter Summary Buffer
4496 @cindex summary buffer
4498 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4499 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4501 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4502 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4504 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4507 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4508 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4509 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4510 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4511 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4512 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4513 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4514 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4515 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4516 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4517 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4518 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4519 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4520 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4521 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4522 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4523 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4524 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4525 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4526 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4527 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4528 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4529 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4530 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4531 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4532 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4533 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4534 or reselecting the current group.
4535 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4536 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4537 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4538 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4542 @node Summary Buffer Format
4543 @section Summary Buffer Format
4544 @cindex summary buffer format
4548 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4549 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4550 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4556 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4557 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4558 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4559 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4562 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4563 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4564 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4565 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4566 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4567 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4568 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4569 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4570 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4571 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4572 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4575 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4576 'mail-extract-address-components)
4579 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4580 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4581 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4582 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4585 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4586 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4588 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4589 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4590 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4591 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4592 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4594 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4595 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4596 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4597 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4598 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4599 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4601 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4603 The following format specification characters and extended format
4604 specification(s) are understood:
4610 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4611 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4613 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4614 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4615 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4617 Full @code{From} header.
4619 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4621 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4624 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4625 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4626 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4627 may be more thorough.
4629 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4632 Number of lines in the article.
4634 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4635 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4637 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4638 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4640 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4642 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4643 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4656 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4657 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4658 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4659 line-drawing glyphs.
4661 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4662 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4663 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4664 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4666 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4667 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4668 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4669 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4671 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4672 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4673 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4674 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4676 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4677 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4678 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4680 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4681 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4682 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4684 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4685 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4686 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4688 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4689 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4690 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4695 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4696 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4698 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4699 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4701 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4702 for adopted articles.
4704 One space for each thread level.
4706 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4708 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4711 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4712 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4713 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4716 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4718 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4719 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4720 default level. If the difference between
4721 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4722 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4730 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4732 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4738 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4739 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4741 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4742 article has any children.
4748 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4749 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4751 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4752 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4753 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4754 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4755 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4756 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4759 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4760 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4761 There can only be one such area.
4763 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4764 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4765 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4766 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4767 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4768 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4770 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4771 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4773 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4776 @node To From Newsgroups
4777 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4781 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4782 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4783 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4784 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4785 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4789 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4790 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4791 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4795 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4796 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4799 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4800 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4803 @findex gnus-extra-header
4804 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4805 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4806 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4809 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4813 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4814 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4815 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4816 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4817 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4818 headers are used instead.
4820 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
4821 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
4822 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
4823 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
4824 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
4825 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
4829 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4830 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4831 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4832 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4833 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4834 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4837 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4838 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4839 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4840 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4842 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4846 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4848 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4849 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4850 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4851 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4855 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4858 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4859 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4862 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4863 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4864 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4870 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4871 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4874 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4875 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4877 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4878 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4879 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4880 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4882 Here are the elements you can play with:
4888 Unprefixed group name.
4890 Current article number.
4892 Current article score.
4896 Number of unread articles in this group.
4898 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4901 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4902 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4903 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4904 and no unselected ones.
4906 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4907 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4909 Subject of the current article.
4911 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4913 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4915 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4917 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4919 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4921 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4925 @node Summary Highlighting
4926 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4930 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4931 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4932 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4933 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4934 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4936 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4937 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4938 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4939 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4941 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4942 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4943 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4944 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4946 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4947 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4948 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4949 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4950 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4951 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4954 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4955 ((> score default) . bold))
4957 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4958 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4962 @node Summary Maneuvering
4963 @section Summary Maneuvering
4964 @cindex summary movement
4966 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4967 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4969 None of these commands select articles.
4974 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4975 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4976 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4977 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4978 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4982 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4983 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4984 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4985 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4986 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4989 @kindex G g (Summary)
4990 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4991 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4992 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4995 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4996 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4997 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4998 to the group buffer.
5000 Variables related to summary movement:
5004 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5005 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5006 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5007 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5008 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5009 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5010 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5011 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5012 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5013 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5014 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5015 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
5016 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
5017 @pxref{Group Levels}.
5019 @item gnus-auto-select-same
5020 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
5021 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
5022 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
5023 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
5024 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
5025 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
5027 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
5029 @item gnus-summary-check-current
5030 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
5031 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
5032 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
5033 Instead, they will choose the current article.
5035 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
5036 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
5037 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
5038 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
5039 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
5040 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5041 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5042 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
5045 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
5046 the given number of lines from the top.
5051 @node Choosing Articles
5052 @section Choosing Articles
5053 @cindex selecting articles
5056 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5057 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5061 @node Choosing Commands
5062 @subsection Choosing Commands
5064 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5065 and they all select and display an article.
5067 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5068 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5072 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5073 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5074 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5075 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5077 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5078 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5079 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5084 @kindex G n (Summary)
5085 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5086 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5087 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5092 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5093 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5094 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5099 @kindex G N (Summary)
5100 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5101 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5106 @kindex G P (Summary)
5107 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5108 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5111 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5112 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5113 Go to the next article with the same subject
5114 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5117 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5118 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5119 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5120 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5124 @kindex G f (Summary)
5126 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5127 Go to the first unread article
5128 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5132 @kindex G b (Summary)
5134 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5135 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5136 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5137 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5142 @kindex G l (Summary)
5143 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5144 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5147 @kindex G o (Summary)
5148 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5150 @cindex article history
5151 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5152 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5153 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5154 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5155 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5156 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5161 @kindex G j (Summary)
5162 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5163 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5164 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5169 @node Choosing Variables
5170 @subsection Choosing Variables
5172 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5175 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5176 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5177 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5178 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5179 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5180 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5182 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5183 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5184 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
5185 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
5186 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
5189 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5190 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5191 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5192 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5193 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5194 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5195 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5196 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5197 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
5198 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5199 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5200 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5201 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5202 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5207 @node Paging the Article
5208 @section Scrolling the Article
5209 @cindex article scrolling
5214 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5215 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5216 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5217 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5218 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5220 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5221 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5222 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5223 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5224 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5225 what is considered uninteresting with
5226 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5227 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5230 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5231 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5232 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5235 @kindex RET (Summary)
5236 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5237 Scroll the current article one line forward
5238 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5241 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5242 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5243 Scroll the current article one line backward
5244 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5248 @kindex A g (Summary)
5250 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5251 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5252 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5253 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5254 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5255 the way it came from the server.
5257 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5258 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5259 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5262 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5267 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5272 @kindex A < (Summary)
5273 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5274 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5275 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5280 @kindex A > (Summary)
5281 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5282 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5286 @kindex A s (Summary)
5288 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5289 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5290 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5294 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5295 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5300 @node Reply Followup and Post
5301 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5304 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5305 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5306 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5307 * Canceling and Superseding::
5311 @node Summary Mail Commands
5312 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5314 @cindex composing mail
5316 Commands for composing a mail message:
5322 @kindex S r (Summary)
5324 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5325 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5326 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5327 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5328 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5333 @kindex S R (Summary)
5334 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5335 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5336 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5337 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5338 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5341 @kindex S w (Summary)
5342 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5343 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5344 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5345 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5346 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5347 present, that's used instead.
5350 @kindex S W (Summary)
5351 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5352 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5353 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5354 the process/prefix convention.
5357 @kindex S v (Summary)
5358 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5359 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5360 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5361 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5362 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5363 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5366 @kindex S V (Summary)
5367 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5368 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5369 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5370 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5373 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5374 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5375 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5376 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5377 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5378 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5379 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5380 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5383 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5384 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5385 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5386 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5387 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5391 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5392 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5393 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5394 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5395 Forward the current article to some other person
5396 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5397 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5398 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5399 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5400 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5401 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5402 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5403 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5404 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5410 @kindex S m (Summary)
5411 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5412 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5413 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5414 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5415 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5420 @kindex S i (Summary)
5421 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5422 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5423 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5424 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5426 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5427 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5428 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5429 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5430 for this to work though.
5433 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5434 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5435 @cindex bouncing mail
5436 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5437 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5438 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5439 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5440 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5441 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5442 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5443 very well fail, though.
5446 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5447 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5448 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5449 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5450 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5451 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5452 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5453 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5454 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5455 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5457 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5458 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5459 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5460 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5461 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5463 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5464 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5467 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5468 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5470 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5471 if it were a new message before resending.
5474 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5475 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5476 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5477 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5478 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5481 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5482 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5483 @cindex crossposting
5484 @cindex excessive crossposting
5485 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5486 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5488 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5489 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5490 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5491 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5492 command understands the process/prefix convention
5493 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5497 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5498 Manual}, for more information.
5501 @node Summary Post Commands
5502 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5504 @cindex composing news
5506 Commands for posting a news article:
5512 @kindex S p (Summary)
5513 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5514 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5515 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5516 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5517 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5522 @kindex S f (Summary)
5523 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5524 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5525 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5529 @kindex S F (Summary)
5531 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5532 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5533 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5534 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5535 process/prefix convention.
5538 @kindex S n (Summary)
5539 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5540 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5541 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5544 @kindex S N (Summary)
5545 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5546 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5547 message through mail and include the original message
5548 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5549 the process/prefix convention.
5552 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5553 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5554 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5555 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5556 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5557 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5558 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5559 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5560 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5561 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5562 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5563 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5564 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5567 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5568 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5570 @cindex making digests
5571 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5572 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5573 process/prefix convention.
5576 @kindex S u (Summary)
5577 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5578 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5579 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5580 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5583 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5584 Manual}, for more information.
5587 @node Summary Message Commands
5588 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5592 @kindex S y (Summary)
5593 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5594 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5595 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5596 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5597 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5602 @node Canceling and Superseding
5603 @subsection Canceling Articles
5604 @cindex canceling articles
5605 @cindex superseding articles
5607 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5608 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5610 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5612 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5614 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5615 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5616 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5617 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5618 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5619 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5621 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5622 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5625 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5626 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5627 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5629 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5630 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5631 message, Message Manual}).
5633 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5634 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5635 your original article.
5637 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5639 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5640 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5641 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5644 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5645 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5646 have posted almost the same article twice.
5648 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5649 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5650 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5651 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5652 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5653 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5654 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5655 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5656 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5657 canceled/superseded.
5659 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5661 @node Delayed Articles
5662 @section Delayed Articles
5663 @cindex delayed sending
5664 @cindex send delayed
5666 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5667 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5668 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5669 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5672 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5675 @findex gnus-delay-article
5676 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5677 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5678 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5679 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5683 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5684 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5685 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5686 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5689 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5690 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5691 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5694 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5695 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5696 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5697 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5698 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5699 that means a time tomorrow.
5702 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5703 couple of variables:
5706 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5707 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5708 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5709 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5711 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5712 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5713 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5714 formats described above.
5716 @item gnus-delay-group
5717 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5718 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5719 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5720 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5722 @item gnus-delay-header
5723 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5724 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5725 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5726 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5729 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5730 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5731 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5732 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5733 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5735 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5736 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5737 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5738 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5739 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5740 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5741 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5744 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5745 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5746 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5747 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5748 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5749 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5750 argument is ignored.
5752 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5753 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5754 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5758 @node Marking Articles
5759 @section Marking Articles
5760 @cindex article marking
5761 @cindex article ticking
5764 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5766 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5767 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5768 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5770 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5773 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
5777 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5778 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5779 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5780 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5781 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5782 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5786 @node Unread Articles
5787 @subsection Unread Articles
5789 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5794 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5795 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5797 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5798 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5799 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5800 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5801 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5802 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5803 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5806 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5807 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5809 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5810 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5811 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5812 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5816 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5817 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5819 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5824 @subsection Read Articles
5825 @cindex expirable mark
5827 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5832 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5833 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5834 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5837 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5838 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5841 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5842 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5843 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5846 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5847 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5850 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5851 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5854 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5855 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5858 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5859 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5862 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5863 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5866 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5867 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5870 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5871 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5875 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5876 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5877 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5881 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5882 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5884 One more special mark, though:
5888 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5889 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5891 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5892 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5893 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5894 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5900 @subsection Other Marks
5901 @cindex process mark
5904 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5910 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5911 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5912 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5913 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5914 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5917 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5918 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5919 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5920 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5923 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5924 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5925 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5928 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5929 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5930 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5933 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5934 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5935 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5936 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5939 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5940 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5941 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5942 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5943 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5944 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5947 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5948 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5949 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5950 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5953 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5954 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5955 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5956 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5957 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5961 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5962 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5963 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5964 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5965 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5966 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5969 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5970 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5971 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5972 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5973 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5974 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5978 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5979 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5980 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5981 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5982 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5985 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5986 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5987 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5988 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5989 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5990 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5994 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5995 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5996 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5998 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5999 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6000 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6004 @subsection Setting Marks
6005 @cindex setting marks
6007 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6012 @kindex M c (Summary)
6013 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6014 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
6015 @cindex mark as unread
6016 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
6017 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
6023 @kindex M t (Summary)
6024 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
6025 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
6026 @xref{Article Caching}.
6031 @kindex M ? (Summary)
6032 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
6033 Mark the current article as dormant
6034 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6038 @kindex M d (Summary)
6040 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6041 Mark the current article as read
6042 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
6046 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
6047 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
6048 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
6053 @kindex M k (Summary)
6054 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
6055 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
6056 and then select the next unread article
6057 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
6061 @kindex M K (Summary)
6062 @kindex C-k (Summary)
6063 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
6064 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
6065 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6068 @kindex M C (Summary)
6069 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6070 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6071 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6074 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6075 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6076 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6077 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6080 @kindex M H (Summary)
6081 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6082 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6083 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6086 @kindex M h (Summary)
6087 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6088 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6089 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6092 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6093 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6094 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6095 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6098 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6099 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6100 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6101 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6105 @kindex M e (Summary)
6107 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6108 Mark the current article as expirable
6109 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6112 @kindex M b (Summary)
6113 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6114 Set a bookmark in the current article
6115 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6118 @kindex M B (Summary)
6119 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6120 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6121 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6124 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6125 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6126 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6127 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6130 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6131 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6132 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6133 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6136 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6137 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6138 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6139 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6140 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6143 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6144 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6145 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6146 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6147 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6148 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6149 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6150 The default is @code{t}.
6153 @node Generic Marking Commands
6154 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6156 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6157 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6158 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6159 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6160 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6163 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6164 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6167 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6168 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6169 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6170 to list in this manual.
6172 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6173 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6174 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6175 article, you could say something like:
6179 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6180 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6181 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6189 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6190 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6194 @node Setting Process Marks
6195 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6196 @cindex setting process marks
6198 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6199 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6200 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6201 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6202 commands into the cache. For more information,
6203 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6210 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6211 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6212 Mark the current article with the process mark
6213 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6214 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6218 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6219 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6220 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6221 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6224 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6225 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6226 Remove the process mark from all articles
6227 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6230 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6231 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6232 Invert the list of process marked articles
6233 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6236 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6237 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6238 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6239 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6242 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6243 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6244 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6245 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6248 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6249 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6250 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6253 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6254 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6255 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6258 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6259 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6260 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6261 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6264 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6265 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6266 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6267 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6270 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6271 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6272 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6273 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6276 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6277 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6278 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6281 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6282 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6283 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6284 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6287 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6288 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6289 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
6292 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6293 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6294 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6295 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6298 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6299 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6300 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6301 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6304 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6305 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6306 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6307 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6310 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6311 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6312 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6313 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6317 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6318 set process marks based on article body contents.
6325 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6326 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6327 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6330 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6331 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6332 additional articles.
6338 @kindex / / (Summary)
6339 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6340 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6341 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6345 @kindex / a (Summary)
6346 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6347 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6348 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6352 @kindex / R (Summary)
6353 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
6354 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
6355 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
6359 @kindex / x (Summary)
6360 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6361 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6362 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6363 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6368 @kindex / u (Summary)
6370 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6371 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6372 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6373 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6374 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6377 @kindex / m (Summary)
6378 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6379 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6380 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6383 @kindex / t (Summary)
6384 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6385 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6386 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6387 articles younger than that number of days.
6390 @kindex / n (Summary)
6391 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6392 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6393 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6394 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6397 @kindex / w (Summary)
6398 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6399 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6400 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6404 @kindex / . (Summary)
6405 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6406 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6407 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6410 @kindex / v (Summary)
6411 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6412 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6413 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6416 @kindex / p (Summary)
6417 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6418 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6419 group parameter predicate
6420 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6421 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6424 @kindex / r (Summary)
6425 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6426 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6427 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6432 @kindex M S (Summary)
6433 @kindex / E (Summary)
6434 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6435 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6436 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6439 @kindex / D (Summary)
6440 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6441 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6442 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6445 @kindex / * (Summary)
6446 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6447 Include all cached articles in the limit
6448 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6451 @kindex / d (Summary)
6452 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6453 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6454 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6457 @kindex / M (Summary)
6458 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6459 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6462 @kindex / T (Summary)
6463 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6464 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6467 @kindex / c (Summary)
6468 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6469 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6470 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6473 @kindex / C (Summary)
6474 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6475 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6476 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6477 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6480 @kindex / N (Summary)
6481 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6482 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6483 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6486 @kindex / o (Summary)
6487 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6488 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6489 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6497 @cindex article threading
6499 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6500 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6501 hierarchical fashion.
6503 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6504 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6505 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6506 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6507 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6508 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6509 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6511 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6515 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6518 A tree-like article structure.
6521 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6524 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6525 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6526 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6527 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6528 called loose threads.
6530 @item thread gathering
6531 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6533 @item sparse threads
6534 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6535 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6541 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6542 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6546 @node Customizing Threading
6547 @subsection Customizing Threading
6548 @cindex customizing threading
6551 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6552 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6553 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6554 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6559 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6562 @cindex loose threads
6565 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6566 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6567 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6568 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6569 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6570 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6572 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6573 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6574 There are four possible values:
6578 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6579 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6580 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6581 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6582 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6587 @cindex adopting articles
6592 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6593 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6594 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6595 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6598 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6599 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6600 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6601 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6602 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6603 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6604 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6605 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6606 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6607 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6610 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6611 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6612 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6616 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6617 display them after one another.
6620 Don't gather loose threads.
6623 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6624 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6625 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6626 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6627 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6628 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6629 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6630 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6631 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6632 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6633 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6635 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6636 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6637 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6640 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6641 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6642 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6643 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6644 simplification is used.
6646 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6647 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6648 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6649 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6651 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6653 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6659 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6660 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6661 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6662 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6667 (mapconcat 'identity
6668 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6670 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6673 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6676 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6677 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6678 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6679 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6680 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6681 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6683 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6686 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6687 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6688 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6690 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6691 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6694 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6695 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6696 Remove excessive whitespace.
6698 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6699 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6700 Remove all whitespace.
6703 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6706 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6707 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6708 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6709 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6710 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6711 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6712 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6713 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6715 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6716 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6717 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6718 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6719 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6720 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6721 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6722 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6723 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6727 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6728 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6729 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6730 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6732 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6733 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6734 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6737 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6741 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6742 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6748 @node Filling In Threads
6749 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6752 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6753 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6754 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6755 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
6756 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
6757 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
6758 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
6759 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
6760 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
6761 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6762 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6763 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
6766 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6767 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6768 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6770 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6771 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6772 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6775 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6776 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6777 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6778 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6779 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6780 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6781 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6782 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6783 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6784 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6785 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6786 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6787 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6788 @code{nil} by default.
6790 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6791 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6792 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6793 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6794 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6795 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6796 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6798 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6799 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6800 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6805 @node More Threading
6806 @subsubsection More Threading
6809 @item gnus-show-threads
6810 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6811 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6812 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6813 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6814 slower and more awkward.
6816 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6817 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6818 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6821 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6822 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6823 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6828 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6829 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6830 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6833 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6834 unread, but you get my drift.)
6837 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6838 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6839 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6840 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6841 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6842 threads are expunged.
6844 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6845 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6846 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6849 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6850 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6851 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6852 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6853 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6854 result in a new thread.
6856 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6857 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6858 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6861 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6862 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6863 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6864 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6865 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6866 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6867 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6868 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6869 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6870 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6871 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6876 @node Low-Level Threading
6877 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6881 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6882 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6883 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6885 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6886 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6887 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6888 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6889 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6890 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6891 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6892 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6893 meaningful. Here's one example:
6896 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6898 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6899 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6901 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6903 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6910 @node Thread Commands
6911 @subsection Thread Commands
6912 @cindex thread commands
6918 @kindex T k (Summary)
6919 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6920 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6921 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6922 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6923 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6928 @kindex T l (Summary)
6929 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6930 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6931 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6932 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6935 @kindex T i (Summary)
6936 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6937 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6938 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6941 @kindex T # (Summary)
6942 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6943 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6944 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6947 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6948 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6949 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6950 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6953 @kindex T T (Summary)
6954 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6955 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6958 @kindex T s (Summary)
6959 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6960 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6961 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6964 @kindex T h (Summary)
6965 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6966 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6969 @kindex T S (Summary)
6970 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6971 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6974 @kindex T H (Summary)
6975 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6976 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6979 @kindex T t (Summary)
6980 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6981 Re-thread the current article's thread
6982 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6983 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6986 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6987 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6988 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6989 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6993 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6994 understand the numeric prefix.
6999 @kindex T n (Summary)
7001 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
7003 @kindex M-down (Summary)
7004 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
7005 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
7008 @kindex T p (Summary)
7010 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
7012 @kindex M-up (Summary)
7013 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
7014 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
7017 @kindex T d (Summary)
7018 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
7019 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
7022 @kindex T u (Summary)
7023 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
7024 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
7027 @kindex T o (Summary)
7028 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
7029 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
7032 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
7033 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
7034 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
7035 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
7036 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
7037 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
7038 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
7039 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
7040 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
7041 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
7042 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
7043 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
7047 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
7048 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
7050 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
7051 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
7052 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse
7053 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
7054 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7055 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
7056 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
7057 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7058 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
7059 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
7060 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
7061 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
7062 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
7063 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
7064 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
7065 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
7067 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
7068 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
7069 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
7070 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
7071 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse},
7072 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
7073 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
7074 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
7075 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
7076 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
7078 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
7079 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
7080 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
7082 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7083 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7084 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7085 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7086 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7087 ascending article order.
7089 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7090 by number, you could do something like:
7093 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7094 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7095 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7096 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7099 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7100 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7101 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7102 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7103 which the articles arrived.
7105 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7109 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7110 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
7111 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7114 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7115 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7116 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7117 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7120 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7121 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7122 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7123 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7124 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7125 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7126 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7127 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7128 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7129 variable. It is very similar to the
7130 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7131 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7132 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7133 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7134 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7135 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7136 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7138 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7142 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7143 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7144 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7147 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
7148 @xref{Group Parameters}.
7151 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7152 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7153 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7154 @cindex article pre-fetch
7157 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7158 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7159 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7160 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7161 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7163 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7164 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7166 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7167 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7168 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7169 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7170 connection is blocked.
7172 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7173 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7174 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7175 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7177 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7178 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7179 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7180 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7183 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7186 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7187 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7188 happen automatically.
7190 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7191 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7192 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7193 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7194 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7195 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7196 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7198 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7199 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7200 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7201 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7202 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7203 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7204 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7205 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7206 article data structure as the only parameter.
7208 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7209 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7212 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7213 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7214 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7215 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7218 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7221 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7222 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7223 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7225 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7226 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7227 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7228 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7232 Remove articles when they are read.
7235 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7238 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7240 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7241 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7242 @c from the next group.
7245 @node Article Caching
7246 @section Article Caching
7247 @cindex article caching
7250 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7251 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7252 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7253 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7254 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7256 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7258 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7259 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7260 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7261 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7262 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7263 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7264 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7265 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7267 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7268 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7269 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7270 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7271 as dormant, and don't worry.
7273 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7275 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7276 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7277 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7278 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7279 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7280 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7281 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7282 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7283 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7284 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7286 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7287 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7288 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7289 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7290 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7291 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7292 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7293 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7294 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7295 not then be downloaded by this command.
7297 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7298 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7299 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7300 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7301 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7302 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7304 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7305 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7306 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7307 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7308 variables, the group is not cached.
7310 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7311 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7312 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7313 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7314 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7315 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7316 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7317 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7318 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7321 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7322 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7323 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7324 where, isn't that cool?
7326 @node Persistent Articles
7327 @section Persistent Articles
7328 @cindex persistent articles
7330 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7331 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7332 useful in my opinion.
7334 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7335 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7336 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7337 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7338 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7339 the expiry going on at the news server.
7341 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7342 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7343 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7349 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7350 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7353 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7354 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7355 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7356 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7360 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7362 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7363 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7364 interested in persistent articles:
7367 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7371 @node Article Backlog
7372 @section Article Backlog
7374 @cindex article backlog
7376 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7377 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7378 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7379 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7380 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7381 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7382 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7383 increase memory usage some.
7385 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7386 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7387 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7388 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7389 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7390 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7391 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7393 The default value is 20.
7396 @node Saving Articles
7397 @section Saving Articles
7398 @cindex saving articles
7400 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7401 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7402 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7403 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7404 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7406 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7407 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7408 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7410 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7411 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7412 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7414 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7415 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7416 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7417 deleted before saving.
7423 @kindex O o (Summary)
7425 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7426 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7427 Save the current article using the default article saver
7428 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7431 @kindex O m (Summary)
7432 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7433 Save the current article in mail format
7434 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7437 @kindex O r (Summary)
7438 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7439 Save the current article in Rmail format
7440 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7443 @kindex O f (Summary)
7444 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7445 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7446 Save the current article in plain file format
7447 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7450 @kindex O F (Summary)
7451 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7452 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7453 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7456 @kindex O b (Summary)
7457 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7458 Save the current article body in plain file format
7459 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7462 @kindex O h (Summary)
7463 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7464 Save the current article in mh folder format
7465 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7468 @kindex O v (Summary)
7469 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7470 Save the current article in a VM folder
7471 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7475 @kindex O p (Summary)
7477 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7478 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7479 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7480 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7481 complete headers in the piped output.
7484 @kindex O P (Summary)
7485 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7486 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7487 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7488 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7489 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7490 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7491 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7495 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7496 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7497 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7498 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7499 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7500 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7501 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7502 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7503 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7504 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7505 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7506 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7510 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7511 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7512 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7513 functions below, or you can create your own.
7517 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7518 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7519 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7520 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7521 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7522 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7523 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7525 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7526 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7527 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7528 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7529 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7530 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7532 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7533 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7534 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7535 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7536 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7537 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7538 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7540 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7541 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7542 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7543 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7544 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7545 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7547 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7548 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7549 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7550 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7551 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7553 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7554 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7555 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7556 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7557 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7560 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7561 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7562 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7563 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7564 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7566 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7567 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7568 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7569 reader to use this setting.
7572 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7573 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7574 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7575 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7578 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7579 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7580 available functions that generate names:
7584 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7585 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7586 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7588 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7589 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7590 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7592 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7593 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7594 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7596 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7597 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7598 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7600 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7601 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7602 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7605 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7606 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7607 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7608 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7609 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7613 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7614 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7615 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7616 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7619 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7620 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7621 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7622 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7623 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7624 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7625 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7626 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7627 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7629 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7630 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7631 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7632 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7634 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7635 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7636 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7639 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7640 lots of mail groups called things like
7641 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7642 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7643 following will do just that:
7646 (defun my-save-name (group)
7647 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7648 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7650 (setq gnus-split-methods
7651 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7656 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7657 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7658 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7659 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7660 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7661 all the files in the top level directory
7662 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7663 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7664 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7665 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7667 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7668 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7669 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7670 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7671 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7674 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7678 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7679 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7680 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7683 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7684 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7685 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7686 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7689 @node Decoding Articles
7690 @section Decoding Articles
7691 @cindex decoding articles
7693 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7694 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7697 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7698 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7699 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7700 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7701 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7702 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7706 @cindex article series
7707 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7708 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7709 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7710 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7711 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7713 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7714 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7715 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7717 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7718 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7719 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7721 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7722 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7723 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7726 @node Uuencoded Articles
7727 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7729 @cindex uuencoded articles
7734 @kindex X u (Summary)
7735 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7736 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7737 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7740 @kindex X U (Summary)
7741 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7742 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7743 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7746 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7747 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7748 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7751 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7752 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7753 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7754 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7758 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7759 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7760 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7761 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7762 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7764 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7765 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7766 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7767 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7770 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7771 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7772 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7773 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7774 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7775 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7779 @node Shell Archives
7780 @subsection Shell Archives
7782 @cindex shell archives
7783 @cindex shared articles
7785 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7786 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7787 some commands to deal with these:
7792 @kindex X s (Summary)
7793 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7794 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7797 @kindex X S (Summary)
7798 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7799 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7802 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7803 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7804 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7807 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7808 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7809 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7810 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7814 @node PostScript Files
7815 @subsection PostScript Files
7821 @kindex X p (Summary)
7822 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7823 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7826 @kindex X P (Summary)
7827 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7828 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7829 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7832 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7833 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7834 View the current PostScript series
7835 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7838 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7839 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7840 View and save the current PostScript series
7841 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7846 @subsection Other Files
7850 @kindex X o (Summary)
7851 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7852 Save the current series
7853 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7856 @kindex X b (Summary)
7857 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7858 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7859 doesn't really work yet.
7863 @node Decoding Variables
7864 @subsection Decoding Variables
7866 Adjective, not verb.
7869 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7870 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7871 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7875 @node Rule Variables
7876 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7877 @cindex rule variables
7879 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7880 variables are of the form
7883 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7890 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7891 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7893 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7894 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7897 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7898 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7901 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7902 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7903 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7904 user and default view rules.
7906 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7907 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7908 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7913 @node Other Decode Variables
7914 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7917 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7919 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7920 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7921 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7922 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7923 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7927 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7928 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7931 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7932 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7933 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7936 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7937 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7938 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7939 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7940 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7943 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7944 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7945 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7947 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7948 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7949 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7950 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7951 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7954 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7955 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7956 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7958 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7959 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7960 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7961 looking for files to display.
7963 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7964 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7965 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7968 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7969 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7970 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7973 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7974 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7975 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7978 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7979 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7980 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7983 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7984 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7985 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7986 decoded articles as unread.
7988 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7989 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7990 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7991 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7993 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7994 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7995 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7997 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7998 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8000 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
8001 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
8002 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
8003 @code{metamail} for viewing.
8005 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8006 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8007 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
8008 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
8009 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
8010 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
8011 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
8012 simply dropped them.
8017 @node Uuencoding and Posting
8018 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
8022 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8023 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8024 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
8025 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
8026 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
8027 for you when you post the article.
8029 @item gnus-uu-post-length
8030 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
8031 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
8032 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
8034 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
8035 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
8036 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
8037 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
8038 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
8039 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
8040 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
8042 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8043 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8044 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
8045 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
8046 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
8047 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
8048 Default is @code{t}.
8054 @subsection Viewing Files
8055 @cindex viewing files
8056 @cindex pseudo-articles
8058 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
8059 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
8060 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
8061 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
8062 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
8063 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
8064 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
8066 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
8067 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
8068 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
8069 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
8071 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
8072 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
8073 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
8075 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
8076 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
8077 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
8078 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
8079 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
8081 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
8082 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
8083 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8084 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8085 a list of parameters to that command.
8087 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8088 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8089 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8091 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8092 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8093 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8096 @node Article Treatment
8097 @section Article Treatment
8099 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8100 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8101 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8102 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8103 these articles easier.
8106 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8107 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8108 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8109 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8110 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8111 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8112 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8113 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8114 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8115 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8116 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8120 @node Article Highlighting
8121 @subsection Article Highlighting
8122 @cindex highlighting
8124 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8125 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8130 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8131 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8132 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8133 Do much highlighting of the current article
8134 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8135 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8138 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8139 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8140 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8141 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8142 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8143 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8144 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8145 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8146 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8147 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8148 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8149 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8152 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8153 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8154 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8156 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8159 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8161 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8162 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8163 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8165 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8166 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8167 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8169 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8170 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8171 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8172 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8173 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8174 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8176 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8177 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8178 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8180 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8181 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8182 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8184 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8185 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8186 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8187 that it's a citation.
8189 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8190 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8191 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8193 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8194 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8195 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8197 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8198 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8199 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8200 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8202 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8203 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8204 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
8205 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
8206 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
8213 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8214 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8215 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8216 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8217 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8218 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8219 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8220 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8225 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8228 @node Article Fontisizing
8229 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8231 @cindex article emphasis
8233 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8234 @kindex W e (Summary)
8235 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8236 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8237 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8238 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8240 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8241 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8242 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8243 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8244 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8245 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8246 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8247 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8251 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8252 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8253 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8262 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8263 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8264 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8265 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8266 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8267 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8268 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8269 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8270 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8271 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8272 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8273 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8274 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8276 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8277 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8278 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8282 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8285 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8287 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8288 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8289 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8290 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8292 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8295 @node Article Hiding
8296 @subsection Article Hiding
8297 @cindex article hiding
8299 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8300 too much cruft in most articles.
8305 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8306 @findex gnus-article-hide
8307 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8308 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8309 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8312 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8313 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8314 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8318 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8319 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8320 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8321 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8324 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8325 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8326 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8330 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8331 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8332 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8333 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8334 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8335 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8336 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8337 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8341 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8342 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8343 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8344 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8349 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8350 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8351 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8352 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8355 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8356 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8357 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8358 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8361 @cindex stripping advertisements
8362 @cindex advertisements
8363 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8364 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8365 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8366 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8367 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8368 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8369 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8370 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8371 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8372 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8375 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8376 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8377 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8381 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8382 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8383 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8384 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8385 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8386 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8387 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8388 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8389 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8390 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8391 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8394 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8395 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8401 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8402 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8403 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8404 customizing the hiding:
8408 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8409 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8410 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8411 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8412 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8413 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8414 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8419 Starting point of the hidden text.
8421 Ending point of the hidden text.
8423 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8425 Number of lines of hidden text.
8428 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8429 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8430 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8431 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8432 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8437 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8438 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8440 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8441 following two variables:
8444 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8445 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8446 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8447 50), hide the cited text.
8449 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8450 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8451 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8456 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8457 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8458 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8459 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8460 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8461 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8465 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8466 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8467 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8469 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8470 citation customization.
8472 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8476 @node Article Washing
8477 @subsection Article Washing
8479 @cindex article washing
8481 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8482 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8484 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8485 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8488 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8489 articles by default.
8494 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8495 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8499 Force redisplaying of the current article
8500 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8501 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8502 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8503 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8506 @kindex W l (Summary)
8507 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8508 Remove page breaks from the current article
8509 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8513 @kindex W r (Summary)
8514 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8515 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8516 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8517 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8518 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8519 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8521 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8522 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8523 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8524 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8527 @kindex W m (Summary)
8528 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8529 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8532 @kindex W i (Summary)
8533 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
8534 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
8535 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
8536 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
8537 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
8538 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
8543 @kindex W t (Summary)
8545 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8546 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8547 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8550 @kindex W v (Summary)
8551 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8552 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8553 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8556 @kindex W o (Summary)
8557 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8558 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8561 @kindex W d (Summary)
8562 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8563 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8565 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8567 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8568 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8569 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8570 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8573 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8574 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8575 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8576 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8579 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8580 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8581 @cindex Outlook Express
8582 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8583 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8584 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8587 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8588 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8589 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8590 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8591 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8592 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8593 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8594 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8595 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8596 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8599 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8600 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8601 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8602 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8605 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8606 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8607 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8608 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8611 @kindex W w (Summary)
8612 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8613 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8615 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8619 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8620 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8621 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8624 @kindex W C (Summary)
8625 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8626 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8627 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8630 @kindex W c (Summary)
8631 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8632 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8633 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8634 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8635 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8638 @kindex W q (Summary)
8639 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8640 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8641 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8642 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8643 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
8644 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
8645 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8646 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8647 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8650 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8651 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8652 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8653 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8654 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8655 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8656 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8657 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8660 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8661 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8662 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8663 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8664 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8667 @kindex W A (Summary)
8668 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
8669 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
8670 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
8671 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
8672 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
8675 @kindex W u (Summary)
8676 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8677 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8678 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8679 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8680 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8683 @kindex W h (Summary)
8684 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8685 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8686 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8687 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8689 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
8690 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
8691 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
8693 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8694 The default is to use the function specified by
8695 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8696 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8697 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8698 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8706 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8708 @item w3m-standalone
8709 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
8712 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8715 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8718 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8723 @kindex W b (Summary)
8724 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8725 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8726 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8729 @kindex W B (Summary)
8730 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8731 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8732 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8735 @kindex W p (Summary)
8736 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8737 Verify a signed control message
8738 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8739 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8740 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8741 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8742 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8743 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8746 @kindex W s (Summary)
8747 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8748 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8749 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8750 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8753 @kindex W a (Summary)
8754 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8755 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8756 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8759 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8760 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8761 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8762 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8765 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8766 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8767 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8768 lines with a single empty line.
8769 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8772 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8773 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8774 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8775 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8778 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8779 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8780 Do all the three commands above
8781 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8784 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8785 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8786 Remove all blank lines
8787 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8790 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8791 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8792 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8793 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8796 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8797 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8798 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8799 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8803 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8806 @node Article Header
8807 @subsection Article Header
8809 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8814 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8815 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8816 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8819 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8820 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8821 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8822 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8825 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8826 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8827 Fold all the message headers
8828 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8831 @kindex W E w (Summary)
8832 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8833 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8834 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8839 @node Article Buttons
8840 @subsection Article Buttons
8843 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8844 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8845 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8846 button on these references.
8848 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8849 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8850 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8851 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8852 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8856 @item gnus-button-alist
8857 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8858 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8861 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8867 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8868 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8869 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8870 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8871 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8874 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8875 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8876 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8879 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8880 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8881 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8882 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8883 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8885 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8888 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8891 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8892 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8896 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8899 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8902 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8903 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8904 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8905 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8906 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8909 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8912 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8915 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8918 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8919 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8921 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8923 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8924 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8925 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8926 default values of the variables above.
8928 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8930 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8931 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8932 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8933 argument with a string naming the man page.
8935 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8937 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8938 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8939 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8941 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8942 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8943 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8944 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8945 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8946 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8947 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8948 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8949 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8950 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8951 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8952 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8954 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8955 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8956 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8957 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8958 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8961 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8962 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8963 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8964 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8966 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8968 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8969 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8970 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8971 argument, the string naming the URL.
8974 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8975 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8976 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8980 @item gnus-article-button-face
8981 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8982 Face used on buttons.
8984 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8985 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8986 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8990 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8993 @node Article Button Levels
8994 @subsection Article button levels
8995 @cindex button levels
8996 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8997 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8998 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8999 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
9000 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
9001 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
9002 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
9003 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
9006 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
9007 (setq gnus-parameters
9008 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
9009 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
9010 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
9015 @item gnus-button-browse-level
9016 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
9017 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
9018 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
9019 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
9020 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
9022 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
9023 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
9024 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
9025 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
9026 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
9027 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
9028 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
9029 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
9030 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
9031 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
9032 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
9033 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
9034 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
9036 @item gnus-button-man-level
9037 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
9038 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
9039 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
9041 @item gnus-button-message-level
9042 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
9043 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
9044 Related variables and functions include
9045 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
9046 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
9047 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
9048 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
9050 @item gnus-button-tex-level
9051 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
9052 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
9053 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
9054 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
9055 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
9056 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
9062 @subsection Article Date
9064 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
9065 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
9066 when the article was sent.
9071 @kindex W T u (Summary)
9072 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
9073 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
9074 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
9077 @kindex W T i (Summary)
9078 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
9080 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
9081 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
9084 @kindex W T l (Summary)
9085 @findex gnus-article-date-local
9086 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
9089 @kindex W T p (Summary)
9090 @findex gnus-article-date-english
9091 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
9092 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
9095 @kindex W T s (Summary)
9096 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
9097 @findex gnus-article-date-user
9098 @findex format-time-string
9099 Display the date using a user-defined format
9100 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
9101 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
9102 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
9103 for a list of possible format specs.
9106 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9107 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9108 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9109 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9110 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9111 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9114 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9117 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
9118 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
9119 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
9122 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
9123 into wonderful absurdities.
9125 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
9128 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9131 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9132 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9136 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9137 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9138 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9139 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9140 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9141 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9142 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9146 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9147 preferred format automatically.
9150 @node Article Display
9151 @subsection Article Display
9156 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9157 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9159 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9160 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9162 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9163 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9165 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9166 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9168 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9169 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9171 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9176 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9177 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9178 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9179 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9182 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9183 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9184 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9185 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9188 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9189 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9190 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9193 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9194 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9195 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9198 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9199 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9200 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9201 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9204 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9205 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9206 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9207 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9210 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9211 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9212 Remove all images from the article buffer
9213 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9219 @node Article Signature
9220 @subsection Article Signature
9222 @cindex article signature
9224 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9225 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9226 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9227 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9228 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9229 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9230 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9231 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9232 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9235 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9236 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9237 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9238 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9239 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9240 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9241 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9242 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9245 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9248 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9249 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9250 signature when displaying articles.
9254 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9257 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9260 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9261 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9263 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9264 in question is not a signature.
9267 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9268 listed above. Here's an example:
9271 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9272 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9275 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9276 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9277 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9278 signature after all.
9281 @node Article Miscellanea
9282 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9286 @kindex A t (Summary)
9287 @findex gnus-article-babel
9288 Translate the article from one language to another
9289 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9295 @section MIME Commands
9296 @cindex MIME decoding
9298 @cindex viewing attachments
9300 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9301 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9307 @kindex K v (Summary)
9308 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9311 @kindex K o (Summary)
9312 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9315 @kindex K O (Summary)
9316 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
9317 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
9318 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
9321 @kindex K r (Summary)
9322 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
9325 @kindex K d (Summary)
9326 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
9330 @kindex K c (Summary)
9331 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9334 @kindex K e (Summary)
9335 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9338 @kindex K i (Summary)
9339 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9342 @kindex K | (Summary)
9343 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9346 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9351 @kindex K b (Summary)
9352 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9353 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9357 @kindex K m (Summary)
9358 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9359 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9360 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9361 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9362 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9365 @kindex X m (Summary)
9366 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9367 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9368 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9369 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9372 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9373 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9374 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9375 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9378 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9379 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9380 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9381 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9384 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9385 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9386 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9387 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9389 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9390 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9391 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9392 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9393 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9394 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9397 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9398 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9399 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9400 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9407 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9408 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9409 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9410 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9413 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9416 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9420 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9421 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9422 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9423 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9424 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9425 default is @code{nil}.
9427 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9428 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9429 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9430 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9431 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9432 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9433 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9435 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9436 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9437 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9438 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9439 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9440 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9441 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9442 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9444 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9445 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9446 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9447 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9448 displayed. This variable overrides
9449 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9450 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9453 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9454 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9455 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9457 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
9458 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
9459 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
9460 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
9461 Emacs MIME Manual}).
9463 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9464 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9465 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9466 default value is @code{nil}.
9468 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9469 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9470 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9471 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9472 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9473 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9474 save all jpegs into some directory).
9476 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9479 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9480 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9482 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9483 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9484 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9485 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9486 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9489 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9490 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9491 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9493 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9494 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9495 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9497 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9498 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9499 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9501 If displaying "text/html" is discouraged, see
9502 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
9503 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
9504 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
9505 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
9507 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9508 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9509 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
9510 overrides @code{nil} values of
9511 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9512 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9514 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9515 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9516 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9517 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9519 Ready-made functions include@*
9520 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9521 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9522 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9523 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9524 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9525 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9526 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9527 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9528 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9529 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9530 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9531 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9533 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9534 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9536 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9537 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9538 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9541 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9542 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9543 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9544 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9548 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9557 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9558 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9559 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9560 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9561 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9562 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9563 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
9565 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9566 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9567 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9568 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9570 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9571 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9572 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9573 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9574 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9575 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9576 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9577 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9578 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9580 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9581 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9582 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9583 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9584 quoted-printable header encoding.
9586 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9587 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9588 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9592 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9595 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9596 means encode all charsets),
9598 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9599 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9600 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9607 @cindex coding system aliases
9608 @cindex preferred charset
9610 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
9611 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
9612 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
9614 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9616 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9617 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9620 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9621 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9624 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9625 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9627 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9630 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9633 This will almost do the right thing.
9635 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9639 (codepage-setup 1251)
9640 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9644 @node Article Commands
9645 @section Article Commands
9652 @kindex A P (Summary)
9653 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9654 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9655 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9656 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9657 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9658 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9663 @node Summary Sorting
9664 @section Summary Sorting
9665 @cindex summary sorting
9667 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9668 can't really see why you'd want that.
9673 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9674 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9675 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9678 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9679 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9680 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9683 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
9684 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
9685 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
9688 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9689 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9690 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9693 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9694 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9695 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9698 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9699 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9700 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9703 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9704 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9705 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9708 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9709 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9710 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9713 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9714 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9715 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9718 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9719 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9720 Sort using the default sorting method
9721 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9724 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9725 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9726 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9727 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9728 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9732 @node Finding the Parent
9733 @section Finding the Parent
9734 @cindex parent articles
9735 @cindex referring articles
9740 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9741 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9742 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9743 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9744 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9745 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9746 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9747 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9748 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9750 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9751 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9752 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9753 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9754 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9758 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9759 @kindex A R (Summary)
9760 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9761 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9764 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9765 @kindex A T (Summary)
9766 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9767 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9768 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9769 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9770 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9771 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9772 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9774 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9775 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9776 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9777 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9778 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9779 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9782 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9783 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9785 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9786 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
9787 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
9788 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
9789 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
9790 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9792 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
9793 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
9794 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
9797 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9798 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9799 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9800 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9801 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9802 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9805 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9806 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9807 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9810 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9811 then ask Google if that fails:
9814 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9816 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9819 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9820 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9821 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
9822 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9823 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
9824 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
9825 not support this at all.
9828 @node Alternative Approaches
9829 @section Alternative Approaches
9831 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9832 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9835 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9836 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9841 @subsection Pick and Read
9842 @cindex pick and read
9844 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9845 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9846 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9847 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9849 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9850 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9851 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9852 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9853 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9854 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9856 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9861 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9862 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9863 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9864 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9865 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9866 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9867 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9868 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9871 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9872 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9873 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9874 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9878 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9879 Unpick the thread or article
9880 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9881 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9882 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9883 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9884 the thread or article at that line.
9888 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9889 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9890 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9891 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9892 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9893 will still be visible when you are reading.
9897 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9898 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9899 which is mapped to the same function
9900 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9902 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9905 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9908 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9909 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9911 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9912 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9913 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9915 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9916 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9917 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9918 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9919 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9920 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9921 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9925 @subsection Binary Groups
9926 @cindex binary groups
9928 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9929 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9930 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9931 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9932 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9933 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9934 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9937 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9938 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9939 command, when you have turned on this mode
9940 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9942 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9943 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9947 @section Tree Display
9950 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9951 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9952 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9953 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9956 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9959 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9960 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9961 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9963 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9964 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9965 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9966 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9967 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9969 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9970 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9971 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9972 default is @code{modeline}.
9974 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9975 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9976 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9977 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9978 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9979 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9980 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9986 The name of the poster.
9988 The @code{From} header.
9990 The number of the article.
9992 The opening bracket.
9994 The closing bracket.
9999 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
10001 Variables related to the display are:
10004 @item gnus-tree-brackets
10005 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
10006 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
10007 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
10009 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
10010 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
10011 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
10013 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
10015 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10016 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10017 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
10018 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
10022 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
10023 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
10024 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
10025 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
10026 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
10027 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
10028 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
10029 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
10030 other windows displayed next to it.
10032 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
10036 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
10037 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
10040 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
10041 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
10042 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10043 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
10044 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
10045 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
10046 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
10050 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
10053 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
10063 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
10068 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
10069 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
10071 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
10073 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
10079 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
10080 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
10081 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
10084 (setq gnus-use-trees t
10085 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10086 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
10087 (gnus-add-configuration
10091 (summary 0.75 point)
10096 @xref{Window Layout}.
10099 @node Mail Group Commands
10100 @section Mail Group Commands
10101 @cindex mail group commands
10103 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
10104 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
10106 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
10107 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10112 @kindex B e (Summary)
10113 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
10114 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
10115 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
10116 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
10117 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
10120 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
10121 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
10122 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
10123 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
10124 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
10125 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
10128 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
10129 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10130 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10131 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10132 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10133 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10136 @kindex B m (Summary)
10138 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10139 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10140 Move the article from one mail group to another
10141 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10142 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10145 @kindex B c (Summary)
10147 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10148 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10149 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10150 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10151 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10154 @kindex B B (Summary)
10155 @cindex crosspost mail
10156 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10157 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10158 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10159 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10160 be properly updated.
10163 @kindex B i (Summary)
10164 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10165 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10166 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10167 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10170 @kindex B I (Summary)
10171 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10172 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10173 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10174 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10177 @kindex B r (Summary)
10178 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10179 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10180 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10181 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10182 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10183 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10184 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10185 (which is the default).
10189 @kindex B w (Summary)
10190 @kindex e (Summary)
10191 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10192 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10193 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10194 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10195 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10196 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10197 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10200 @kindex B q (Summary)
10201 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10202 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10203 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10204 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10207 @kindex B t (Summary)
10208 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10209 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10210 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10213 @kindex B p (Summary)
10214 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10215 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10216 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10217 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10218 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10219 article from your news server (or rather, from
10220 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10221 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10222 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10223 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10224 just not have arrived yet.
10227 @kindex K E (Summary)
10228 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10229 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10230 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10231 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10232 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10236 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10237 @cindex moving articles
10238 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10239 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10240 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10241 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10242 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10243 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10244 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10247 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10248 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10249 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10250 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10254 @node Various Summary Stuff
10255 @section Various Summary Stuff
10258 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10259 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10260 * Summary Generation Commands::
10261 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10265 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10266 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10267 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10268 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10269 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10270 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10272 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10273 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10274 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10277 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10278 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10279 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10281 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10282 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10283 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10284 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10285 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10286 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10289 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10290 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10291 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10292 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10293 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10295 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10296 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10297 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10300 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10301 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10302 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10303 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10304 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10305 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10306 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10307 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10308 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10309 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10311 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10312 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10313 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10314 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10315 list of articles to be selected.
10317 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10318 the list in one particular group:
10321 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10322 (if (string= group "some.group")
10323 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10327 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10328 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10329 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10330 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10331 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10334 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10335 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10336 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10337 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10338 variable will be used instead.
10340 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10341 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10342 buffers. For example:
10345 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10346 '(message-use-followup-to
10347 (gnus-visible-headers .
10348 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10351 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10355 @node Summary Group Information
10356 @subsection Summary Group Information
10361 @kindex H f (Summary)
10362 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10363 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10364 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10365 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10366 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10367 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10368 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10369 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10370 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10373 @kindex H d (Summary)
10374 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10375 Give a brief description of the current group
10376 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10377 rereading the description from the server.
10380 @kindex H h (Summary)
10381 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10382 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10383 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10386 @kindex H i (Summary)
10387 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10388 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10392 @node Searching for Articles
10393 @subsection Searching for Articles
10398 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10399 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10400 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10401 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10404 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10405 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10406 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10407 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10410 @kindex & (Summary)
10411 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10412 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10413 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10414 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10415 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10416 search backward instead.
10418 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10419 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10422 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10423 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10424 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10425 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10428 @node Summary Generation Commands
10429 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10434 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10435 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10436 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10439 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10440 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10441 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10442 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10445 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10446 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10447 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10448 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10453 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10454 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10460 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10461 @kindex A D (Summary)
10462 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10463 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10464 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10465 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10466 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10467 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10468 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10469 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10473 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10474 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10475 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10476 several documents into one biiig group
10477 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10478 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10479 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10480 command understands the process/prefix convention
10481 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10484 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10485 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10486 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10487 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10488 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10489 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10492 @kindex = (Summary)
10493 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10494 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10495 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10498 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10499 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10500 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10501 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10504 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10505 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10506 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10507 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10512 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10513 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10514 @cindex summary exit
10515 @cindex exiting groups
10517 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10518 group and return you to the group buffer.
10525 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10526 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10527 @kindex q (Summary)
10528 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10529 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10530 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10531 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10532 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10533 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10534 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10535 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10536 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10537 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10538 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10539 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10543 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10544 @kindex Q (Summary)
10545 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10546 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10547 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10551 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10552 @kindex c (Summary)
10553 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10554 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10555 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10556 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10559 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10560 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10561 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10562 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10565 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10566 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10567 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10568 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10571 @kindex Z p (Summary)
10572 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
10573 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
10574 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
10578 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10579 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10580 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10581 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10582 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10583 all articles, both read and unread.
10587 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10588 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10589 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10590 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10591 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10592 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10593 articles, both read and unread.
10596 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10597 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10598 Exit the group and go to the next group
10599 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10602 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10603 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10604 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10605 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10608 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10609 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10610 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10611 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10612 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10613 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10616 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10617 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10618 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10619 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10621 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10622 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10623 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10624 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10625 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10626 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10627 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10628 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10629 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10630 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10631 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10632 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10634 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10636 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10637 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10638 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10639 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10640 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10641 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10642 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10643 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10644 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10647 @node Crosspost Handling
10648 @section Crosspost Handling
10652 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10653 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10654 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10655 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10656 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10657 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10660 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10661 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10662 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10663 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10664 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10666 @cindex cross-posting
10668 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10669 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10670 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10671 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10672 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10673 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10674 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10675 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10676 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10677 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10678 the cross reference mechanism.
10680 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10681 @cindex overview.fmt
10682 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10683 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10684 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10685 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10686 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10687 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10690 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10691 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10692 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10697 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10700 @node Duplicate Suppression
10701 @section Duplicate Suppression
10703 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10704 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10705 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10706 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10711 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10712 is evil and not very common.
10715 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10716 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10719 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10720 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10723 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10726 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10727 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10729 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10730 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10731 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10732 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10733 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10734 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10735 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10738 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10739 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10740 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10741 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10742 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10743 saw the article in.
10746 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10747 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10748 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10750 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10751 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10752 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10753 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10754 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10755 session are suppressed.
10757 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10758 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10759 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10760 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10762 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10763 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10764 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10765 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10768 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10769 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10770 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10771 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10772 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10773 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10774 to you to figure out, I think.
10779 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10780 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10781 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10786 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10787 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10788 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10789 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10792 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10793 or newer is recommended.
10797 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10798 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10801 @item mm-verify-option
10802 @vindex mm-verify-option
10803 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10804 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10805 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10807 @item mm-decrypt-option
10808 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10809 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10810 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10811 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10814 @vindex mml1991-use
10815 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10816 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10817 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10821 @vindex mml2015-use
10822 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10823 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10824 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10829 @cindex snarfing keys
10830 @cindex importing PGP keys
10831 @cindex PGP key ring import
10832 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10833 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10834 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10835 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10836 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10837 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10838 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10839 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10840 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10843 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10846 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10847 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10850 @section Mailing List
10851 @cindex mailing list
10854 @kindex A M (summary)
10855 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10856 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10857 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10858 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10861 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10866 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10867 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10868 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10871 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10872 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10873 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10876 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10877 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10878 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10882 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10883 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10884 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10887 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10888 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10889 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10892 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10893 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
10894 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10899 @node Article Buffer
10900 @chapter Article Buffer
10901 @cindex article buffer
10903 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10904 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10905 tell Gnus otherwise.
10908 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10909 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10910 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10911 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10912 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10916 @node Hiding Headers
10917 @section Hiding Headers
10918 @cindex hiding headers
10919 @cindex deleting headers
10921 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10922 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10924 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10925 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10926 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10927 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10928 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10929 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10930 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10931 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10932 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10934 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10938 @item gnus-visible-headers
10939 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10940 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10941 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10942 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10944 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10945 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10948 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10951 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10954 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10955 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10956 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10957 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10958 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10959 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10961 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10962 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10965 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10968 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10971 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10972 variable will have no effect.
10976 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10977 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10978 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10979 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10980 the headers are to be displayed.
10982 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10983 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10986 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10989 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10990 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10992 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10993 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10994 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10995 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10996 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10997 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
10998 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
11001 These conditions are:
11004 Remove all empty headers.
11006 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
11007 @code{Newsgroups} header.
11009 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
11010 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
11013 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
11016 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11017 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
11019 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11020 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11022 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
11023 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11025 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
11028 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
11030 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
11033 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
11036 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
11037 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
11040 This is also the default value for this variable.
11044 @section Using MIME
11045 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11047 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
11048 while people stand around yawning.
11050 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
11051 while all newsreaders die of fear.
11053 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
11054 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
11055 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
11057 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
11058 @findex gnus-display-mime
11059 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
11060 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
11061 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
11062 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
11064 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
11065 @acronym{MIME} button:
11068 @findex gnus-article-press-button
11069 @item RET (Article)
11070 @kindex RET (Article)
11071 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
11072 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
11073 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
11074 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
11075 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
11076 object is displayed inline.
11078 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
11079 @item M-RET (Article)
11080 @kindex M-RET (Article)
11082 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11083 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
11085 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
11087 @kindex t (Article)
11088 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
11089 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
11091 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
11093 @kindex C (Article)
11094 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11095 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
11097 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
11099 @kindex o (Article)
11100 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
11101 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
11103 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
11104 @item C-o (Article)
11105 @kindex C-o (Article)
11106 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
11107 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
11108 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
11109 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
11110 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
11111 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
11113 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
11115 @kindex r (Article)
11116 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
11117 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
11118 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
11120 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
11122 @kindex d (Article)
11123 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
11124 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
11125 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
11127 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
11129 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
11131 @kindex c (Article)
11132 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
11133 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
11134 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
11135 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
11136 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
11137 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
11138 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
11139 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11141 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
11143 @kindex p (Article)
11144 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
11145 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
11146 @file{.mailcap} file.
11148 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
11150 @kindex i (Article)
11151 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
11152 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
11153 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
11154 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
11155 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
11156 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
11157 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
11158 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
11159 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11161 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
11163 @kindex E (Article)
11164 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
11165 viewer is available, use an external viewer
11166 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
11168 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
11170 @kindex e (Article)
11171 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
11172 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
11174 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
11176 @kindex | (Article)
11177 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
11179 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
11181 @kindex . (Article)
11182 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
11183 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
11187 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
11188 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
11189 @acronym{MIME} manual.
11191 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
11192 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
11193 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
11194 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
11195 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
11196 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
11197 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
11198 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
11199 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
11201 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
11203 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
11206 @node Customizing Articles
11207 @section Customizing Articles
11208 @cindex article customization
11210 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
11211 exist. You can call these functions interactively
11212 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
11213 called automatically when you select the articles.
11215 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
11216 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
11217 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
11218 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11220 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11221 for sensible values.
11225 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11228 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11231 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11234 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
11237 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
11240 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11244 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11245 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11246 regexps in the list.
11249 A list where the first element is not a string:
11251 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11252 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11253 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11257 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11262 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11263 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11264 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11265 considered to contain just a single part.
11267 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11268 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11269 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11270 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11271 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11272 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11273 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11275 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11276 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11277 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11278 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11281 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11282 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11284 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11286 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11287 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11288 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11289 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11290 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
11291 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11292 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11293 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11294 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11295 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11297 @xref{Article Washing}.
11299 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11300 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11301 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11302 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11303 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11304 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11305 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11307 @xref{Article Date}.
11309 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11310 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11311 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11315 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11317 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11319 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11320 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11321 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11325 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11329 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11333 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11334 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11335 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11336 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11337 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11338 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11339 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11340 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11341 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11342 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11344 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11346 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11347 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11348 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11350 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11352 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11353 @item gnus-treat-translate
11354 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
11355 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11357 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11358 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11359 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11360 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11362 @xref{Article Header}.
11367 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11368 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11369 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11370 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11371 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11375 @node Article Keymap
11376 @section Article Keymap
11378 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11379 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11380 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11381 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11384 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11389 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11390 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11391 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11392 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11395 @kindex DEL (Article)
11396 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11397 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11398 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11401 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11402 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11403 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11404 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11405 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11408 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11409 @findex gnus-article-mail
11410 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11411 given a prefix, include the mail.
11414 @kindex s (Article)
11415 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11416 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11417 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11420 @kindex ? (Article)
11421 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11422 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11423 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11426 @kindex TAB (Article)
11427 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11428 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11429 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11432 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11433 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11434 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11437 @kindex R (Article)
11438 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11439 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11440 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11441 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11445 @kindex F (Article)
11446 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11447 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11448 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11449 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11457 @section Misc Article
11461 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11462 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11463 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11464 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11467 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11468 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11469 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11470 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11471 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11473 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11474 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11475 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11476 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11477 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11478 the contents of the article buffer.
11480 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11481 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11482 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11484 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11485 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11486 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11487 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11489 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11490 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11491 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11492 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11494 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11495 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11496 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11497 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
11498 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
11499 with two extensions:
11504 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11505 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11506 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11511 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11514 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11517 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11518 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11519 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11522 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11525 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11528 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11533 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11537 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11539 @item gnus-break-pages
11540 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11541 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11542 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11543 paging will not be done.
11545 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11546 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11547 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11551 @cindex internationalized domain names
11552 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11553 @item gnus-use-idna
11554 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11555 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11556 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
11557 for how to compose such messages. This requires
11558 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11559 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11564 @node Composing Messages
11565 @chapter Composing Messages
11566 @cindex composing messages
11569 @cindex sending mail
11574 @cindex using s/mime
11575 @cindex using smime
11577 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11578 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11579 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11580 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11581 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11582 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11585 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11586 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11587 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
11588 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11589 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11590 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11591 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11592 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11593 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11596 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11597 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11603 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11606 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11607 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11608 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11609 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11610 @code{nil} include all headers.
11612 @item gnus-add-to-list
11613 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11614 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11615 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11617 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11618 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11619 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
11620 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
11621 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
11622 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
11623 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
11624 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
11626 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11627 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
11629 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11630 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11631 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11632 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11633 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11638 @node Posting Server
11639 @section Posting Server
11641 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11642 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11644 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11646 It can be quite complicated.
11648 @vindex gnus-post-method
11649 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11650 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11651 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11652 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11653 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11654 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11655 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11656 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11657 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11660 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11663 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11664 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11665 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11666 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11668 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11669 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11671 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11672 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11675 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11676 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11678 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11679 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11680 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11681 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11682 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11683 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11684 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11685 package correctly. An example:
11688 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11689 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11692 To the thing similar to this, there is
11693 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your @acronym{ISP}
11694 requires the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication.
11695 @xref{POP before SMTP}.
11697 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11698 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11699 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11701 @node POP before SMTP
11702 @section POP before SMTP
11703 @cindex pop before smtp
11704 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
11705 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
11707 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
11708 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
11709 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
11710 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
11711 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11714 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
11715 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
11719 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
11720 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
11721 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
11722 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
11723 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
11724 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
11725 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
11726 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
11728 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
11729 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
11730 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
11731 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
11732 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
11733 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
11736 (setq mail-source-primary-source
11737 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11738 :password "secret"))
11742 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
11743 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
11746 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
11748 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
11749 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11750 :password "secret")))
11751 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
11754 @node Mail and Post
11755 @section Mail and Post
11757 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11761 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11762 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11763 @cindex mailing lists
11765 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11766 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11767 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11768 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11769 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11770 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11771 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11772 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11773 still a pain, though.
11775 @item gnus-user-agent
11776 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11779 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11780 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11781 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11782 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11783 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11784 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11785 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11789 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11790 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11791 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11794 @findex ispell-message
11796 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11799 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11800 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11803 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11807 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11808 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11810 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11813 Modify to suit your needs.
11816 @node Archived Messages
11817 @section Archived Messages
11818 @cindex archived messages
11819 @cindex sent messages
11821 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11822 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11823 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11824 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11827 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11828 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11831 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11832 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11833 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11836 (nnfolder "archive"
11837 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11838 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11839 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11840 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11843 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11844 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11845 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11846 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11849 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11850 '(nnfolder "archive"
11851 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11852 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11853 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11856 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11858 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11859 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11860 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11862 This variable can be used to do the following:
11866 Messages will be saved in that group.
11868 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11869 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11870 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11871 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11872 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11873 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11874 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11875 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11878 @item a list of strings
11879 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11881 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11882 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11885 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11890 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11892 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11895 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11897 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11900 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11902 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11903 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11904 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11905 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11908 More complex stuff:
11910 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11911 '((if (message-news-p)
11916 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11917 messages in one file per month:
11920 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11921 '((if (message-news-p)
11923 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11926 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11927 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11929 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11930 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11931 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11932 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11933 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11934 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11935 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11936 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11937 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11938 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11940 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11941 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11942 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11943 this will disable archiving.
11946 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11947 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11948 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11949 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11950 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11953 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11954 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11955 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11958 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11959 but the latter is the preferred method.
11961 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11962 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11963 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11965 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11966 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11967 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11968 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11969 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11970 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11971 changed in the future.
11976 @node Posting Styles
11977 @section Posting Styles
11978 @cindex posting styles
11981 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11983 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11984 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11985 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11988 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11989 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11990 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11991 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11992 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11997 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11998 (organization "What me?"))
12000 (signature "Death to everybody"))
12001 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
12002 (organization "Emacs is it")))
12005 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
12006 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
12007 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
12008 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
12009 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
12010 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
12011 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
12012 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
12014 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
12015 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
12016 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
12017 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
12018 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
12019 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
12020 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
12021 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
12022 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
12023 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
12024 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
12025 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
12026 said to @dfn{match}.
12028 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
12029 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
12030 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
12031 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
12032 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
12033 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
12034 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
12035 name can be one of:
12038 @item @code{signature}
12039 @item @code{signature-file}
12040 @item @code{x-face-file}
12041 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
12042 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
12046 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
12047 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
12048 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
12049 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
12050 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
12052 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
12053 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
12054 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
12055 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
12056 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
12057 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
12058 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
12059 references chars lines xref extra.
12061 @vindex message-reply-headers
12063 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
12064 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
12065 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
12067 @findex message-mail-p
12068 @findex message-news-p
12070 So here's a new example:
12073 (setq gnus-posting-styles
12075 (signature-file "~/.signature")
12077 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
12078 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
12080 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
12081 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
12082 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
12083 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
12084 (signature my-news-signature))
12085 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
12086 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
12087 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
12088 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
12089 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
12090 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
12091 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
12092 (address "user@@bar.foo")
12093 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
12094 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
12096 (From (save-excursion
12097 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
12098 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
12100 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
12103 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
12104 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
12105 if you fill many roles.
12112 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
12113 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
12114 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
12115 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
12116 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
12118 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
12119 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
12120 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
12121 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
12122 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
12126 @vindex nndraft-directory
12127 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
12128 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
12129 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
12130 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
12131 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
12132 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
12134 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
12135 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
12136 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
12137 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
12138 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
12139 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
12140 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
12141 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
12142 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
12144 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
12145 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
12146 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
12147 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
12148 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
12149 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
12150 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
12151 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
12152 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
12153 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
12154 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
12155 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
12156 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
12157 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
12159 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
12160 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
12161 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
12163 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
12164 @kindex D e (Draft)
12165 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
12166 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
12167 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
12169 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
12172 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
12173 @kindex D s (Draft)
12174 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
12175 @kindex D S (Draft)
12176 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
12177 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
12178 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
12179 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
12180 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
12183 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
12184 @kindex D t (Draft)
12185 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
12186 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
12187 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
12190 @node Rejected Articles
12191 @section Rejected Articles
12192 @cindex rejected articles
12194 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
12195 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
12196 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
12197 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
12199 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
12200 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
12201 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
12202 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
12203 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
12205 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
12206 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
12207 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
12209 @node Signing and encrypting
12210 @section Signing and encrypting
12212 @cindex using s/mime
12213 @cindex using smime
12215 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
12216 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
12217 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
12218 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
12220 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
12221 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
12222 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
12223 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
12224 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
12225 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
12226 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
12227 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
12228 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
12229 automatically encrypted messages.
12231 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
12232 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
12233 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
12238 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
12239 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
12241 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12244 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
12245 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12247 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12250 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
12251 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12253 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12256 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
12257 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
12259 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12262 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
12263 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
12265 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12268 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
12269 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
12271 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12274 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
12275 @findex mml-unsecure-message
12276 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
12280 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
12282 @node Select Methods
12283 @chapter Select Methods
12284 @cindex foreign groups
12285 @cindex select methods
12287 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
12288 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
12289 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
12290 personal mail group.
12292 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
12293 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
12294 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
12295 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
12296 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
12297 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
12299 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
12300 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
12302 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
12305 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
12306 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12307 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12308 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12309 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12311 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12314 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12315 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12316 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12317 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12318 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12319 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12320 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12321 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
12322 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12326 @node Server Buffer
12327 @section Server Buffer
12329 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12330 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12331 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12332 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12333 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12334 back end represents a virtual server.
12336 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12337 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12338 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12339 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12341 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12342 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12343 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12344 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12345 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12346 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12347 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12349 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12350 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12353 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12354 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12355 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12356 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12357 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12358 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12359 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12362 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12363 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12366 @node Server Buffer Format
12367 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12368 @cindex server buffer format
12370 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12371 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12372 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12373 variable, with some simple extensions:
12378 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12381 The name of this server.
12384 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12387 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12390 Whether this server is agentized.
12393 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12394 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12395 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12396 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12406 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12409 @node Server Commands
12410 @subsection Server Commands
12411 @cindex server commands
12417 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12418 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12422 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12423 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12426 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12427 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12428 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12432 @findex gnus-server-exit
12433 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12437 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12438 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12442 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12443 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12447 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12448 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12452 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12453 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12457 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12458 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12459 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12464 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12465 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12466 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12467 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12472 @node Example Methods
12473 @subsection Example Methods
12475 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12478 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12481 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12487 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12488 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12491 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12492 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12494 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12495 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12499 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12502 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12503 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12505 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12506 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12507 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12511 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12514 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12517 Here's the method for a public spool:
12521 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12522 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12528 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12529 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12530 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12531 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12532 should probably look something like this:
12536 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12537 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12538 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12539 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12542 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12543 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12544 configuration to the example above:
12547 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12550 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
12551 an indirect connection:
12553 (setq gnus-select-method
12555 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
12556 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
12557 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
12558 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12559 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
12560 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
12561 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)))
12564 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12565 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12566 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12570 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12571 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12572 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12573 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12576 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12577 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12578 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12579 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12582 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12583 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12585 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12586 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12588 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12589 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12590 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12592 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12594 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12595 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12596 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12597 will contain the following:
12607 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12608 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12611 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12612 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12613 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12616 @node Server Variables
12617 @subsection Server Variables
12618 @cindex server variables
12619 @cindex server parameters
12621 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12622 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12623 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12624 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12625 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12627 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12628 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12629 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12630 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12631 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12632 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12633 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12634 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12635 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12639 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12640 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12641 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12644 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12646 @node Servers and Methods
12647 @subsection Servers and Methods
12649 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12650 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12651 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12652 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12656 @node Unavailable Servers
12657 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12659 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12660 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12661 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12662 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12663 actually the case or not.
12665 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12666 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12667 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12668 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12669 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12670 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12671 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12672 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12674 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12675 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12677 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12678 with the following commands:
12684 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12685 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12686 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12690 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12691 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12692 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12696 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12697 Mark the current server as unreachable
12698 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12701 @kindex M-o (Server)
12702 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12703 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12704 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12707 @kindex M-c (Server)
12708 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12709 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12710 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12714 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12715 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12716 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12720 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12721 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12727 @section Getting News
12728 @cindex reading news
12729 @cindex news back ends
12731 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12732 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12733 or it can read from a local spool.
12736 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12737 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12745 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12746 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12747 server as the, uhm, address.
12749 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12750 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12751 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12752 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12754 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12755 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12756 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12758 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12763 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12764 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12765 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12767 @cindex authentification
12768 @cindex nntp authentification
12769 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12770 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12771 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12772 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12773 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12774 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12775 present in this hook.
12777 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12778 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12779 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12780 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12781 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12782 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12783 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12784 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12785 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12786 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12787 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12788 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12792 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12795 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12797 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12798 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12799 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12800 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12801 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12802 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12803 @samp{force} is explained below.
12807 Here's an example file:
12810 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12811 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12814 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12815 have to be first, for instance.
12817 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12818 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12819 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12820 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12821 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12822 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12823 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12825 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12826 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12832 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12833 previously mentioned.
12835 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12837 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12838 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12839 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12840 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12841 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12844 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12845 '(("innd" (ding))))
12848 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12850 The default value is
12853 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12854 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12855 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12858 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12859 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12861 @item nntp-maximum-request
12862 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12863 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12864 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12865 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12866 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12867 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12868 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12870 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12871 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12872 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12873 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12874 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12875 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12876 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12877 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12878 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12879 no timeouts are done.
12881 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12882 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12883 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12884 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12887 @item nntp-xover-commands
12888 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12889 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12891 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12892 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12896 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12897 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12898 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12899 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12900 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12901 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12902 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12903 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12904 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12905 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12906 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12908 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12909 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12910 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12912 @item nntp-record-commands
12913 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12914 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12915 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12916 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12917 that doesn't seem to work.
12919 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12920 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12921 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12922 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12923 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12924 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
12925 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
12926 indirect ones (three pre-made).
12928 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12929 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12930 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12931 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12932 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12933 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12934 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12937 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12940 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12941 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12946 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12947 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12948 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12949 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
12953 @node Direct Functions
12954 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12955 @cindex direct connection functions
12957 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12958 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12959 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12960 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12963 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12964 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12965 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12968 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12969 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12970 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12971 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12972 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12975 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12976 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12978 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12979 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12980 (nntp-port-number )
12981 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12984 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12985 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12986 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12987 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
12988 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
12989 then define a server as follows:
12992 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12993 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
12995 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12996 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12997 (nntp-port-number 563)
12998 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13001 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
13002 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
13003 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
13004 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
13005 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
13006 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
13007 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
13008 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
13012 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13013 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
13014 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13017 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
13018 session, which is not a good idea.
13022 @node Indirect Functions
13023 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
13024 @cindex indirect connection functions
13026 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
13027 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13028 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
13029 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
13030 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
13031 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13034 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13035 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13036 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
13037 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
13038 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
13040 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13043 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13044 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13045 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13046 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13048 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13049 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13050 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13051 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
13052 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
13053 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
13054 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
13055 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
13059 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13060 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13062 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13063 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13064 Does essentially the same, but uses
13065 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} instead of @samp{telnet}
13066 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
13068 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
13071 @item nntp-via-netcat-command
13072 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-command
13073 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
13074 intermediate host. The default is @samp{nc}. You can also use other
13075 programs like @uref{http://www.imasy.or.jp/~gotoh/ssh/connect.html,
13078 @item nntp-via-netcat-switches
13079 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-switches
13080 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13081 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{nil}.
13083 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13084 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13085 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13086 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13088 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13089 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13090 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13091 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}.
13094 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13095 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13096 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
13097 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
13099 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13102 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
13103 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
13104 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
13107 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
13108 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
13109 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13110 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
13112 @item nntp-via-user-password
13113 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
13114 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
13116 @item nntp-via-envuser
13117 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
13118 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
13119 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
13120 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
13122 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
13123 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
13124 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
13125 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
13129 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13130 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13134 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
13139 @item nntp-via-user-name
13140 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
13141 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
13143 @item nntp-via-address
13144 @vindex nntp-via-address
13145 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
13150 @node Common Variables
13151 @subsubsection Common Variables
13153 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
13154 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
13155 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
13156 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
13157 variables individually).
13161 @item nntp-pre-command
13162 @vindex nntp-pre-command
13163 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
13164 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
13165 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
13166 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
13169 @vindex nntp-address
13170 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13172 @item nntp-port-number
13173 @vindex nntp-port-number
13174 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13175 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
13176 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
13177 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
13178 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
13179 not work with named ports.
13181 @item nntp-end-of-line
13182 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
13183 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
13184 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
13185 using a non native telnet connection function.
13187 @item nntp-telnet-command
13188 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13189 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
13190 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
13191 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13194 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13195 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13196 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
13202 @subsubsection NNTP marks
13203 @cindex storing NNTP marks
13205 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
13206 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
13207 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
13208 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
13209 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
13210 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
13211 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
13212 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
13214 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
13215 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
13216 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
13217 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
13218 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13220 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
13221 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
13222 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
13223 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
13224 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
13225 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
13226 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
13228 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
13229 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
13230 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13236 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
13237 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
13238 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
13239 default is @code{nil}.
13241 @item nntp-marks-directory
13242 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
13243 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
13249 @subsection News Spool
13253 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
13254 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
13255 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
13258 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
13259 anything else) as the address.
13261 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
13262 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
13263 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
13264 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
13268 @item nnspool-inews-program
13269 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
13270 Program used to post an article.
13272 @item nnspool-inews-switches
13273 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
13274 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
13276 @item nnspool-spool-directory
13277 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
13278 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
13279 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
13281 @item nnspool-nov-directory
13282 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
13283 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
13284 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
13286 @item nnspool-lib-dir
13287 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
13288 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
13290 @item nnspool-active-file
13291 @vindex nnspool-active-file
13292 The name of the active file.
13294 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
13295 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
13296 The name of the group descriptions file.
13298 @item nnspool-history-file
13299 @vindex nnspool-history-file
13300 The name of the news history file.
13302 @item nnspool-active-times-file
13303 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
13304 The name of the active date file.
13306 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
13307 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
13308 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
13311 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13312 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13314 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
13315 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
13316 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
13323 @section Getting Mail
13324 @cindex reading mail
13327 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
13331 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
13332 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
13333 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
13334 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
13335 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
13336 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13337 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13338 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13339 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13340 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13341 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13342 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13343 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13347 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13348 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13350 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13351 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13352 of a culture shock.
13354 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13355 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13357 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13358 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13359 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13360 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13362 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13364 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13365 deleted? How awful!
13367 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13368 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13369 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13370 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13373 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13374 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13375 they want to treat a message.
13377 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13378 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13379 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13380 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13381 archived somewhere else.
13383 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13384 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13385 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13386 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13387 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13389 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13390 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13391 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13393 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13394 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13397 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13398 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13399 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13400 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13401 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13403 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13404 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13405 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13406 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13407 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13408 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13412 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13413 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13415 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13416 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13417 and things will happen automatically.
13419 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13420 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13423 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13426 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13427 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13428 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13429 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13430 like any other group.
13432 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13435 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13436 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13437 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13441 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13442 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13443 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13446 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13447 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13448 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13451 @node Splitting Mail
13452 @subsection Splitting Mail
13453 @cindex splitting mail
13454 @cindex mail splitting
13455 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13457 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13458 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13459 to be split into groups.
13462 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13463 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13464 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13465 ("mail.other" "")))
13468 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13469 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13470 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13471 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13472 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13473 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13474 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13477 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13481 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
13482 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
13484 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13485 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13486 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13487 mail belongs in that group.
13489 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
13490 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13491 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
13492 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13493 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
13494 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
13495 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
13496 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
13497 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
13498 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
13500 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13501 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13502 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13503 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13504 thinks should carry this mail message.
13506 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13507 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13508 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13509 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13511 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13512 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13513 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13514 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13515 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
13517 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13520 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13521 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13522 links. If that's the case for you, set
13523 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13524 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13526 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13527 @findex nnmail-split-history
13528 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13529 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13530 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13531 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13534 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13535 Header lines longer than the value of
13536 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13539 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13540 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13541 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13542 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13543 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13544 charset for decoding. The behavior can be turned off completely by
13545 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13546 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13548 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13549 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13550 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13551 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13552 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13553 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13554 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13555 other kinds of entries.)
13557 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13558 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13559 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13560 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13561 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13562 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13563 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13564 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13565 month's rent money.
13569 @subsection Mail Sources
13571 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13572 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13573 maildir, for instance.
13576 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13577 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13578 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13582 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13583 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13585 @cindex mail server
13588 @cindex mail source
13590 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13591 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13596 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13599 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13600 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13601 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13604 The following mail source types are available:
13608 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13614 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13615 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13616 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13620 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13623 An example file mail source:
13626 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13629 Or using the default file name:
13635 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13636 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13637 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13638 mail spool while moving the mail.
13640 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13644 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13647 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13651 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13654 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13656 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13659 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13663 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13664 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13665 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13666 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13667 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13668 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13669 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13670 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13671 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13672 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13674 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13675 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13676 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13677 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13683 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13687 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13691 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13692 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13693 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13694 predicate are considered.
13698 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13702 An example directory mail source:
13705 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13710 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13716 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13717 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13720 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13721 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13722 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13723 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13724 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13727 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13731 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13732 the user is prompted.
13735 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13736 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13739 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13742 The valid format specifier characters are:
13746 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13747 included in this string.
13750 The name of the server.
13753 The port number of the server.
13756 The user name to use.
13759 The password to use.
13762 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13763 corresponding keywords.
13766 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13767 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13770 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13771 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13774 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13775 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13776 mail should be moved to.
13778 @item :authentication
13779 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13780 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13785 @vindex pop3-movemail
13786 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
13787 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13788 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If the
13789 @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server} is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be
13790 left on the @acronym{POP} server after fetching when using
13791 @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers maintain no state
13792 information between sessions, so what the client believes is there and
13793 what is actually there may not match up. If they do not, then the whole
13794 thing can fall apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
13796 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13797 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13803 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13806 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13807 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13810 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13813 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13817 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13818 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13819 contains exactly one mail.
13825 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13826 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13829 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13830 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13832 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13833 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13834 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13837 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13838 from locking problems).
13842 Two example maildir mail sources:
13845 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13846 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13850 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13855 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13856 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13857 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13858 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13859 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13861 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13862 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13868 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13869 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13872 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13873 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13876 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13880 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13884 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13885 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13886 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13887 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13889 @item :authentication
13890 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13891 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13892 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13893 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13896 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13897 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13898 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13904 The valid format specifier characters are:
13908 The name of the server.
13911 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13914 The port number of the server.
13917 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13918 corresponding keywords.
13921 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13922 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13925 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13926 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13927 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13928 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13929 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13930 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13933 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13934 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13935 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13936 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13939 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13940 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13944 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13947 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13949 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13953 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
13954 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
13955 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
13957 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13958 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13960 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13966 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13967 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13970 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13974 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13978 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13979 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13983 An example webmail source:
13986 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13988 :password "secret")
13993 @item Common Keywords
13994 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
14000 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
14001 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
14006 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
14011 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
14012 useful when you use local mail and news.
14017 @subsubsection Function Interface
14019 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
14020 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
14021 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
14022 consider the following mail-source setting:
14025 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
14026 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
14029 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
14030 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
14031 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
14032 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
14033 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
14035 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
14038 @node Mail Source Customization
14039 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
14041 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
14042 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
14046 @item mail-source-crash-box
14047 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
14048 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
14049 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
14051 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
14052 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
14053 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
14054 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
14055 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
14056 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
14057 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
14058 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
14060 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14061 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14062 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
14063 files. This variable only applies when
14064 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
14066 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
14067 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
14068 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
14070 @item mail-source-directory
14071 @vindex mail-source-directory
14072 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
14073 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
14074 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
14075 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
14077 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14078 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14079 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
14080 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
14081 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
14082 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
14085 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
14086 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
14087 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
14089 @item mail-source-movemail-program
14090 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
14091 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
14092 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
14097 @node Fetching Mail
14098 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
14100 @vindex mail-sources
14101 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
14102 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
14103 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
14104 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
14106 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
14107 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
14110 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
14111 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
14116 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14117 :password "secret")))
14120 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
14124 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
14125 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14128 :password "secret")))
14132 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
14133 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
14134 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
14135 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
14136 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
14137 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
14141 @node Mail Back End Variables
14142 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
14144 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
14148 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14149 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14150 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
14151 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
14153 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
14154 @item nnmail-split-hook
14155 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
14156 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
14157 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
14158 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
14159 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
14160 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
14161 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
14162 in the buffer will show up in any files.
14163 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
14166 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14167 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14168 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14169 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14170 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
14171 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
14172 starting to handle the new mail) and
14173 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
14174 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
14175 default file modes the new mail files get:
14178 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14179 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
14181 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14182 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
14185 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
14186 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
14187 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
14188 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
14189 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
14190 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
14191 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
14193 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
14194 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
14195 @findex delete-file
14196 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
14198 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14199 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14200 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
14201 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
14202 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
14204 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14205 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14206 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
14207 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
14208 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
14210 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
14211 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
14212 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
14217 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
14218 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
14219 @cindex mail splitting
14220 @cindex fancy mail splitting
14222 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
14223 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
14224 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
14225 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
14226 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
14227 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
14229 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
14232 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
14233 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
14234 ;; @r{from real errors.}
14235 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
14237 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
14238 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
14239 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
14240 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
14241 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
14242 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
14243 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
14244 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
14245 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
14246 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
14247 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
14248 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
14249 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
14250 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
14251 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
14252 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
14253 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
14257 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
14258 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
14259 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
14264 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
14265 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
14267 @c Don't fold this line.
14268 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-match-partial-words}])
14269 If the split is a list, the first element of which is a string, then
14270 store the message as specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field}
14271 (a regexp) contains @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict}
14272 (yet another regexp) matches some string after @var{field} and before
14273 the end of the matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If
14274 none of the @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
14276 The last element @var{invert-match-partial-words} is optional. If it is
14277 not omitted and the value is non-nil, the match-partial-words behavior
14278 controlled by the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
14279 (see below) will be inverted.
14281 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
14282 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
14283 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
14284 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
14285 stored in one or more groups.
14287 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
14288 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
14289 process all @var{split}s in the list.
14292 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
14293 this message. Use with extreme caution.
14295 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
14296 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
14297 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
14298 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
14301 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
14302 body of the messages:
14305 (defun split-on-body ()
14309 (goto-char (point-min))
14310 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
14314 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
14315 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
14316 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
14317 above. Also note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will
14318 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
14319 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
14320 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
14322 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
14323 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
14324 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
14325 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
14326 should return a split.
14329 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
14333 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
14335 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
14336 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
14337 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
14338 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
14342 (any "joe" "joemail")
14346 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
14347 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
14348 of the following three ways:
14352 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14353 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
14354 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
14355 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
14356 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
14359 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
14362 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
14363 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
14364 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
14365 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
14366 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
14369 You can set the @var{invert-match-partial-words} flag in your split
14370 rules of the @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types,
14371 aforementioned in this section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on
14372 both sides of a word are ignored even if
14373 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is @code{nil}.
14374 Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not ignored even if
14375 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is non-@code{nil}.
14378 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
14379 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
14380 they are expanded as specified by the variable
14381 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
14382 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
14383 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
14384 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
14388 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
14390 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
14391 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
14393 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
14396 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
14397 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14398 when all this splitting is performed.
14400 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14401 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14402 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14405 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14408 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14409 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14411 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14412 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14413 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14414 groupings 1 through 9.
14416 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
14417 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
14418 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
14419 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
14420 groups when users send to an address using different case
14421 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
14424 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14425 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14426 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14427 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14428 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14429 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14430 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14431 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14432 it once per thread.
14434 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14435 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14436 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14437 using the colon feature, like so:
14439 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14440 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14442 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14443 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14447 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14448 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14449 in the file specified by the variable
14450 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14451 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14452 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14453 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14454 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14455 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14456 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14457 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14458 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14459 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14460 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14461 300 kBytes in size.)
14462 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14463 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14464 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14465 messages goes into the new group.
14467 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14468 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14469 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14470 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14471 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14472 ``outgoing'' group.
14475 @node Group Mail Splitting
14476 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14477 @cindex mail splitting
14478 @cindex group mail splitting
14480 @findex gnus-group-split
14481 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14482 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14483 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
14484 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14485 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14486 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14487 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
14488 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14490 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14491 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
14492 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14493 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
14495 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14496 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14497 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14498 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
14499 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14500 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14501 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14503 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14504 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14505 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14506 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14507 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
14508 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14509 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14511 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14512 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14513 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14514 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14515 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14516 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14517 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14518 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14519 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14520 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14521 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14522 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14523 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14525 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14530 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14531 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14533 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14534 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14535 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14536 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14538 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14541 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14542 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14543 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14546 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14547 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14548 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14552 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14553 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14554 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14558 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14561 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14562 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14563 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14564 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14565 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14566 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
14567 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14568 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14569 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14571 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14572 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14573 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14574 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14575 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14576 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14577 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14578 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14579 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14581 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14582 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14583 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14584 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14585 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14586 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14589 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14592 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14593 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14594 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14595 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14596 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14599 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14600 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14601 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14602 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14604 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14605 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14606 @cindex incorporating old mail
14607 @cindex import old mail
14609 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14610 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14611 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14614 Doing so can be quite easy.
14616 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14617 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14618 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14619 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14620 your @code{nnml} groups.
14626 Go to the group buffer.
14629 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14630 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14633 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14636 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14637 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14640 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14641 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14644 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14645 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14646 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14647 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14648 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14650 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14651 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14652 using the new mail back end.
14655 @node Expiring Mail
14656 @subsection Expiring Mail
14657 @cindex article expiry
14659 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14660 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14661 different approach to mail reading.
14663 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14664 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14665 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14666 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14667 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14668 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14671 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14672 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14673 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14674 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14675 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14676 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14677 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14678 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14679 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14681 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14682 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14683 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14684 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14685 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14686 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14687 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14690 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14691 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14692 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14693 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14694 into its own group.)
14696 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14697 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14698 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14699 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14700 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14701 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14702 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14703 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14706 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14707 Groups that match the regular expression
14708 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14709 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14710 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14712 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14713 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14714 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14715 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14716 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14718 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14720 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14721 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14722 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14725 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14726 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14727 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14728 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14729 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14731 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14732 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14735 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14736 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14739 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14740 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14742 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14743 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14744 don't really mix very well.
14746 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14747 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14748 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14749 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14752 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14753 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14754 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14755 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14758 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14760 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14762 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14764 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14766 ((string= group "important")
14772 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14773 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14775 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14776 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14777 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14780 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14781 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14783 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14784 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14785 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14786 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14787 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14788 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14789 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14790 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14791 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14792 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14793 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14794 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14795 name or @code{delete}.
14797 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14799 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14802 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14803 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14804 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14805 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14806 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14809 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14810 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14811 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14812 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14813 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14816 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14817 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14818 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14819 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14820 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14821 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14823 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14824 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14825 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14826 easier for procmail users.
14828 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14829 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14830 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14831 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14832 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14833 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14834 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14835 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14836 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14837 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14838 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14839 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14840 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14843 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14845 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14846 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14847 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14848 auto-expire turned on.
14852 @subsection Washing Mail
14853 @cindex mail washing
14854 @cindex list server brain damage
14855 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14857 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14858 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14859 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14860 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14861 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14862 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14864 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14865 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14866 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14869 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14870 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14871 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14872 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14875 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14876 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14877 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14878 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14879 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14882 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14883 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14884 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14885 Emacs running on MS machines.
14889 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14890 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14891 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14892 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14895 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14896 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14897 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14898 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14900 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14901 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14902 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14903 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14904 into a feature by documenting it.)
14906 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14907 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14908 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14909 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14910 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14911 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14912 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14915 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14916 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14919 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14920 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14923 This can also be done non-destructively with
14924 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14926 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14927 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14928 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14930 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14931 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14933 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14934 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14935 @code{References} headers.
14939 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14940 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14941 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14945 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14946 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14947 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14954 @subsection Duplicates
14956 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14957 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14958 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14959 @cindex duplicate mails
14960 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14961 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14962 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14963 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14964 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14965 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14966 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14967 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14968 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14969 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14970 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14971 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14972 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14974 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14975 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14976 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14977 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14979 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14982 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14983 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14987 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14988 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
14989 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14990 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
14991 (any mail "mail.misc")
14992 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14998 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14999 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
15000 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15004 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
15005 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
15006 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
15007 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
15008 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
15011 @node Not Reading Mail
15012 @subsection Not Reading Mail
15014 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
15015 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
15016 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
15018 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
15019 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
15020 mail, which should help.
15022 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15023 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15024 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15025 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15026 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15027 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
15028 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
15029 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
15030 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
15031 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
15032 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
15034 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
15035 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
15039 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
15040 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
15042 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
15043 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
15044 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
15046 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
15047 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
15048 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
15052 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
15053 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
15054 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
15055 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
15056 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
15057 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
15058 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
15062 @node Unix Mail Box
15063 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
15065 @cindex unix mail box
15067 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15068 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15069 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
15070 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
15071 which group it belongs in.
15073 Virtual server settings:
15076 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
15077 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15078 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
15081 @item nnmbox-active-file
15082 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15083 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
15084 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
15086 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
15087 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15088 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
15089 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
15094 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
15098 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15099 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15100 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
15101 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
15102 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
15104 Virtual server settings:
15107 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
15108 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15109 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
15111 @item nnbabyl-active-file
15112 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15113 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
15114 @file{~/.rmail-active}
15116 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15117 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15118 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
15124 @subsubsection Mail Spool
15126 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
15128 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
15129 format. It should be used with some caution.
15131 @vindex nnml-directory
15132 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
15133 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
15134 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
15135 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
15137 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
15140 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
15141 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
15142 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
15143 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
15144 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
15145 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
15146 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
15147 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
15149 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
15150 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
15151 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
15152 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
15154 @cindex self contained nnml servers
15156 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
15157 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15158 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15159 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
15160 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
15161 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
15162 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
15163 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
15166 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
15167 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
15168 them next time it starts.
15170 Virtual server settings:
15173 @item nnml-directory
15174 @vindex nnml-directory
15175 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
15176 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
15179 @item nnml-active-file
15180 @vindex nnml-active-file
15181 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
15182 @file{~/Mail/active}.
15184 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
15185 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
15186 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15187 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
15189 @item nnml-get-new-mail
15190 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15191 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
15194 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
15195 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
15196 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15197 default is @code{nil}.
15199 @item nnml-nov-file-name
15200 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
15201 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
15203 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15204 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15205 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
15207 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
15208 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
15209 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15210 default is @code{nil}.
15212 @item nnml-marks-file-name
15213 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
15214 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
15216 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
15217 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
15218 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
15219 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
15220 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
15221 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
15222 as the file extension specifying the comression program. You can set it
15223 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
15224 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
15226 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15227 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15228 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
15229 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
15230 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-nil.
15234 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
15235 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
15236 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
15237 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
15238 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
15239 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
15240 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
15245 @subsubsection MH Spool
15247 @cindex mh-e mail spool
15249 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
15250 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
15251 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
15252 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
15255 Virtual server settings:
15258 @item nnmh-directory
15259 @vindex nnmh-directory
15260 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
15261 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15264 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
15265 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15266 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
15270 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
15271 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
15272 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
15273 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
15274 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
15275 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
15276 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
15281 @subsubsection Maildir
15285 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
15286 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
15287 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
15288 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
15289 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
15292 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
15293 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
15294 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
15295 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
15296 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
15297 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
15298 that appear as group in Gnus.
15300 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
15301 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
15302 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
15304 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
15305 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
15306 another, and you will keep your marks.
15308 Virtual server settings:
15312 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
15313 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
15314 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
15315 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
15316 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
15317 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
15318 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
15319 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
15320 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
15321 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
15323 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
15324 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
15325 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
15326 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
15327 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
15328 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
15329 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
15330 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
15331 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
15332 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
15335 @item target-prefix
15336 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
15337 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
15338 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
15341 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
15342 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
15343 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
15344 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
15345 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
15346 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
15347 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
15348 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
15349 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
15351 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
15352 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
15353 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
15354 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
15355 symlinks pointing to them will be).
15357 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
15358 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
15359 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
15360 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
15361 @code{force} argument.
15363 @item directory-files
15364 This should be a function with the same interface as
15365 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
15366 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
15367 parameter is optional; the default is
15368 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
15369 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
15370 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
15371 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
15372 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
15373 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
15376 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
15377 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
15378 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
15379 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
15380 value is @code{nil}.
15382 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
15383 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
15384 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
15385 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
15386 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
15389 @subsubsection Group parameters
15391 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
15392 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
15393 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
15394 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
15395 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
15396 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
15399 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
15400 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15401 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15402 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15403 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15404 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15405 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15406 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15407 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15411 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
15412 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15413 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15414 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
15415 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
15416 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
15417 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
15418 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15419 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
15420 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15421 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15422 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15423 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15426 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15428 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15430 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15431 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15432 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
15433 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
15434 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15435 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15436 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15437 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15438 article. So that form can refer to
15439 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
15440 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
15441 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
15442 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
15445 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
15446 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
15447 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
15448 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
15449 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
15450 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
15451 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
15452 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
15453 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
15454 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
15455 contain extra copies of the articles.
15457 @item directory-files
15458 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15459 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15460 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15461 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15463 @item distrust-Lines:
15464 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
15465 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15466 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15469 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
15470 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15471 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
15472 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
15473 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
15474 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15477 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15478 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15479 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
15480 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15481 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15482 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15483 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15485 @item nov-cache-size
15486 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
15487 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
15488 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
15489 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
15490 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
15491 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
15492 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
15493 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
15494 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
15495 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
15496 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15499 @subsubsection Article identification
15500 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15501 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15502 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
15503 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15504 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15505 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15506 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15507 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15508 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15509 request the article in the summary buffer.
15511 @subsubsection NOV data
15512 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
15513 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15514 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15515 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15516 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
15517 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
15518 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
15519 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
15520 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
15521 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
15522 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15524 @subsubsection Article marks
15525 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15526 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15527 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15528 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
15529 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15530 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
15531 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
15532 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15534 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15535 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15536 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15537 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15538 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
15539 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
15540 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
15541 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
15542 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
15546 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15548 @cindex mbox folders
15549 @cindex mail folders
15551 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
15552 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
15553 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
15554 numbers and arrival dates.
15556 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15558 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15559 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15560 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15561 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15562 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15563 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15564 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
15565 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
15566 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
15567 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
15569 Virtual server settings:
15572 @item nnfolder-directory
15573 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15574 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
15575 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
15576 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
15578 @item nnfolder-active-file
15579 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15580 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15582 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15583 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15584 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15585 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15587 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15588 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15589 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
15590 default is @code{t}
15592 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15593 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15594 @cindex backup files
15595 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15596 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
15597 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
15598 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
15601 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15602 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15604 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15607 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15608 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15609 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15610 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15611 extract some information from it before removing it.
15613 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15614 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15615 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15616 default is @code{nil}.
15618 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15619 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15620 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15622 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15623 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15624 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15625 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15627 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15628 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15629 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15630 default is @code{nil}.
15632 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15633 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15634 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15636 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15637 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15638 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15639 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15644 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15645 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15646 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15647 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15648 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15649 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15652 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15653 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15655 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15656 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15657 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15658 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15659 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15661 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15662 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15663 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15664 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15665 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15666 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15667 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15668 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15671 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15672 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15673 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15674 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15679 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15680 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15681 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15682 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15683 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15684 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15685 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15686 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15687 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15688 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15689 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15690 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15691 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15696 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15697 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15698 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15699 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15700 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15701 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15702 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15703 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15704 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15705 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15706 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15707 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15708 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15709 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15711 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15712 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15717 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15718 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15719 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15720 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15721 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15722 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15723 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15724 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15725 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15726 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15727 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15728 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15729 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15730 provided by the active file and overviews.
15732 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15733 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15734 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15735 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15736 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15739 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15740 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15745 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15746 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15747 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15748 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15749 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15750 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15751 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15755 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15756 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15757 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15758 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15759 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15760 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15761 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15762 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15763 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15765 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15766 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15767 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15768 friendly mail back end all over.
15772 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15773 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15776 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15777 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15778 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15779 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15780 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15781 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15782 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15783 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15786 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15787 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15788 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15789 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15790 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15791 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15792 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15793 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15794 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15795 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15796 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15798 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15799 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15800 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15801 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15802 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15805 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15806 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15807 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15808 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15809 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15810 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15811 removed in the future.
15813 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15814 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15815 on your file system.
15817 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15818 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15823 @node Browsing the Web
15824 @section Browsing the Web
15826 @cindex browsing the web
15830 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15831 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15832 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15833 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15834 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15835 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15836 even know what a news group is.
15838 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15839 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15840 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15841 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15842 you mad in the end.
15844 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15847 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15848 interfaces to these sources.
15852 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15853 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15854 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15855 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15856 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15857 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
15860 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
15861 alternatives to work.
15863 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15864 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15865 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15866 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15867 though, you should be ok.
15869 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15870 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15871 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15872 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15873 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15875 @node Archiving Mail
15876 @subsection Archiving Mail
15877 @cindex archiving mail
15878 @cindex backup of mail
15880 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15881 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15882 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15883 marks is fairly simple.
15885 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15886 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15889 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15890 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15891 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15892 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15893 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15894 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15895 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15896 before you restore the data.
15898 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15899 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15900 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15901 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15902 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15903 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15904 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15905 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15906 is unnecessary in that case.
15909 @subsection Web Searches
15914 @cindex Usenet searches
15915 @cindex searching the Usenet
15917 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15918 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15919 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15920 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15921 searches without having to use a browser.
15923 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15924 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15925 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15926 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15927 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15929 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15930 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15931 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15932 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15933 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15934 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15935 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15936 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15937 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15938 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15941 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15942 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15943 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
15944 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15945 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15946 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15948 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
15949 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
15950 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
15952 Virtual server variables:
15957 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15958 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15959 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15962 @vindex nnweb-search
15963 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15965 @item nnweb-max-hits
15966 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15967 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15970 @item nnweb-type-definition
15971 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15972 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15973 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15978 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15982 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15985 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15988 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15992 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15999 @subsection Slashdot
16003 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
16004 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
16005 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
16007 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
16008 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
16011 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16012 '((nnslashdot "")))
16015 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
16016 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
16017 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
16018 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
16019 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
16022 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
16023 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
16025 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
16026 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
16027 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
16028 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
16029 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
16030 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
16031 @acronym{HTML} forms.
16033 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
16036 @item nnslashdot-threaded
16037 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
16038 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
16039 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
16040 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
16041 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
16042 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
16044 @item nnslashdot-login-name
16045 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
16046 The login name to use when posting.
16048 @item nnslashdot-password
16049 @vindex nnslashdot-password
16050 The password to use when posting.
16052 @item nnslashdot-directory
16053 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
16054 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
16055 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
16057 @item nnslashdot-active-url
16058 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
16059 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
16060 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
16061 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
16063 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
16064 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
16065 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
16067 @item nnslashdot-article-url
16068 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
16069 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
16070 article. The default is
16071 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
16073 @item nnslashdot-threshold
16074 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
16075 The score threshold. The default is -1.
16077 @item nnslashdot-group-number
16078 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
16079 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
16080 updated. The default is 0.
16087 @subsection Ultimate
16089 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
16091 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
16092 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
16093 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
16094 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16096 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
16097 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
16098 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
16099 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
16100 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
16101 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
16102 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
16104 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
16107 @item nnultimate-directory
16108 @vindex nnultimate-directory
16109 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
16110 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
16115 @subsection Web Archive
16117 @cindex Web Archive
16119 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
16120 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
16121 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
16122 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
16125 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
16126 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
16127 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
16128 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
16129 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
16130 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
16131 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
16132 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
16134 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
16137 @item nnwarchive-directory
16138 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
16139 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
16140 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
16142 @item nnwarchive-login
16143 @vindex nnwarchive-login
16144 The account name on the web server.
16146 @item nnwarchive-passwd
16147 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
16148 The password for your account on the web server.
16156 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
16157 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
16158 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
16159 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
16160 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
16162 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
16163 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16165 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
16166 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
16167 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
16170 @kindex G R (Group)
16171 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
16172 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
16173 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
16174 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
16176 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
16177 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
16178 subscribe to groups.
16180 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
16181 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
16182 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
16183 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
16184 variable. If it is @code{nil}, in Emacs the coding system defaults to
16185 the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system}. If you are using
16186 XEmacs and want to use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names, you should set
16187 the value for the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} variable properly.
16189 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
16190 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
16191 and a @samp{text/html} part.
16194 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
16195 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
16198 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
16199 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
16203 @defun nnrss-opml-export
16204 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
16205 @acronym{OPML} format.
16208 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
16211 @item nnrss-directory
16212 @vindex nnrss-directory
16213 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
16214 @file{~/News/rss/}.
16216 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
16217 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
16218 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
16219 data files. The default is the value of
16220 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
16221 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
16223 @item nnrss-use-local
16224 @vindex nnrss-use-local
16225 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
16226 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
16227 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
16228 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
16229 download script using @command{wget}.
16231 @item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
16232 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
16233 parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
16234 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
16235 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
16236 to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
16237 simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
16238 @samp{text/html} parts.
16241 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
16242 the summary buffer.
16245 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
16246 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
16248 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
16250 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
16251 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
16254 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
16258 (require 'browse-url)
16260 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
16262 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
16265 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
16266 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
16269 (browse-url (cdr url))
16270 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
16271 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
16273 (eval-after-load "gnus"
16274 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
16275 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
16276 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
16279 Even if you have added @code{"text/html"} to the
16280 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
16281 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
16282 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
16283 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
16284 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
16285 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
16286 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
16287 @code{nnrss} groups:
16290 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
16291 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
16293 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
16294 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
16295 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
16297 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
16300 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
16304 @node Customizing W3
16305 @subsection Customizing W3
16311 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
16312 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
16313 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
16316 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
16317 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
16318 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
16321 (eval-after-load "w3"
16323 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
16324 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
16325 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
16326 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
16328 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
16331 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
16332 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
16339 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
16341 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
16342 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
16343 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
16344 specify the network address of the server.
16346 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
16347 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
16348 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
16349 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
16350 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
16351 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
16353 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
16354 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
16355 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
16356 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
16358 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
16359 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
16360 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
16361 usage explained in this section.
16363 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
16364 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
16365 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
16369 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16370 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
16371 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
16373 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16374 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
16375 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
16377 (nnimap-server-port 143)
16378 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16379 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
16380 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
16381 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
16382 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
16383 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
16384 (nnimap-stream network))
16385 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
16387 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
16388 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
16389 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
16392 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
16393 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
16394 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
16395 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
16397 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
16402 @item nnimap-address
16403 @vindex nnimap-address
16405 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
16406 server name if not specified.
16408 @item nnimap-server-port
16409 @vindex nnimap-server-port
16410 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
16412 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
16415 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16416 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
16419 @item nnimap-list-pattern
16420 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
16421 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
16422 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
16423 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
16424 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
16425 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
16427 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
16428 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
16429 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
16432 Example server specification:
16435 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16436 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
16437 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
16440 @item nnimap-stream
16441 @vindex nnimap-stream
16442 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
16443 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
16444 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
16445 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
16446 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
16448 Example server specification:
16451 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16452 (nnimap-stream ssl))
16455 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
16459 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
16460 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
16462 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
16464 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
16465 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
16468 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
16469 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
16471 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
16472 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
16474 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
16476 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
16479 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
16480 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
16481 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
16482 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
16483 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
16484 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
16485 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
16486 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
16487 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
16490 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
16491 needed. It is available from
16492 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
16494 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
16495 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
16496 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
16497 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
16498 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
16499 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
16500 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
16503 @vindex imap-ssl-program
16504 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
16505 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
16506 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
16507 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
16508 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
16509 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
16512 @vindex imap-shell-program
16513 @vindex imap-shell-host
16514 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
16515 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
16517 @item nnimap-authenticator
16518 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
16520 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
16521 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
16523 Example server specification:
16526 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16527 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
16530 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
16534 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
16535 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
16537 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
16540 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
16541 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
16543 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
16545 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
16547 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16550 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16552 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16553 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16554 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16555 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16556 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16557 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16560 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16561 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16562 running in circles yet?
16564 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16565 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16568 The possible options are:
16573 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16576 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16577 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16578 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16579 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16581 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16586 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16587 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16589 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16590 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16591 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16592 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16593 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16596 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16597 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16600 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16601 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16602 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16603 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16606 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16607 as ticked for other users.
16609 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16611 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16613 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16614 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16615 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16616 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16618 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16619 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16620 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16621 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16623 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16624 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16626 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16627 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16628 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16629 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
16632 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
16635 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
16636 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
16637 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
16638 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
16641 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16642 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16644 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16645 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16651 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16652 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16653 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16654 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16655 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16656 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
16661 @node Splitting in IMAP
16662 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16663 @cindex splitting imap mail
16665 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16666 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16667 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16668 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16669 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16673 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16674 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16675 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16677 Here are the variables of interest:
16681 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16682 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16684 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16686 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16687 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16688 found will be used.
16690 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16692 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16693 @cindex splitting, inbox
16695 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16697 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16698 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16699 splitting is disabled!
16702 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16703 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16706 No nnmail equivalent.
16708 @item nnimap-split-rule
16709 @cindex splitting, rules
16710 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16712 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16715 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16716 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16717 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16718 Neither did I, we need examples.
16721 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16723 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16724 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16725 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16728 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16729 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16730 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16732 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16733 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16737 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16740 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16741 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16743 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16744 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16745 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16746 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16748 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16749 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16750 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16751 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16752 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16753 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16755 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16756 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16757 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16759 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16760 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16761 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16763 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16765 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16766 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16767 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16770 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16771 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16772 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16773 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16774 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16775 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16778 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16779 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16780 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16781 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16782 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16783 group/function elements.
16785 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16787 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16789 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16791 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16792 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16794 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16795 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16796 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16799 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16800 @cindex splitting, fancy
16801 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16802 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16804 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16805 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16806 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16808 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16809 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16810 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16811 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16816 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16817 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16820 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16822 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16823 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16824 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16826 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16827 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16828 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16829 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
16833 @node Expiring in IMAP
16834 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16835 @cindex expiring imap mail
16837 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16838 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16839 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16840 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16841 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16842 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16845 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16846 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16847 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16848 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16849 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16850 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16851 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16852 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16856 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16857 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16859 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16860 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16862 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16864 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16865 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16866 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16867 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16871 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16872 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16873 @cindex editing imap acls
16874 @cindex Access Control Lists
16875 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16876 @kindex G l (Group)
16877 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16879 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16880 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16881 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16884 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16885 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16886 editing window with detailed instructions.
16888 Some possible uses:
16892 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16893 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16894 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16896 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16897 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16898 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16902 @node Expunging mailboxes
16903 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16907 @cindex manual expunging
16908 @kindex G x (Group)
16909 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16911 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16912 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16913 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16915 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16918 @node A note on namespaces
16919 @subsection A note on namespaces
16920 @cindex IMAP namespace
16923 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16924 by the following text in the RFC2060:
16927 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16929 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16930 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16931 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16932 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16934 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16935 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16936 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16937 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16938 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16939 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16942 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16943 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16944 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16946 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16947 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16948 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16949 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16950 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16951 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16952 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16953 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16956 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16957 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16958 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16960 @node Debugging IMAP
16961 @subsection Debugging IMAP
16962 @cindex IMAP debugging
16963 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
16965 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
16966 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
16967 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
16968 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
16970 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
16971 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
16972 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
16973 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
16974 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
16975 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
16976 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
16980 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
16981 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
16988 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
16989 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
16990 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
16991 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
16994 @node Other Sources
16995 @section Other Sources
16997 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16998 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
17002 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
17003 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
17004 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
17005 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
17006 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
17010 @node Directory Groups
17011 @subsection Directory Groups
17013 @cindex directory groups
17015 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
17016 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
17019 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
17020 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
17021 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
17022 back end to read directories. Big deal.
17024 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
17025 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
17026 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
17027 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
17028 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
17030 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
17032 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
17033 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
17034 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
17035 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
17038 @node Anything Groups
17039 @subsection Anything Groups
17042 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
17043 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
17044 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
17047 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
17048 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
17049 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
17050 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
17051 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
17052 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
17053 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
17054 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
17055 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
17056 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
17059 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
17060 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
17061 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
17062 in the article buffer, just as usual.
17064 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
17065 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
17066 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
17067 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
17069 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
17070 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
17071 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
17072 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
17073 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
17074 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
17075 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
17076 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
17081 @item nneething-map-file-directory
17082 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
17083 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
17084 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
17086 @item nneething-exclude-files
17087 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
17088 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
17089 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
17091 @item nneething-include-files
17092 @vindex nneething-include-files
17093 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
17094 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
17096 @item nneething-map-file
17097 @vindex nneething-map-file
17098 Name of the map files.
17102 @node Document Groups
17103 @subsection Document Groups
17105 @cindex documentation group
17108 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
17109 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
17115 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
17120 The standard Unix mbox file.
17122 @cindex MMDF mail box
17124 The MMDF mail box format.
17127 Several news articles appended into a file.
17129 @cindex rnews batch files
17131 The rnews batch transport format.
17134 Netscape mail boxes.
17137 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
17139 @item standard-digest
17140 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
17143 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
17145 @item lanl-gov-announce
17146 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
17148 @cindex forwarded messages
17149 @item rfc822-forward
17150 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
17153 The Outlook mail box.
17156 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
17159 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
17162 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
17165 An RFC934-forwarded message.
17171 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
17174 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
17180 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
17181 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
17182 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
17185 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
17186 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
17187 group. And that's it.
17189 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
17190 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
17191 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
17192 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
17193 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
17194 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
17195 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
17196 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
17197 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
17198 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
17200 Virtual server variables:
17203 @item nndoc-article-type
17204 @vindex nndoc-article-type
17205 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
17206 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
17207 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
17208 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
17209 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
17211 @item nndoc-post-type
17212 @vindex nndoc-post-type
17213 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
17214 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
17219 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
17223 @node Document Server Internals
17224 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
17226 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
17227 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
17228 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
17229 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
17231 First, here's an example document type definition:
17235 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
17236 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
17239 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
17240 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
17241 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
17242 types can be defined with very few settings:
17245 @item first-article
17246 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
17247 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
17250 @item article-begin
17251 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
17252 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
17253 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
17254 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
17256 @item article-begin-function
17257 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
17258 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
17261 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
17262 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
17263 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
17265 @item head-begin-function
17266 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
17267 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
17270 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
17271 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
17274 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
17275 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
17276 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
17278 @item body-begin-function
17279 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
17280 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
17283 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
17284 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
17285 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
17287 @item body-end-function
17288 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
17289 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
17292 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
17293 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
17296 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
17297 regexp will be totally ignored.
17301 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
17302 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
17303 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
17304 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
17305 something that's palatable for Gnus:
17308 @item prepare-body-function
17309 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
17310 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
17311 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
17313 @item article-transform-function
17314 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17315 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17316 body of the article.
17318 @item generate-head-function
17319 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17320 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17321 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17322 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17324 @item generate-article-function
17325 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
17326 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
17327 parameter when requesting all articles.
17329 @item dissection-function
17330 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
17331 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
17332 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
17333 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
17334 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
17335 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
17339 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17344 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17345 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17346 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17347 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17348 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17349 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17350 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17351 (subtype digest guess))
17354 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
17355 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
17356 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
17357 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
17358 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
17360 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
17361 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
17362 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
17363 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
17364 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
17365 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
17366 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
17367 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
17368 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
17369 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
17370 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
17371 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
17379 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
17380 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
17381 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
17383 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
17384 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
17385 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
17388 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
17389 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
17390 that interested in doing things properly.
17392 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
17393 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
17396 First some terminology:
17401 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
17402 get news and/or mail from.
17405 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
17406 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
17409 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
17413 @item message packets
17414 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
17415 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
17416 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17418 @item response packets
17419 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
17420 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
17421 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17431 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
17432 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
17433 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
17434 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
17437 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
17440 You put the packet in your home directory.
17443 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
17444 the native or secondary server.
17447 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
17448 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
17451 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
17455 You transfer this packet to the server.
17458 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
17461 You then repeat until you die.
17465 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
17466 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
17469 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
17470 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
17471 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
17475 @node SOUP Commands
17476 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
17478 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
17482 @kindex G s b (Group)
17483 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
17484 Pack all unread articles in the current group
17485 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
17486 process/prefix convention.
17489 @kindex G s w (Group)
17490 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
17491 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
17494 @kindex G s s (Group)
17495 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
17496 Send all replies from the replies packet
17497 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
17500 @kindex G s p (Group)
17501 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
17502 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
17505 @kindex G s r (Group)
17506 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
17507 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
17510 @kindex O s (Summary)
17511 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
17512 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
17513 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
17514 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17519 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
17524 @item gnus-soup-directory
17525 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
17526 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
17527 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
17529 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
17530 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
17531 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
17532 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
17534 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
17535 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
17536 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
17537 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
17539 @item gnus-soup-packer
17540 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
17541 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17542 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
17544 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
17545 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
17546 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17547 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17549 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
17550 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
17551 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
17553 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17554 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17555 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
17556 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
17562 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
17565 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
17566 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
17567 you can read them at leisure.
17569 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
17573 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
17574 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
17575 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
17576 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
17578 @item nnsoup-directory
17579 @vindex nnsoup-directory
17580 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
17581 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
17583 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
17584 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
17585 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
17586 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
17588 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
17589 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
17590 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
17591 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
17592 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
17594 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
17595 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
17596 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
17597 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
17599 @item nnsoup-active-file
17600 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
17601 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
17602 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
17603 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
17604 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
17606 @item nnsoup-packer
17607 @vindex nnsoup-packer
17608 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
17609 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
17611 @item nnsoup-unpacker
17612 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
17613 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
17614 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17616 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
17617 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
17618 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
17621 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17622 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17623 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17626 @item nnsoup-always-save
17627 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17628 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17634 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17636 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17637 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17638 more for that to happen.
17640 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17641 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17642 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17645 In specific, this is what it does:
17648 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17649 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17652 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17653 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17654 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17657 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17658 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17659 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17662 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17663 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17664 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17666 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17672 @item nngateway-address
17673 @vindex nngateway-address
17674 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17676 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17677 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17678 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17679 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17680 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17681 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17682 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17685 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17686 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17687 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17690 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17693 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17696 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17699 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17701 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17704 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17705 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17706 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17708 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17710 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17711 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17712 @code{nngateway-address}.
17720 (setq gnus-post-method
17722 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17723 (nngateway-header-transformation
17724 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17727 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17730 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17735 @node Combined Groups
17736 @section Combined Groups
17738 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17742 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17743 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17747 @node Virtual Groups
17748 @subsection Virtual Groups
17750 @cindex virtual groups
17751 @cindex merging groups
17753 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17756 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17757 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17758 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17760 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17761 regexp to match component groups.
17763 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17764 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17765 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17766 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17767 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17768 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17769 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17770 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17772 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17773 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17776 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17779 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17780 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17782 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17783 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17784 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17785 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17788 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17791 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17792 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17793 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17795 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17796 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17797 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17798 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17799 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17801 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17802 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17803 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17805 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17806 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17807 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17808 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17809 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17810 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17811 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17812 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17813 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17814 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17815 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17817 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17818 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17819 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17820 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17821 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17822 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17823 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17825 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17826 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17828 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17829 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17833 @node Kibozed Groups
17834 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17838 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17839 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17840 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17841 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17843 @kindex G k (Group)
17844 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17847 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17848 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17849 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17850 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17852 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17853 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17854 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17856 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17857 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17858 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17859 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17860 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17861 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17862 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17863 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17865 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17866 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17867 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17868 Stranger things have happened.
17870 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17871 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17873 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17874 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17875 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17876 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17877 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17878 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17879 component articles.
17881 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17882 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17885 @node Email Based Diary
17886 @section Email Based Diary
17888 @cindex email based diary
17891 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
17892 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
17893 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
17894 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
17895 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
17896 namely, as event reminders.
17898 Here is a typical scenario:
17902 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
17903 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
17905 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
17907 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
17909 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
17910 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
17911 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
17913 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
17914 of the night you're gonna have.
17916 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
17917 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
17920 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
17921 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
17922 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
17923 explained in the sections below.
17926 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
17927 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
17928 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
17932 @node The NNDiary Back End
17933 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
17935 @cindex the nndiary back end
17937 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
17938 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
17939 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
17940 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
17941 directory per group.
17943 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
17944 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
17945 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
17946 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
17949 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
17950 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
17951 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
17954 @node Diary Messages
17955 @subsubsection Diary Messages
17956 @cindex nndiary messages
17957 @cindex nndiary mails
17959 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
17960 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
17961 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
17962 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
17963 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
17964 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
17965 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
17969 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
17970 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
17971 (separated by a comma).
17973 A field is either an integer, or a range.
17975 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
17977 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
17978 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
17979 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
17981 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
17982 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
17983 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
17985 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
17986 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
17987 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
17988 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
17989 list of available time zone values, see the variable
17990 @code{nndiary-headers}.
17993 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
17994 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
17995 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
18000 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
18003 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
18005 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
18008 @node Running NNDiary
18009 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
18010 @cindex running nndiary
18011 @cindex nndiary operation modes
18013 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
18014 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
18015 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
18016 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
18017 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
18018 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
18020 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
18021 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
18022 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
18023 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
18024 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
18025 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
18026 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
18029 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
18034 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
18035 line in your @file{gnusrc} file:
18038 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
18041 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
18042 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
18043 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
18044 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
18045 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
18047 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
18048 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
18057 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
18058 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
18060 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
18061 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18062 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
18063 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
18066 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
18067 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18068 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
18071 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
18072 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
18073 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
18075 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
18076 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
18077 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
18078 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
18079 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
18081 @node Customizing NNDiary
18082 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
18083 @cindex customizing nndiary
18084 @cindex nndiary customization
18086 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
18087 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
18088 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
18089 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
18091 @defvar nndiary-reminders
18092 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
18093 appointements (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
18094 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
18095 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
18099 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
18100 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
18105 @node The Gnus Diary Library
18106 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
18108 @cindex the gnus diary library
18110 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
18111 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
18112 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
18113 useful things for you.
18115 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{gnusrc} file:
18118 (require 'gnus-diary)
18121 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
18122 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
18123 (sorry if you used them before).
18127 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
18128 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
18129 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
18130 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
18133 @node Diary Summary Line Format
18134 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
18135 @cindex diary summary buffer line
18136 @cindex diary summary line format
18138 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
18139 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
18140 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
18141 see the event's date.
18143 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
18144 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
18145 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
18146 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
18147 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
18149 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
18150 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
18151 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
18154 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
18157 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
18158 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
18161 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
18164 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
18165 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
18166 with the following user options:
18168 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
18169 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
18170 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
18171 diary groups'parameters.
18174 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
18175 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
18176 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
18179 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
18180 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
18181 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
18182 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
18183 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
18186 @node Diary Articles Sorting
18187 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
18188 @cindex diary articles sorting
18189 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
18190 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
18191 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
18192 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
18194 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
18195 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
18196 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
18197 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
18198 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
18200 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
18201 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
18202 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
18203 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
18206 @node Diary Headers Generation
18207 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
18208 @cindex diary headers generation
18209 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
18211 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
18212 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
18213 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
18214 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
18217 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
18218 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
18219 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c D c} in @code{message-mode}
18220 and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the process of converting
18221 a usual mail to a diary one.
18223 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
18224 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
18225 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
18228 @node Diary Group Parameters
18229 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
18230 @cindex diary group parameters
18232 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
18233 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
18234 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
18235 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
18236 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
18237 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
18238 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
18239 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
18241 @node Sending or Not Sending
18242 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
18244 Well, assuming you've read of of the above, here are two final notes on
18245 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
18249 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
18250 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
18251 appointements to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
18252 sending the diary message to them as well.
18254 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
18255 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
18256 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
18257 comes in very handy for private appointments.
18260 @node Gnus Unplugged
18261 @section Gnus Unplugged
18266 @cindex Gnus unplugged
18268 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
18269 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
18270 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
18271 read news. Believe it or not.
18273 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
18274 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
18275 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
18276 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
18277 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
18279 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
18280 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
18281 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
18282 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
18283 reading news on a machine.
18285 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
18286 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
18287 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
18289 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
18292 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
18293 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
18294 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
18295 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
18296 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
18297 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
18298 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
18299 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
18300 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
18301 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
18302 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
18303 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
18304 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
18305 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
18310 @subsection Agent Basics
18312 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
18314 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
18315 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
18316 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
18317 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
18319 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
18320 connected to the net continuously.
18322 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
18323 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
18325 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
18326 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
18327 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
18328 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
18329 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
18331 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
18332 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
18333 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
18334 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
18335 they're kinda like plugged always).
18337 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
18338 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
18339 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
18342 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
18343 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
18344 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
18345 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
18346 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
18348 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
18353 @findex gnus-unplugged
18354 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
18355 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
18356 already fetched while in this mode.
18359 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
18360 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
18361 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
18362 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
18363 Source Specifiers}).
18366 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
18367 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
18368 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
18369 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
18370 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
18373 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
18374 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
18375 then you read the news offline.
18378 And then you go to step 2.
18381 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
18387 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
18388 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
18389 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
18390 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
18391 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
18392 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
18393 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
18394 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
18397 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
18398 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
18399 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
18400 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
18402 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
18403 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
18404 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
18405 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
18406 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
18407 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
18411 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
18415 @node Agent Categories
18416 @subsection Agent Categories
18418 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
18419 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
18420 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
18421 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
18422 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
18423 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
18424 you're interested in the articles anyway.
18426 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
18427 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
18428 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
18429 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
18430 buffer for creating and managing categories.
18432 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
18433 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
18434 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
18435 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
18436 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
18439 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
18440 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
18441 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
18442 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
18443 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
18444 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
18448 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
18449 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
18450 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
18454 @node Category Syntax
18455 @subsubsection Category Syntax
18457 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
18458 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
18459 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
18462 @cindex Agent Parameters
18465 The list of groups that are in this category.
18467 @item agent-predicate
18468 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
18469 are eligible for downloading; and
18472 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
18473 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
18474 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
18476 @item agent-enable-expiration
18477 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
18478 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
18479 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
18480 only groups that should not be expired.
18482 @item agent-days-until-old
18483 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
18484 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
18486 @item agent-low-score
18487 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
18489 @item agent-high-score
18490 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
18492 @item agent-short-article
18493 an integer that overrides the value of
18494 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
18496 @item agent-long-article
18497 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
18499 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
18500 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
18501 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
18502 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
18503 undownloaded faces.
18506 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
18509 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
18510 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
18511 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
18514 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
18515 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
18516 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
18517 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
18519 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
18520 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
18521 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
18523 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
18524 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
18525 operators sprinkled in between.
18527 Perhaps some examples are in order.
18529 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
18530 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
18536 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
18537 short (for some value of ``short'').
18539 Here's a more complex predicate:
18548 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
18549 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
18552 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
18553 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
18554 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
18556 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
18557 you want to do, you can write your own.
18559 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
18560 bound to the value determined by calling
18561 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
18562 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
18563 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
18564 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
18565 predicate to individual groups.
18569 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
18570 lines; default 100.
18573 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
18574 lines; default 200.
18577 True iff the article has a download score less than
18578 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
18581 True iff the article has a download score greater than
18582 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
18585 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
18586 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
18587 checksum and sees whether articles match.
18596 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
18597 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
18598 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
18601 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
18602 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
18603 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
18604 something along the lines of the following:
18607 (defun my-article-old-p ()
18608 "Say whether an article is old."
18609 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
18610 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
18613 with the predicate then defined as:
18616 (not my-article-old-p)
18619 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
18620 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
18624 (require 'gnus-agent)
18625 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
18626 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
18627 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
18630 and simply specify your predicate as:
18636 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
18637 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
18638 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
18639 just don't give a damn.
18641 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
18642 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
18643 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
18644 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
18645 parameters like so:
18648 (agent-predicate . short)
18651 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
18652 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
18653 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
18655 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
18658 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
18661 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
18662 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
18663 predicate is assumed to be a list.
18666 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
18667 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
18668 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
18669 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
18670 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
18671 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
18673 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
18674 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
18675 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
18676 if it's to be specific to that group.
18678 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
18685 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
18686 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
18692 Category specification
18696 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18702 Group/Topic Parameter specification
18705 (agent-score ("from"
18706 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18711 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
18717 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
18718 keywords stated above.
18724 Category specification
18727 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
18733 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
18737 Group Parameter specification
18740 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
18743 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
18748 Use @code{normal} score files
18750 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
18751 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
18752 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
18753 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
18755 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
18756 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
18757 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
18758 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
18762 Category Specification
18769 Group Parameter specification
18772 (agent-score . file)
18777 @node Category Buffer
18778 @subsubsection Category Buffer
18780 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
18781 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
18782 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
18784 The following commands are available in this buffer:
18788 @kindex q (Category)
18789 @findex gnus-category-exit
18790 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
18793 @kindex e (Category)
18794 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
18795 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
18796 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
18799 @kindex k (Category)
18800 @findex gnus-category-kill
18801 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
18804 @kindex c (Category)
18805 @findex gnus-category-copy
18806 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
18809 @kindex a (Category)
18810 @findex gnus-category-add
18811 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
18814 @kindex p (Category)
18815 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
18816 Edit the predicate of the current category
18817 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
18820 @kindex g (Category)
18821 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
18822 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
18823 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
18826 @kindex s (Category)
18827 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
18828 Edit the download score rule of the current category
18829 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
18832 @kindex l (Category)
18833 @findex gnus-category-list
18834 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
18838 @node Category Variables
18839 @subsubsection Category Variables
18842 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
18843 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
18844 Hook run in category buffers.
18846 @item gnus-category-line-format
18847 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
18848 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
18849 Variables}). Valid elements are:
18853 The name of the category.
18856 The number of groups in the category.
18859 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
18860 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
18861 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
18863 @item gnus-agent-short-article
18864 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
18865 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
18867 @item gnus-agent-long-article
18868 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
18869 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
18871 @item gnus-agent-low-score
18872 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
18873 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
18876 @item gnus-agent-high-score
18877 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
18878 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
18881 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
18882 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18883 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
18884 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
18885 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
18886 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
18887 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
18888 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
18892 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18893 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18894 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
18895 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
18896 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
18897 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
18898 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
18903 @node Agent Commands
18904 @subsection Agent Commands
18905 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
18906 @kindex J j (Agent)
18908 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
18909 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
18910 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
18914 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
18915 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
18916 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
18922 @node Group Agent Commands
18923 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
18927 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
18928 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
18929 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
18930 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
18933 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
18934 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
18935 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
18938 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
18939 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
18940 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
18941 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
18944 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
18945 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
18946 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
18947 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
18950 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
18951 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
18952 Add the current group to an Agent category
18953 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
18954 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18957 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
18958 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
18959 Remove the current group from its category, if any
18960 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
18961 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18964 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
18965 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18966 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
18972 @node Summary Agent Commands
18973 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
18977 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
18978 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
18979 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
18982 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
18983 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
18984 Remove the downloading mark from the article
18985 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
18989 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
18990 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
18991 Toggle whether to download the article
18992 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
18996 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
18997 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
18998 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
19001 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
19002 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
19003 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
19004 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
19007 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
19008 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
19009 Download all processable articles in this group.
19010 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
19013 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
19014 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
19015 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
19016 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
19021 @node Server Agent Commands
19022 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
19026 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
19027 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
19028 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
19029 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
19032 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
19033 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
19034 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
19035 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
19040 @node Agent Visuals
19041 @subsection Agent Visuals
19043 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
19044 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
19045 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
19046 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
19047 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
19048 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
19049 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
19050 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
19051 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
19052 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
19054 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
19055 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
19056 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
19057 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
19058 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
19059 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
19060 the download status of each article so that you always know which
19061 articles will be available when unplugged.
19063 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
19064 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
19065 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
19066 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
19067 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
19068 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
19069 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
19070 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
19072 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
19073 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
19074 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
19075 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
19076 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
19077 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
19078 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
19079 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
19080 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
19082 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
19083 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
19084 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
19085 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
19086 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
19087 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
19088 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
19089 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
19090 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
19091 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
19093 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
19094 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
19095 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
19096 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
19097 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
19098 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19100 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
19101 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
19102 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
19103 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
19104 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
19105 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
19106 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
19107 expiring'' articles.
19109 @node Agent as Cache
19110 @subsection Agent as Cache
19112 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
19113 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
19114 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
19115 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
19116 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
19117 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
19118 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
19119 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
19120 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
19122 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
19123 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
19124 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
19125 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
19126 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
19129 @subsection Agent Expiry
19131 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19132 @findex gnus-agent-expire
19133 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
19134 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
19135 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
19136 @cindex agent expiry
19137 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
19140 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
19141 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
19142 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
19143 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
19144 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
19145 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
19146 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
19147 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
19149 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
19150 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
19151 synchronized with the group.
19153 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
19154 prevent expiration in selected groups.
19156 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
19157 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
19158 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
19159 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
19160 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
19161 be kept indefinitely.
19163 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
19164 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
19165 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
19166 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
19168 @node Agent Regeneration
19169 @subsection Agent Regeneration
19171 @cindex agent regeneration
19172 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
19173 @cindex regeneration
19175 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
19176 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
19177 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
19178 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
19179 internal inconsistencies.
19181 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
19182 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
19183 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
19184 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
19185 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
19186 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
19188 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
19189 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
19190 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
19191 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
19192 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
19193 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
19195 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19196 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19197 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
19198 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
19199 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
19200 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
19203 @node Agent and flags
19204 @subsection Agent and flags
19206 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
19207 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
19208 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
19209 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
19210 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
19211 to the flags in its own files.
19213 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
19214 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
19215 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
19217 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19218 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19219 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19220 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19221 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19222 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19224 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
19225 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
19226 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
19227 in the group buffer.
19229 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
19230 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
19231 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
19232 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
19233 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
19234 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
19235 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
19236 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
19238 @node Agent and IMAP
19239 @subsection Agent and IMAP
19241 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
19242 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
19243 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
19244 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
19246 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
19247 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
19252 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
19255 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
19259 @node Outgoing Messages
19260 @subsection Outgoing Messages
19262 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
19263 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
19264 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
19266 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
19267 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
19268 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
19270 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
19271 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
19272 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
19273 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
19276 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
19277 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
19278 ask you to confirm your action (see
19279 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
19281 @node Agent Variables
19282 @subsection Agent Variables
19287 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
19288 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
19289 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
19290 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
19292 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
19293 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
19296 @item gnus-agent-directory
19297 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
19298 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
19299 @file{~/News/agent/}.
19301 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
19302 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
19303 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
19304 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
19305 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
19308 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19309 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19310 Hook run when connecting to the network.
19312 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19313 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19314 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
19316 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19317 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19318 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
19320 @item gnus-agent-cache
19321 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
19322 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
19323 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
19324 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
19326 @item gnus-agent-go-online
19327 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
19328 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
19329 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
19330 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
19331 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
19332 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
19335 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19336 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19337 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
19338 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
19339 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
19340 read. The default is @code{t}.
19342 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19343 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19344 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19345 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19346 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19347 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19348 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19350 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19351 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19352 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
19353 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
19354 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
19355 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
19356 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
19357 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
19358 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
19359 over and over again.
19361 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19362 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19363 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
19364 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
19365 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
19366 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
19367 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
19368 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
19369 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
19370 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
19371 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
19372 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
19375 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
19376 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
19377 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
19378 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
19379 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
19380 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
19381 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
19382 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
19383 is only valid if the Agent is used.
19385 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19386 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19387 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
19388 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
19389 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
19390 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
19392 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
19393 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
19394 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
19395 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
19396 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
19398 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
19399 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
19400 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
19401 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
19402 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
19403 mail. The default is @code{t}.
19405 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19406 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19407 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
19408 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
19409 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
19411 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19412 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19413 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
19414 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
19415 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
19416 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
19417 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
19418 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
19419 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
19420 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
19421 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
19426 @node Example Setup
19427 @subsection Example Setup
19429 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
19430 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
19431 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
19434 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
19435 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
19436 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
19438 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
19439 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
19440 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
19442 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
19443 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
19445 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
19446 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
19447 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
19450 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
19451 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
19454 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
19455 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
19456 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
19457 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
19458 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
19461 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
19462 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
19463 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
19464 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
19465 back all the killed groups.)
19467 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
19468 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
19469 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
19472 @node Batching Agents
19473 @subsection Batching Agents
19474 @findex gnus-agent-batch
19476 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
19477 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
19478 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
19480 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
19481 following incantation:
19485 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
19489 @node Agent Caveats
19490 @subsection Agent Caveats
19492 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
19493 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
19497 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
19499 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
19500 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
19501 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
19503 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
19504 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
19506 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
19510 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
19511 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
19512 locally stored articles.
19519 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
19520 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
19521 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
19524 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
19525 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
19526 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
19527 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
19528 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
19530 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
19531 before generating the summary buffer.
19533 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
19534 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
19535 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
19537 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
19538 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
19539 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
19540 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
19543 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
19544 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
19545 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
19546 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
19547 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
19548 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
19549 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
19550 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
19551 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
19552 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
19553 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
19554 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
19555 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
19556 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
19557 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
19558 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
19562 @node Summary Score Commands
19563 @section Summary Score Commands
19564 @cindex score commands
19566 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
19567 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
19568 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
19569 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
19570 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
19572 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
19573 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
19574 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
19575 score file the current one.
19577 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
19582 @kindex V s (Summary)
19583 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
19584 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
19587 @kindex V S (Summary)
19588 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
19589 Display the score of the current article
19590 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
19593 @kindex V t (Summary)
19594 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
19595 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
19596 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
19597 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
19598 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
19599 score file and edit it.
19602 @kindex V w (Summary)
19603 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
19604 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
19607 @kindex V R (Summary)
19608 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
19609 Run the current summary through the scoring process
19610 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
19611 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
19612 effect you're having.
19615 @kindex V c (Summary)
19616 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
19617 Make a different score file the current
19618 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
19621 @kindex V e (Summary)
19622 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
19623 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
19624 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
19628 @kindex V f (Summary)
19629 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
19630 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
19631 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
19634 @kindex V F (Summary)
19635 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19636 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
19637 after editing score files.
19640 @kindex V C (Summary)
19641 @findex gnus-score-customize
19642 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
19643 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
19647 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
19652 @kindex V m (Summary)
19653 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
19654 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
19655 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
19658 @kindex V x (Summary)
19659 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
19660 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
19661 expunge all articles below this score
19662 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
19665 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
19666 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
19669 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
19670 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
19674 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
19675 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
19677 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
19678 keys are available:
19682 Score on the author name.
19685 Score on the subject line.
19688 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
19691 Score on the @code{References} line.
19697 Score on the number of lines.
19700 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
19703 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
19704 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
19707 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
19708 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
19709 @file{ADAPT} files.)
19718 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
19724 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
19725 what headers you are scoring on.
19737 Substring matching.
19740 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
19769 Greater than number.
19774 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
19775 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
19776 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
19781 Temporary score entry.
19784 Permanent score entry.
19787 Immediately scoring.
19791 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
19792 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
19793 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
19797 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
19798 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
19799 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
19800 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
19802 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
19803 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
19804 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
19805 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
19806 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
19808 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
19809 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
19810 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
19811 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
19812 current score file.
19814 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
19815 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
19816 pretend they are keymaps or not.
19819 @node Group Score Commands
19820 @section Group Score Commands
19821 @cindex group score commands
19823 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
19828 @kindex W e (Group)
19829 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
19830 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
19831 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
19834 @kindex W f (Group)
19835 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19836 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
19837 all the time. This command will flush the cache
19838 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
19842 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
19844 @findex gnus-batch-score
19845 @cindex batch scoring
19847 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
19851 @node Score Variables
19852 @section Score Variables
19853 @cindex score variables
19857 @item gnus-use-scoring
19858 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
19859 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
19860 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
19862 @item gnus-kill-killed
19863 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
19864 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
19865 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
19866 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
19867 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
19868 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
19869 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
19871 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
19872 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
19873 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
19874 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
19875 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
19877 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
19878 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
19879 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
19880 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
19882 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19883 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19884 @cindex score cache
19885 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
19886 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
19887 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
19888 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
19889 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
19890 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
19891 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
19894 @item gnus-save-score
19895 @vindex gnus-save-score
19896 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
19897 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
19898 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19900 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
19901 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
19902 across group visits.
19904 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19905 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19906 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
19907 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
19908 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
19909 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
19910 manually entered data.
19912 @item gnus-summary-default-score
19913 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
19914 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
19916 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
19917 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
19918 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
19919 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
19920 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
19921 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
19923 @item gnus-score-over-mark
19924 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
19925 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
19926 default. Default is @samp{+}.
19928 @item gnus-score-below-mark
19929 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
19930 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
19931 default. Default is @samp{-}.
19933 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19934 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19935 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
19936 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
19938 Predefined functions available are:
19941 @item gnus-score-find-single
19942 @findex gnus-score-find-single
19943 Only apply the group's own score file.
19945 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
19946 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
19947 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
19948 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
19949 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
19950 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
19951 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
19952 then a regexp match is done.
19954 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
19955 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
19957 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
19958 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
19959 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
19960 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
19962 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19963 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19964 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
19965 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
19966 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
19970 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
19971 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
19972 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
19973 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
19974 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
19975 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
19976 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
19979 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
19980 overall score file, you could use the value
19982 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
19983 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
19986 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
19987 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
19988 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
19989 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
19990 are expired. It's 7 by default.
19992 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19993 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19994 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
19995 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
19996 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
19997 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
19998 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
19999 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
20001 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20002 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20003 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
20005 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
20006 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
20007 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
20008 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
20009 threading---according to the current value of
20010 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
20011 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
20012 simplified in this manner.
20017 @node Score File Format
20018 @section Score File Format
20019 @cindex score file format
20021 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
20022 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
20023 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
20025 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
20029 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
20031 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
20033 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
20035 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
20040 (mark-and-expunge -10)
20044 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
20045 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
20046 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
20047 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
20051 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
20052 Scoring}, for a different approach.
20054 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
20055 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
20056 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
20058 Six keys are supported by this alist:
20063 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
20064 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
20065 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
20066 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
20067 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
20068 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
20069 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
20070 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
20071 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
20072 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
20073 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
20074 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
20075 to articles that matches these score entries.
20077 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
20078 score entry has one to four elements.
20082 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
20083 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
20087 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
20088 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
20089 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
20090 is successful. If this element is not present, the
20091 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
20092 instead. This is 1000 by default.
20095 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
20096 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
20097 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
20098 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
20099 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
20102 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
20103 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
20104 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
20105 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
20108 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
20109 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
20110 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
20111 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
20112 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
20113 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
20114 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
20115 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
20116 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
20117 instead, if you feel like.
20120 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
20121 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
20122 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
20123 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
20124 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
20125 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
20129 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
20130 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
20134 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
20135 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
20137 These predicates are true if
20140 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
20143 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
20144 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
20151 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
20152 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
20153 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
20154 it's not. I think.)
20156 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
20157 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
20158 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
20159 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
20162 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
20163 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
20164 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
20165 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
20166 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
20167 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
20168 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
20172 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
20173 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
20174 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
20175 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
20176 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
20177 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
20178 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
20179 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
20182 @item Head, Body, All
20183 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
20187 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
20188 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
20189 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
20190 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
20191 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
20192 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
20193 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
20197 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
20198 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
20199 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
20200 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
20201 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
20202 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
20203 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
20204 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
20205 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
20206 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
20207 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
20211 @cindex score file atoms
20213 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20214 lower than this number will be marked as read.
20217 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20218 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
20220 @item mark-and-expunge
20221 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20222 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
20225 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
20226 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
20227 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
20228 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
20229 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
20232 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
20233 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
20236 @item exclude-files
20237 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
20238 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
20242 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
20243 ignored when handling global score files.
20246 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
20247 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
20248 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
20249 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
20252 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
20253 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
20254 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
20255 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
20257 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
20261 (mark-and-expunge -100)
20264 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
20265 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
20266 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
20267 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
20268 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
20270 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
20271 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
20272 scoring rules exist.
20275 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
20276 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
20277 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
20278 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
20279 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
20280 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
20281 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20282 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
20283 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
20284 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
20285 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
20289 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
20290 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
20291 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
20292 file for a number of groups.
20295 @cindex local variables
20296 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
20297 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
20298 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
20299 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
20300 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
20305 @node Score File Editing
20306 @section Score File Editing
20308 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
20309 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
20310 with a mode for that.
20312 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
20313 additional commands:
20318 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
20319 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
20320 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
20321 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
20324 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
20325 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
20326 Insert the current date in numerical format
20327 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
20328 you were wondering.
20331 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
20332 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
20333 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
20334 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
20335 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
20340 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
20342 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
20343 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
20345 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
20346 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
20349 @node Adaptive Scoring
20350 @section Adaptive Scoring
20351 @cindex adaptive scoring
20353 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
20354 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
20355 stupidity, to be precise.
20357 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
20358 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
20359 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
20360 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
20361 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20362 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
20363 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
20364 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
20365 variable to @code{(word line)}.
20367 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20368 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
20369 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
20370 might look something like this:
20373 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20374 '((gnus-unread-mark)
20375 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
20376 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
20377 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
20378 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
20379 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
20380 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
20381 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
20382 (gnus-ancient-mark)
20383 (gnus-low-score-mark)
20384 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
20387 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
20388 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
20389 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
20390 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
20391 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
20392 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
20395 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
20396 will be applied to each article.
20398 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
20399 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
20400 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
20401 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
20403 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
20404 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
20405 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
20406 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
20408 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
20409 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
20410 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
20411 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
20413 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
20414 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
20415 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
20416 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
20417 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
20418 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
20420 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
20421 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
20422 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
20424 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
20425 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
20426 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
20428 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
20429 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
20430 let you use different rules in different groups.
20432 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
20433 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
20434 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
20437 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
20438 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
20439 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
20440 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
20442 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
20443 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
20444 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
20445 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
20446 the length of the match is less than
20447 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
20448 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
20451 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20452 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
20453 headers. If you adapt on words, the
20454 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
20455 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
20458 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20459 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
20460 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
20461 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
20462 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
20465 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
20466 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
20467 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
20468 score with 30 points.
20470 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
20471 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
20472 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
20473 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
20474 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
20476 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
20477 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
20478 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
20479 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
20480 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
20482 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
20483 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
20484 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
20485 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
20487 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
20488 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
20489 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
20490 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
20492 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
20493 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
20494 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
20495 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
20496 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
20498 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
20499 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
20500 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
20502 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
20503 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
20504 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
20505 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
20508 @node Home Score File
20509 @section Home Score File
20511 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
20512 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
20513 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
20514 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
20516 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
20517 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
20518 could perhaps use the same home score file.
20520 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
20521 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
20526 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
20530 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
20531 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
20535 A list. The elements in this list can be:
20539 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
20540 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
20543 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
20544 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
20545 name of the group as the parameter.
20548 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
20551 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
20556 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
20559 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20560 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
20563 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
20564 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
20566 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
20568 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20569 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
20572 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
20573 Other functions include
20576 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
20577 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
20578 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
20579 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
20583 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
20584 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
20585 their own home score files:
20588 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20589 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
20590 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
20591 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
20592 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
20595 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
20596 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
20597 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
20598 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
20599 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
20601 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
20602 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
20603 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
20604 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
20605 precedence over this variable.
20608 @node Followups To Yourself
20609 @section Followups To Yourself
20611 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
20612 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
20613 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
20614 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
20615 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
20616 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
20620 @item gnus-score-followup-article
20621 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
20622 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
20625 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
20626 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
20627 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
20631 @vindex message-sent-hook
20632 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
20633 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
20635 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
20639 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
20640 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
20644 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20645 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20648 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
20649 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
20654 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
20658 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
20659 is system-dependent.
20662 @node Scoring On Other Headers
20663 @section Scoring On Other Headers
20664 @cindex scoring on other headers
20666 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
20667 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
20668 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
20669 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
20670 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
20672 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
20673 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
20674 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
20675 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
20676 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
20678 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
20681 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
20682 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
20685 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
20686 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
20687 time if you have much mail.
20689 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
20690 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
20696 @section Scoring Tips
20697 @cindex scoring tips
20703 @cindex scoring crossposts
20704 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
20705 the @code{Xref} header.
20707 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
20710 @item Multiple crossposts
20711 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
20712 more than, say, 3 groups:
20715 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
20719 @item Matching on the body
20720 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
20721 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
20722 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
20723 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
20724 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
20725 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
20726 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
20729 @item Marking as read
20730 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
20731 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
20732 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
20736 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
20738 @item Negated character classes
20739 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
20740 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
20741 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
20745 @node Reverse Scoring
20746 @section Reverse Scoring
20747 @cindex reverse scoring
20749 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
20750 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
20751 like this in your score file:
20755 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
20760 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
20761 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
20764 @node Global Score Files
20765 @section Global Score Files
20766 @cindex global score files
20768 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
20769 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
20770 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
20772 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
20773 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
20774 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
20776 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
20777 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
20778 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
20779 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
20780 files are applicable to which group.
20782 To use the score file
20783 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
20784 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
20788 (setq gnus-global-score-files
20789 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
20790 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
20793 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
20795 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
20796 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
20797 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
20798 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
20800 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
20801 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
20803 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
20804 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
20805 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
20806 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
20807 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
20808 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
20810 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
20816 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
20818 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
20820 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
20822 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
20823 lowered out of existence.
20825 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
20826 articles completely.
20829 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
20830 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
20831 old articles for a long time.
20834 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
20835 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
20836 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
20837 holding our breath yet?
20841 @section Kill Files
20844 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
20845 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
20846 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
20848 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
20849 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
20850 files into score files.
20852 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
20853 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
20854 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
20855 that isn't a very good idea.
20857 Normal kill files look like this:
20860 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20861 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
20865 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
20866 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
20868 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
20869 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
20872 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
20877 @kindex M-k (Summary)
20878 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
20879 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
20882 @kindex M-K (Summary)
20883 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
20884 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
20887 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
20892 @kindex M-k (Group)
20893 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
20894 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
20897 @kindex M-K (Group)
20898 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
20899 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
20902 Kill file variables:
20905 @item gnus-kill-file-name
20906 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
20907 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
20908 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
20909 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
20910 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
20911 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
20913 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20914 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20915 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
20916 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
20919 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
20920 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
20921 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
20922 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
20923 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
20924 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
20925 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
20926 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
20927 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
20929 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20930 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20931 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
20936 @node Converting Kill Files
20937 @section Converting Kill Files
20939 @cindex converting kill files
20941 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
20942 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
20943 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
20946 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
20947 You can fetch it from
20948 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
20950 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
20951 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
20952 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
20956 @node Advanced Scoring
20957 @section Advanced Scoring
20959 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20960 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20961 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20962 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20963 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20965 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20969 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20970 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20971 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20975 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20976 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20978 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20979 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20980 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20981 non-@code{nil} value.
20983 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20984 operator, and various match operators.
20991 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20992 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20993 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20998 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20999 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
21000 then this operator will return @code{false}.
21005 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
21006 logical negation of the value of its argument.
21010 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
21011 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
21012 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
21013 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
21014 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
21015 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
21016 the ancestry you want to go.
21018 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
21019 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
21020 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
21021 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
21022 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
21025 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
21026 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
21028 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
21029 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
21032 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
21033 when he's talking about Gnus:
21038 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21039 ("subject" "Gnus"))
21046 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
21050 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21057 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
21058 really don't want to read what he's written:
21062 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21063 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
21067 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
21068 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
21069 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
21076 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
21077 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
21078 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
21079 ("body" "white.*socks"))
21083 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
21084 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
21085 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
21086 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
21089 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21091 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21095 The possibilities are endless.
21097 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
21098 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
21100 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
21101 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
21102 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
21103 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
21104 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
21105 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
21106 @samp{subject}) first.
21108 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
21109 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
21120 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
21121 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
21127 ("subject" "Gnus")))
21134 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
21135 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
21140 @section Score Decays
21141 @cindex score decays
21144 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
21145 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
21146 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
21147 use them in any sensible way.
21149 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
21150 @findex gnus-decay-score
21151 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
21152 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
21153 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
21154 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
21155 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
21156 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
21157 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
21158 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
21159 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
21160 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
21164 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
21165 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
21166 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
21168 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
21170 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
21172 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
21173 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
21174 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
21175 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
21176 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
21178 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
21182 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
21183 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
21184 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
21185 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
21189 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
21192 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
21195 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
21199 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
21200 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
21201 the new score, which should be an integer.
21203 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
21204 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
21209 @include message.texi
21210 @chapter Emacs MIME
21211 @include emacs-mime.texi
21213 @include sieve.texi
21225 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
21226 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
21227 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
21228 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
21229 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
21230 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
21231 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
21232 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
21233 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
21234 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
21235 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
21236 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
21237 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
21238 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
21239 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
21240 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
21241 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
21242 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
21243 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
21244 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
21245 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
21249 @node Process/Prefix
21250 @section Process/Prefix
21251 @cindex process/prefix convention
21253 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
21254 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
21256 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
21257 command to be performed on.
21261 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
21262 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
21263 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
21264 with the current one.
21266 @vindex transient-mark-mode
21267 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
21268 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
21270 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
21271 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
21274 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
21275 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
21277 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
21280 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
21281 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
21282 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
21283 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21285 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
21286 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
21287 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
21288 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
21289 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
21290 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
21291 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
21292 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
21294 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
21295 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
21296 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
21297 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
21298 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
21302 @section Interactive
21303 @cindex interaction
21307 @item gnus-novice-user
21308 @vindex gnus-novice-user
21309 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
21310 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
21311 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
21312 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
21315 @item gnus-expert-user
21316 @vindex gnus-expert-user
21317 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
21318 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
21319 matter how strange.
21321 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
21322 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
21323 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
21324 is @code{t} by default.
21326 @item gnus-interactive-exit
21327 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
21328 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21333 @node Symbolic Prefixes
21334 @section Symbolic Prefixes
21335 @cindex symbolic prefixes
21337 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
21338 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
21339 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
21340 rule of 900 to the current article.
21342 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
21343 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
21344 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
21345 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
21346 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
21347 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
21348 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
21350 @kindex M-i (Summary)
21351 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
21352 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
21353 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
21354 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
21355 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
21356 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
21357 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
21358 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
21360 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
21361 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
21362 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
21364 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
21368 @node Formatting Variables
21369 @section Formatting Variables
21370 @cindex formatting variables
21372 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
21373 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
21374 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
21375 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
21376 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
21379 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
21380 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
21381 lots of percentages everywhere.
21384 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
21385 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
21386 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
21387 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
21388 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
21389 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
21390 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
21391 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
21394 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
21395 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
21396 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
21397 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
21398 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
21399 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
21400 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
21401 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
21403 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
21404 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
21406 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
21407 @findex gnus-update-format
21408 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
21409 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
21410 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
21411 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
21415 @node Formatting Basics
21416 @subsection Formatting Basics
21418 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
21419 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
21420 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
21422 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
21423 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
21424 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
21425 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
21426 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
21429 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
21430 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
21431 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
21432 less than 4 characters wide.
21434 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
21435 @samp{%&user-date;}.
21438 @node Mode Line Formatting
21439 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
21441 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
21442 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
21443 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
21444 with the following two differences:
21449 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
21452 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
21453 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
21454 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
21455 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
21456 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
21457 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
21458 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
21463 @node Advanced Formatting
21464 @subsection Advanced Formatting
21466 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
21467 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
21468 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
21469 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
21471 These are the valid modifiers:
21476 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
21480 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
21485 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
21488 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
21493 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
21496 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
21499 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
21502 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
21508 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
21513 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
21514 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
21515 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
21516 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
21517 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
21518 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
21519 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
21521 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
21522 last operation, padding.
21524 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
21525 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
21526 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
21527 @xref{Compilation}.
21530 @node User-Defined Specs
21531 @subsection User-Defined Specs
21533 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
21534 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
21535 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
21536 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
21537 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
21538 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
21539 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
21540 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
21541 should protect against that.
21543 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
21544 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
21546 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
21547 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
21548 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
21549 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
21553 @node Formatting Fonts
21554 @subsection Formatting Fonts
21556 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
21557 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
21558 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
21559 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
21562 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
21563 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
21564 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
21565 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
21566 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
21567 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
21569 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
21570 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
21571 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
21572 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
21573 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
21574 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
21575 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
21576 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
21577 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
21578 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
21579 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
21582 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
21585 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
21586 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
21587 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
21589 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
21590 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
21591 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
21592 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
21593 ;; @r{Set the color.}
21594 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
21595 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
21597 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
21598 (setq gnus-group-line-format
21599 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
21602 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
21603 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
21605 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
21606 mode-line variables.
21608 @node Positioning Point
21609 @subsection Positioning Point
21611 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
21612 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
21613 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
21615 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
21617 @findex gnus-goto-colon
21618 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
21619 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
21621 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
21622 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
21623 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
21628 @subsection Tabulation
21630 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
21631 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
21632 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
21633 about lining up the following text afterwards.
21635 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
21636 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
21638 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
21639 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
21640 This is the soft tabulator.
21642 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
21643 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
21644 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
21647 @node Wide Characters
21648 @subsection Wide Characters
21650 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
21651 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
21652 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
21654 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
21655 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
21656 these countries, that's not true.
21658 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
21659 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
21660 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
21661 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
21665 @node Window Layout
21666 @section Window Layout
21667 @cindex window layout
21669 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
21671 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
21672 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
21673 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
21674 @code{t} by default.
21676 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
21677 glitches. Use at your own peril.
21679 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
21680 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
21681 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
21684 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
21685 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
21686 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
21690 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
21691 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
21692 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
21693 possible names is listed below.
21695 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
21696 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
21699 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
21703 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
21704 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
21705 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
21706 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
21707 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
21708 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
21709 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
21710 size spec per split.
21712 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
21713 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
21714 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
21715 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
21716 present) gets focus.
21718 Here's a more complicated example:
21721 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
21722 (summary 0.25 point)
21723 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
21727 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
21728 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
21729 occupy, not a percentage.
21731 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
21732 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
21733 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
21734 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
21735 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
21738 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
21741 (article (horizontal 1.0
21746 (summary 0.25 point)
21751 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
21752 @code{horizontal} thingie?
21754 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
21755 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
21756 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
21757 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
21758 the screen is to be given to this strip.
21760 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
21761 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
21762 lines from the splits.
21764 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
21769 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
21770 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
21771 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
21772 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
21773 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
21774 size = number | frame-params
21775 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
21779 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
21780 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
21781 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
21782 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
21784 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
21785 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
21786 @cindex window height
21787 @cindex window width
21788 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
21789 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
21790 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
21791 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
21792 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
21793 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
21795 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
21796 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
21797 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
21798 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
21800 @findex gnus-configure-frame
21801 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
21802 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
21803 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
21804 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
21805 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
21806 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
21807 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
21808 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
21809 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
21810 configuration list.
21813 (gnus-configure-frame
21817 (article 0.3 point))
21825 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
21826 @code{frame} split:
21829 (gnus-configure-frame
21832 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
21834 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
21835 (user-position . t)
21836 (left . -1) (top . 1))
21841 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
21842 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
21843 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
21844 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
21845 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
21846 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
21847 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
21848 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
21850 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
21851 be found in its default value.
21853 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
21854 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
21855 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
21859 (message (horizontal 1.0
21860 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
21862 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
21867 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
21868 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
21869 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
21874 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
21875 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
21876 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
21877 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
21878 (name . "Message"))
21879 (message 1.0 point))))
21882 @findex gnus-add-configuration
21883 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
21884 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
21885 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
21886 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
21889 (gnus-add-configuration
21890 '(article (vertical 1.0
21892 (summary .25 point)
21896 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
21897 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
21898 Gnus has been loaded.
21900 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
21901 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
21902 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
21903 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21904 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21906 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21907 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21908 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21911 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21915 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21916 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
21931 (gnus-add-configuration
21934 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21936 (summary 0.16 point)
21939 (gnus-add-configuration
21942 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21943 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
21949 @node Faces and Fonts
21950 @section Faces and Fonts
21955 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
21956 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
21957 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
21962 @section Compilation
21963 @cindex compilation
21964 @cindex byte-compilation
21966 @findex gnus-compile
21968 Remember all those line format specification variables?
21969 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
21970 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
21971 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
21972 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
21973 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
21976 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
21977 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
21978 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
21979 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
21980 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
21981 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
21982 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
21986 @section Mode Lines
21989 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
21990 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
21991 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
21992 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
21993 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
21994 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
21995 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
21998 @cindex display-time
22000 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
22001 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
22002 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
22003 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
22004 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
22005 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
22006 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
22007 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
22010 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
22012 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
22013 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
22015 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
22016 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
22017 (length display-time-string)))))
22020 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
22021 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
22022 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
22023 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
22024 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
22027 @node Highlighting and Menus
22028 @section Highlighting and Menus
22030 @cindex highlighting
22033 @vindex gnus-visual
22034 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
22035 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
22036 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
22039 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
22040 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
22043 @item group-highlight
22044 Do highlights in the group buffer.
22045 @item summary-highlight
22046 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
22047 @item article-highlight
22048 Do highlights in the article buffer.
22050 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
22052 Create menus in the group buffer.
22054 Create menus in the summary buffers.
22056 Create menus in the article buffer.
22058 Create menus in the browse buffer.
22060 Create menus in the server buffer.
22062 Create menus in the score buffers.
22064 Create menus in all buffers.
22067 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
22068 buffers, you could say something like:
22071 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
22074 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
22077 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
22080 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
22081 in all Gnus buffers.
22083 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
22086 @item gnus-mouse-face
22087 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22088 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
22089 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
22093 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
22097 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
22098 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
22099 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
22101 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
22102 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
22103 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
22105 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
22106 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
22107 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
22109 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
22110 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
22111 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
22113 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
22114 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
22115 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
22117 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
22118 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
22119 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
22130 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
22131 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
22132 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
22133 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
22134 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
22138 @vindex gnus-carpal
22139 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
22140 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
22141 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
22146 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22147 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22148 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
22150 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
22151 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
22152 Face used on buttons.
22154 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
22155 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
22156 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
22158 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22159 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22160 Buttons in the group buffer.
22162 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22163 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22164 Buttons in the summary buffer.
22166 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22167 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22168 Buttons in the server buffer.
22170 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22171 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22172 Buttons in the browse buffer.
22175 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
22176 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
22177 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
22185 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
22186 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
22187 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
22188 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
22189 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
22191 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
22192 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
22193 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
22195 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
22196 been idle for thirty minutes:
22199 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
22202 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
22206 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
22209 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
22210 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
22211 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22213 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
22214 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
22215 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
22216 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22218 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
22219 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
22220 @var{idle} minutes.
22222 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
22223 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
22226 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
22227 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
22228 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
22230 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
22231 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
22232 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
22233 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
22235 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
22236 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22238 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
22240 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
22243 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
22244 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
22245 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
22246 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
22247 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
22248 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
22249 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
22250 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
22251 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
22252 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
22253 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
22255 @findex gnus-demon-init
22256 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
22257 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
22258 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
22259 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
22260 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
22262 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
22263 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
22264 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
22273 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
22274 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
22276 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
22277 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
22278 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
22279 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
22282 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
22283 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
22284 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
22285 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
22287 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
22288 this will make spam disappear.
22290 There are some variables to customize, of course:
22293 @item gnus-use-nocem
22294 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
22295 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
22298 @item gnus-nocem-groups
22299 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
22300 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
22303 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
22304 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
22307 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
22308 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
22309 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
22310 people you want to listen to. The default is
22312 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
22313 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
22315 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
22317 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
22318 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
22320 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
22321 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
22322 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
22323 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
22324 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
22325 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
22326 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
22327 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
22328 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
22329 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
22331 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
22332 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
22335 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
22338 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
22339 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
22342 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
22345 The specs are applied left-to-right.
22348 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
22349 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
22351 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
22352 says she is. The default is @code{pgg-verify}, which returns
22353 non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful, otherwise (including
22354 the case the NoCeM message was not signed) returns @code{nil}. If this
22355 is too slow and you don't care for verification (which may be dangerous),
22356 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
22358 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
22359 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
22360 @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if you are willing to add the
22361 @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
22363 @item gnus-nocem-directory
22364 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
22365 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
22366 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
22368 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
22369 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
22370 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
22371 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
22372 might then see old spam.
22374 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
22375 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
22376 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
22377 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
22378 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
22381 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
22382 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
22383 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
22384 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
22388 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
22389 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
22390 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
22391 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
22398 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
22399 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
22400 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
22402 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
22403 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
22404 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
22405 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
22406 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
22407 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
22408 @code{undo} function.
22410 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
22411 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
22412 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
22413 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
22414 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
22415 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
22416 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
22417 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
22418 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
22419 never be totally undoable.
22421 @findex gnus-undo-mode
22422 @vindex gnus-use-undo
22424 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
22425 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
22426 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
22427 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
22431 @node Predicate Specifiers
22432 @section Predicate Specifiers
22433 @cindex predicate specifiers
22435 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
22436 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
22437 to type all that much.
22439 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
22444 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
22445 gnus-article-unread-p)
22448 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
22449 functions all take one parameter.
22451 @findex gnus-make-predicate
22452 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
22453 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
22454 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
22459 @section Moderation
22462 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
22463 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
22464 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
22467 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
22471 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
22474 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
22476 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
22481 You split your incoming mail by matching on
22482 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
22483 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
22486 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
22487 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
22490 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
22491 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
22495 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
22498 (setq gnus-moderated-list
22499 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
22503 @node Fetching a Group
22504 @section Fetching a Group
22505 @cindex fetching a group
22507 @findex gnus-fetch-group
22508 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
22509 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
22510 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
22511 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
22512 It takes the group name as a parameter.
22515 @node Image Enhancements
22516 @section Image Enhancements
22518 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
22519 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
22520 taken advantage of that.
22523 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
22524 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
22525 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
22526 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
22527 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
22535 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
22536 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
22537 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
22541 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
22542 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
22543 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
22551 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
22552 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
22553 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
22554 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
22556 The variable that controls this is the
22557 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
22558 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
22559 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
22560 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
22561 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
22563 The default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
22564 @code{display} program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick
22565 package. For the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look
22566 for a package like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux
22567 system.} to view the face.
22569 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
22570 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
22571 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
22572 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
22573 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
22574 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
22575 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
22576 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
22578 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
22586 @vindex gnus-x-face
22587 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
22588 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
22589 default colors are black and white.
22591 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
22592 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
22593 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
22594 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
22595 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
22596 XEmacs. Here are examples:
22599 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
22600 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22601 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
22602 (png . (:ascent 80))))
22604 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
22605 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22606 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
22607 (png . (:relief -2))))
22610 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
22611 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
22612 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
22613 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
22614 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
22615 @samp{libcompface} library.
22618 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
22619 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
22621 @findex gnus-random-x-face
22622 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
22623 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
22624 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
22625 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
22626 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
22627 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
22628 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
22629 header data as a string.
22631 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
22632 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
22633 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
22634 randomly generated data.
22636 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
22637 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
22638 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
22639 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
22640 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
22642 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
22643 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22646 (setq message-required-news-headers
22647 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22648 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
22651 Using the last function would be something like this:
22654 (setq message-required-news-headers
22655 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22656 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
22657 (gnus-x-face-from-file
22658 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
22666 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces'implementations should really be harmonized.
22668 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
22669 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
22670 represent the author of the message.
22673 @findex gnus-article-display-face
22674 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
22675 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
22678 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
22679 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
22681 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
22682 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
22684 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
22685 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
22686 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
22688 @findex gnus-face-from-file
22689 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
22690 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
22691 converts the file to Face format by using the
22692 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
22694 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
22695 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22698 (setq message-required-news-headers
22699 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22700 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
22701 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
22706 @subsection Smileys
22711 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
22716 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
22717 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
22719 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
22720 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22723 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
22726 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
22727 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
22728 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
22729 text and maps that to file names.
22731 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
22732 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
22733 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
22734 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
22735 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
22738 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
22743 @item smiley-data-directory
22744 @vindex smiley-data-directory
22745 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
22747 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
22748 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
22749 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
22763 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
22764 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
22765 over your shoulder as you read news.
22767 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
22776 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
22777 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
22778 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
22779 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
22780 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
22781 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
22782 @code{GIF} formats.
22785 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22786 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
22787 point your Web browser at
22788 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
22790 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
22791 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
22793 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
22794 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
22797 @vindex gnus-picon-style
22798 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
22799 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
22800 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
22802 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
22806 @item gnus-picon-databases
22807 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22808 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
22809 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
22810 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
22811 "/usr/local/faces")}.
22813 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
22814 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
22815 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22816 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
22818 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
22819 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
22820 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
22821 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
22823 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
22824 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
22825 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22826 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
22827 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
22829 @item gnus-picon-file-types
22830 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
22831 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
22832 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
22838 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
22841 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22842 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22843 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
22844 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
22845 unusual directory structure.
22847 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22848 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22849 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
22854 @subsubsection Toolbar
22858 @item gnus-use-toolbar
22859 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
22860 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
22861 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-nil, it should be one
22862 of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom}, @code{right},
22863 and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default toolbar, the
22864 rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those names show.
22865 The default is @code{default}.
22867 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
22868 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
22869 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
22870 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
22871 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
22872 The default is that of the default toolbar.
22874 @item gnus-group-toolbar
22875 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
22876 The toolbar in the group buffer.
22878 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
22879 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
22880 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
22882 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22883 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22884 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
22895 @node Fuzzy Matching
22896 @section Fuzzy Matching
22897 @cindex fuzzy matching
22899 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
22900 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
22902 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
22903 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
22904 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
22906 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
22907 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
22908 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
22909 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
22910 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
22913 @node Thwarting Email Spam
22914 @section Thwarting Email Spam
22918 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22920 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
22921 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
22922 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
22923 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
22924 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
22925 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
22926 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
22927 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
22930 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
22931 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
22932 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
22933 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
22934 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
22935 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
22937 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
22940 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
22941 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
22942 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
22943 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
22944 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
22945 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
22948 @node The problem of spam
22949 @subsection The problem of spam
22951 @cindex spam filtering approaches
22952 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
22954 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22956 First, some background on spam.
22958 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
22959 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
22960 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
22961 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
22962 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
22963 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
22964 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
22965 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
22966 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
22968 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
22969 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
22970 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
22971 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
22972 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
22973 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
22974 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
22975 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
22976 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
22979 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
22980 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
22981 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
22982 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
22983 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
22984 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
22985 from Bulgarian IPs.
22987 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
22988 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
22989 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
22990 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
22992 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
22993 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
22994 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
22995 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
22997 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
22998 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
22999 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
23000 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
23001 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
23002 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
23003 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
23004 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
23005 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
23007 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
23008 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
23009 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
23010 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
23011 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
23012 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
23013 down for some time because of the incident.
23015 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
23016 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
23017 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
23018 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
23019 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
23020 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
23021 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
23022 to store the database of spam analyses. Statistical analysis on the
23023 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
23024 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
23025 the server that it has misclassified mail.
23027 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
23028 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
23029 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
23030 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
23031 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
23032 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
23033 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
23036 @node Anti-Spam Basics
23037 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
23041 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23043 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
23044 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
23046 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
23047 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
23048 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
23049 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
23050 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
23051 part of the mail address.)
23054 (setq message-default-news-headers
23055 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
23058 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23059 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23063 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
23064 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
23065 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
23070 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
23071 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
23072 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
23073 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
23075 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
23076 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
23077 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
23078 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
23079 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
23080 your fancy split rule in this way:
23085 (to "larsi" "misc")
23089 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
23090 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
23091 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
23092 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
23093 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
23095 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
23096 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
23097 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
23098 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
23100 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
23104 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
23105 @cindex SpamAssassin
23106 @cindex Vipul's Razor
23109 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
23110 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
23111 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
23112 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
23113 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
23114 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
23115 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
23117 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
23118 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
23119 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
23122 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
23123 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
23124 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
23125 Specifiers}) follow.
23129 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
23133 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
23136 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
23137 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
23138 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
23141 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
23145 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23148 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
23149 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
23153 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
23154 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
23155 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
23156 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
23159 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
23161 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
23165 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
23166 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
23170 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
23171 downloaded by default. You need to set
23172 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
23173 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
23175 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
23176 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
23177 spam. And here is the nifty function:
23180 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
23181 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
23183 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
23184 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
23185 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
23189 @subsection Hashcash
23192 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
23193 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
23194 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
23195 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
23196 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
23198 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
23199 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
23200 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
23201 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
23202 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
23203 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
23204 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
23205 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
23206 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
23207 one of them separately.
23210 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
23211 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
23212 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
23213 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
23214 need to install to use this feature, see
23215 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
23216 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
23218 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
23219 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
23220 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
23223 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
23226 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
23230 @item hashcash-default-payment
23231 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
23232 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
23233 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
23236 @item hashcash-payment-alist
23237 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
23238 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
23239 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
23240 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
23241 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
23242 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
23243 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
23244 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
23246 @item hashcash-path
23247 @vindex hashcash-path
23248 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
23249 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
23250 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
23251 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
23252 when you generate hashcash payments.
23256 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
23257 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
23258 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
23259 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
23260 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
23261 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
23262 Hashcash Payments}).
23264 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
23265 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
23266 @cindex spam filtering
23269 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
23270 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
23271 filters new mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
23272 @dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
23275 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
23276 events. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events}.
23278 @cindex spam-initialize
23279 To use @code{spam.el}, you @strong{must} run the function
23280 @code{spam-initialize} to autoload @file{spam.el} and to install the
23281 @code{spam.el} hooks. There is one exception: if you use the
23282 @code{spam-use-stat} (@pxref{spam-stat spam filtering}) setting, you
23283 should turn it on before @code{spam-initialize}:
23286 (setq spam-use-stat t) ;; if needed
23290 So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
23292 First, some hooks will get installed by @code{spam-initialize}. There
23293 are some hooks for @code{spam-stat} so it can save its databases, and
23294 there are hooks so interesting things will happen when you enter and
23295 leave a group. More on the sequence of events later (@pxref{Spam
23296 ELisp Package Sequence of Events}).
23298 You get the following keyboard commands:
23308 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
23309 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
23311 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
23312 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
23313 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
23314 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
23320 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
23321 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
23323 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
23329 Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
23330 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
23334 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
23335 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
23336 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
23337 * Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer::
23338 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
23339 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
23340 * BBDB Whitelists::
23341 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
23342 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
23344 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
23346 * SpamAssassin back end::
23347 * ifile spam filtering::
23348 * spam-stat spam filtering::
23350 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
23353 @node Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
23354 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
23355 @cindex spam filtering
23356 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
23358 You must read this section to understand how @code{spam.el} works.
23359 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
23361 There are two @emph{contact points}, if you will, between
23362 @code{spam.el} and the rest of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and
23365 Getting new mail in Gnus is done in one of two ways. You can either
23366 split your incoming mail or you can classify new articles as ham or
23367 spam when you enter the group.
23369 Splitting incoming mail is better suited to mail back ends such as
23370 @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap} where new mail appears in a single file
23371 called a @dfn{Spool File}. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Filtering of
23374 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect
23375 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect-methods
23376 For back ends such as @code{nntp} there is no incoming mail spool, so
23377 an alternate mechanism must be used. This may also happen for
23378 back ends where the server is in charge of splitting incoming mail, and
23379 Gnus does not do further splitting. The @code{spam-autodetect} and
23380 @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameters (accessible with
23381 @kbd{G c} and @kbd{G p} as usual), and the corresponding variables
23382 @code{gnus-spam-autodetect} and @code{gnus-spam-autodetect-methods}
23383 (accessible with @kbd{M-x customize-variable} as usual) can help.
23385 When @code{spam-autodetect} is used (you can turn it on for a
23386 group/topic or wholesale by regular expression matches, as needed), it
23387 hooks into the process of entering a group. Thus, entering a group
23388 with unseen or unread articles becomes the substitute for checking
23389 incoming mail. Whether only unseen articles or all unread articles
23390 will be processed is determined by the
23391 @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages}. When set to @code{t}, unread
23392 messages will be rechecked. You should probably stick with the
23393 default of only checking unseen messages.
23395 @code{spam-autodetect} grants the user at once more and less control
23396 of spam filtering. The user will have more control over each group's
23397 spam methods, so for instance the @samp{ding} group may have
23398 @code{spam-use-BBDB} as the autodetection method, while the
23399 @samp{suspect} group may have the @code{spam-use-blacklist} and
23400 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods enabled. Every article detected to
23401 be spam will be marked with the spam mark @samp{$} and processed on
23402 exit from the group as normal spam. The user has less control over
23403 the @emph{sequence} of checks, as he might with @code{spam-split}.
23405 When the newly split mail goes into groups, or messages are
23406 autodetected to be ham or spam, those groups must be exited (after
23407 entering, if needed) for further spam processing to happen. It
23408 matters whether the group is considered a ham group, a spam group, or
23409 is unclassified, based on its @code{spam-content} parameter
23410 (@pxref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). Spam groups have the
23411 additional characteristic that, when entered, any unseen or unread
23412 articles (depending on the @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam}
23413 variable) will be marked as spam. Thus, mail split into a spam group
23414 gets automatically marked as spam when you enter the group.
23416 Thus, when you exit a group, the @code{spam-processors} are applied,
23417 if any are set, and the processed mail is moved to the
23418 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination}
23419 depending on the article's classification. If the
23420 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination},
23421 whichever is appropriate, are @code{nil}, the article is left in the
23424 If a spam is found in any group (this can be changed to only non-spam
23425 groups with @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only}), it is
23426 processed by the active @code{spam-processors} (@pxref{Spam ELisp
23427 Package Global Variables}) when the group is exited. Furthermore, the
23428 spam is moved to the @code{spam-process-destination} (@pxref{Spam
23429 ELisp Package Global Variables}) for further training or deletion.
23430 You have to load the @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
23431 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want spam to be processed
23432 no more than once. Thus, spam is detected and processed everywhere,
23433 which is what most people want. If the
23434 @code{spam-process-destination} is @code{nil}, the spam is marked as
23435 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
23437 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23438 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23440 If a ham mail is found in a ham group, as determined by the
23441 @code{ham-marks} parameter, it is processed as ham by the active ham
23442 @code{spam-processor} when the group is exited. With the variables
23443 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
23444 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} the behavior can be further
23445 altered so ham found anywhere can be processed. You have to load the
23446 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
23447 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want ham to be processed
23448 no more than once. Thus, ham is detected and processed only when
23449 necessary, which is what most people want. More on this in
23450 @xref{Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples}.
23452 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23453 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23455 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
23456 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
23457 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
23459 @node Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
23460 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
23461 @cindex spam filtering
23462 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
23465 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
23466 must add the following to your fancy split list
23467 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
23473 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
23474 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
23475 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
23477 Also, @code{spam-split} will not modify incoming mail in any way.
23479 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
23480 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
23481 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
23482 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}. Make sure the contents
23483 of @code{spam-split-group} are an @emph{unqualified} group name, for
23484 instance in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server} the value
23485 @samp{spam} will turn out to be @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The
23486 value @samp{nnimap+server:spam}, therefore, is wrong and will
23487 actually give you the group
23488 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam} which may or may not
23489 work depending on your server's tolerance for strange group names.
23491 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
23492 e.g. @code{spam-use-regex-headers} or @code{"maybe-spam"}. Why is
23495 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
23496 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
23499 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23500 (any "ding" "ding")
23502 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23506 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
23507 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
23508 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
23509 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
23510 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
23511 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
23513 You can let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, but all other
23514 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
23515 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
23520 ;; @r{all spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
23521 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23522 (any "ding" "ding")
23523 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
23525 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23529 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
23530 your particular needs, and to target the results of those checks to a
23531 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
23532 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
23533 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
23534 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
23535 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
23537 You should still have specific checks such as
23538 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you
23539 specifically invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is
23540 that when loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done
23541 depending on what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. This
23542 is usually not critical, though.
23544 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
23546 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
23547 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
23548 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
23549 message headers. If you use a @emph{statistical} filter,
23550 e.g. @code{spam-check-bogofilter}, @code{spam-check-ifile}, or
23551 @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that can benefit from the full
23552 message body), this variable will be set automatically. It is not set
23553 for non-statistical back ends by default because it will slow
23554 @acronym{IMAP} down.
23556 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
23558 @node Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
23559 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
23560 @cindex spam filtering
23561 @cindex spam filtering variables
23562 @cindex spam variables
23565 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
23566 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
23567 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
23568 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
23569 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
23570 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
23571 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
23572 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
23573 will be detected later.
23575 The format of the spam or ham processor entry used to be a symbol,
23576 but now it is a @sc{cons} cell. See the individual spam processor entries
23577 for more information.
23579 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23580 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
23581 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
23582 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
23583 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
23584 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
23585 by customizing the corresponding variable
23586 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
23587 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
23588 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
23589 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
23590 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
23591 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
23592 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
23595 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
23597 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
23598 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
23599 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
23600 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
23601 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
23602 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
23603 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
23604 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
23605 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
23606 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
23607 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
23608 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
23609 processor which will study them as spam samples.
23611 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
23612 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
23613 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
23614 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
23615 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
23616 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
23617 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
23618 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
23621 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23622 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
23623 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
23624 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
23625 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
23626 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
23627 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
23632 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23633 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
23634 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
23635 you really want to.
23638 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
23639 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
23640 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
23641 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
23642 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
23643 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
23646 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
23647 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
23648 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
23649 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
23650 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
23651 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
23652 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
23653 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
23654 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
23655 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
23656 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
23657 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
23658 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
23659 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
23660 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
23662 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23663 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23665 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23666 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
23667 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
23669 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
23670 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
23672 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
23673 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
23674 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
23675 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
23676 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
23678 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
23679 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
23680 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
23681 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
23682 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
23685 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
23686 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
23687 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
23688 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
23689 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
23690 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
23691 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
23692 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
23693 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
23694 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
23695 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
23696 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
23697 group buffer then you need it here as well.
23699 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23700 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23702 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23703 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
23706 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
23707 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
23708 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
23709 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
23710 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
23711 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
23712 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
23714 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
23715 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
23716 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
23717 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
23719 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
23720 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
23721 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
23722 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
23723 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
23724 from the mail server.
23726 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
23727 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
23728 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
23729 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
23731 @node Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer
23732 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer
23733 @cindex spam scoring
23734 @cindex spam sorting
23735 @cindex spam score summary buffer
23736 @cindex spam sort summary buffer
23739 You can display the spam score of articles in your summary buffer, and
23740 you can sort articles by their spam score.
23742 First you need to decide which back end you will be using. If you use
23743 the @code{spam-use-spamassassin},
23744 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}, or @code{spam-use-regex-headers}
23745 back end, the @code{X-Spam-Status} header will be used. If you use
23746 @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, the @code{X-Bogosity} header will be used.
23747 If you use @code{spam-use-crm114}, any header that matches the CRM114
23748 score format will be used. As long as you set the appropriate back end
23749 variable to t @emph{before} you load @file{spam.el}, you will be
23750 fine. @code{spam.el} will automatically add the right header to the
23751 internal Gnus list of required headers.
23753 To show the spam score in your summary buffer, add this line to your
23754 @code{gnus.el} file (note @code{spam.el} does not do that by default
23755 so it won't override any existing @code{S} formats you may have).
23758 (defalias 'gnus-user-format-function-S 'spam-user-format-function-S)
23761 Now just set your summary line format to use @code{%uS}. Here's an
23762 example that formats the spam score in a 5-character field:
23765 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
23766 "%U%R %10&user-date; $%5uS %6k %B %(%4L: %*%-25,25a%) %s \n")
23769 Finally, to sort by spam status, either do it globally:
23773 gnus-show-threads nil
23774 gnus-article-sort-functions
23775 '(spam-article-sort-by-spam-status))
23778 or per group (@pxref{Sorting the Summary Buffer}).
23780 @node Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23781 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23782 @cindex spam filtering
23783 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
23784 @cindex spam configuration examples
23787 @subsubheading Ted's setup
23789 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
23791 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
23792 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
23793 (gnus-registry-initialize)
23796 ;; @r{I like @kbd{C-s} for marking spam}
23797 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map "\C-s" 'gnus-summary-mark-as-spam)
23800 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
23802 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
23803 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
23804 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23805 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23806 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
23807 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
23808 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
23809 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
23810 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23811 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
23812 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23813 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
23814 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
23815 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
23816 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23817 (any "ding" "ding")
23818 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
23820 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23823 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
23825 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
23826 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
23827 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
23828 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
23830 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23832 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
23833 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
23834 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
23835 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
23836 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23838 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
23839 ((spam-autodetect . t))
23841 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
23843 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
23844 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
23846 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
23847 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
23848 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
23850 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
23852 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
23853 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
23855 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
23856 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
23857 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
23859 (gnus-ticked-mark))
23860 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
23861 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
23862 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
23864 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
23865 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
23866 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
23870 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
23871 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23873 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
23874 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
23875 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
23876 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
23877 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
23878 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
23879 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
23880 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
23881 @samp{training.spam} folders.
23883 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
23884 does most of the job for me:
23887 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
23888 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
23889 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
23890 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23891 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
23892 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
23893 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
23898 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
23900 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
23901 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
23902 bogofilter or DCC).
23904 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
23905 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
23906 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark (@code{ham-marks},
23907 @ref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). On group exit, those
23908 messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want to have
23909 the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter) and
23910 deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
23912 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
23913 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
23914 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
23915 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
23916 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
23917 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
23919 @item @b{Ham folders:}
23921 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
23922 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
23923 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
23924 @samp{training.spam}.
23927 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
23929 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23931 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
23932 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
23933 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
23937 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
23940 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
23941 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
23942 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
23943 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
23944 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
23946 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
23947 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
23948 @cindex spam filtering
23949 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
23950 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
23953 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
23955 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
23956 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
23957 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
23958 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
23963 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
23965 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
23966 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
23967 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
23968 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
23969 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
23973 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
23975 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
23976 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
23977 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
23981 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
23983 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23984 customizing the group parameters or the
23985 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23986 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
23987 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
23991 Instead of the obsolete
23992 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
23993 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
23994 the same way, we promise.
23998 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
24000 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24001 customizing the group parameters or the
24002 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24003 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24004 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24009 Instead of the obsolete
24010 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
24011 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
24012 the same way, we promise.
24016 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
24017 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
24018 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
24019 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
24020 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
24022 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
24023 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
24024 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
24025 Emacs regular expression syntax.
24027 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
24028 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
24029 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
24030 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
24031 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
24032 @file{blacklist} respectively.
24034 @node BBDB Whitelists
24035 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
24036 @cindex spam filtering
24037 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
24038 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
24041 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
24043 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24044 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
24045 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
24046 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
24047 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24048 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
24049 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24053 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
24055 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
24056 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24057 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
24058 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
24059 classified as spammers.
24061 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
24062 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
24063 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
24064 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
24069 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
24071 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24072 customizing the group parameters or the
24073 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24074 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24075 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24080 Instead of the obsolete
24081 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
24082 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
24083 the same way, we promise.
24087 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
24088 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
24089 @cindex spam reporting
24090 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24091 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24094 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
24096 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24097 customizing the group parameters or the
24098 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24099 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24100 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
24103 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
24107 Instead of the obsolete
24108 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
24109 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
24110 same way, we promise.
24114 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
24116 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
24117 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
24118 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
24119 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
24120 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
24124 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
24126 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
24127 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
24128 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
24132 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24133 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24134 @cindex spam filtering
24135 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
24138 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
24140 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24141 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
24142 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
24143 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
24144 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
24145 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24150 @subsubsection Blackholes
24151 @cindex spam filtering
24152 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
24155 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
24157 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
24158 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
24159 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
24160 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
24161 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
24162 contains outdated servers.
24164 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
24165 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
24166 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
24167 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
24168 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
24169 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
24173 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
24175 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
24179 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
24181 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
24182 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
24186 @defvar spam-use-dig
24188 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
24189 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
24193 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
24194 ham processor for blackholes.
24196 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
24197 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
24198 @cindex spam filtering
24199 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
24202 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
24204 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
24205 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
24206 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
24207 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
24208 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
24209 message is spam or ham, respectively.
24213 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
24215 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24216 the message, positively identify it as spam.
24220 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
24222 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24223 the message, positively identify it as ham.
24227 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
24228 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
24231 @subsubsection Bogofilter
24232 @cindex spam filtering
24233 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
24236 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
24238 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24241 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
24242 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
24243 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
24244 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
24245 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
24246 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
24248 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
24249 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
24252 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
24253 processing will be turned off.
24255 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
24259 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
24261 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24262 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
24263 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
24264 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
24265 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
24266 installation documents for details.
24268 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
24272 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
24273 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24274 customizing the group parameters or the
24275 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24276 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
24277 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
24281 Instead of the obsolete
24282 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24283 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24284 the same way, we promise.
24287 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
24288 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24289 customizing the group parameters or the
24290 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24291 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24292 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
24293 of non-spam messages.
24297 Instead of the obsolete
24298 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24299 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24300 the same way, we promise.
24303 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
24305 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
24306 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
24307 database directory.
24311 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
24312 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24313 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
24314 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
24315 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
24316 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
24318 @node SpamAssassin back end
24319 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
24320 @cindex spam filtering
24321 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
24324 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
24326 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
24328 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
24329 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
24330 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
24331 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
24334 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
24335 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
24336 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
24337 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
24340 You should not enable this is you use
24341 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
24345 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
24347 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
24348 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
24350 You should not enable this is you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
24354 @defvar spam-spamassassin-path
24356 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
24357 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
24358 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
24359 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
24363 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
24364 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
24365 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
24366 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
24367 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
24368 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
24369 to test this functionality.
24371 @node ifile spam filtering
24372 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
24373 @cindex spam filtering
24374 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
24377 @defvar spam-use-ifile
24379 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
24380 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
24384 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
24386 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
24387 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
24388 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
24392 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
24394 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
24395 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
24396 the default value of @samp{spam}.
24399 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
24401 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
24402 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
24406 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
24407 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24408 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
24409 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
24412 @node spam-stat spam filtering
24413 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
24414 @cindex spam filtering
24415 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
24419 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
24421 @defvar spam-use-stat
24423 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
24424 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
24428 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
24429 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24430 customizing the group parameters or the
24431 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24432 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24433 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
24437 Instead of the obsolete
24438 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24439 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24440 the same way, we promise.
24443 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
24444 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24445 customizing the group parameters or the
24446 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24447 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24448 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
24449 of non-spam messages.
24453 Instead of the obsolete
24454 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24455 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24456 the same way, we promise.
24459 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
24460 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
24461 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
24462 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
24463 @code{spam-split} are provided.
24466 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
24467 @cindex spam filtering
24471 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
24472 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
24473 installed separately.
24475 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
24476 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
24477 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
24478 mail as a spam mail or not.
24480 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
24481 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
24482 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
24484 The easiest method is to make @code{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
24485 Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
24487 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
24488 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
24489 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
24490 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
24491 the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
24492 this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
24493 SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
24494 @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
24498 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
24499 spam-split-group "Junk"
24500 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
24501 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
24502 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
24505 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
24506 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
24510 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
24511 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
24512 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
24516 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
24517 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
24518 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
24519 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
24520 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
24521 database to live somewhere special, set
24522 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
24525 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
24526 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
24527 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
24528 characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
24529 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
24530 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
24531 and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @code{spam.el}'s
24532 spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
24533 detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
24534 Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
24536 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
24537 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24538 customizing the group parameter or the
24539 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24540 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
24541 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
24545 Instead of the obsolete
24546 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24547 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24548 the same way, we promise.
24551 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
24552 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24553 customizing the group parameter or the
24554 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24555 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
24556 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
24561 Instead of the obsolete
24562 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24563 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24564 the same way, we promise.
24567 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
24568 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
24571 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
24572 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
24573 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
24575 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
24576 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
24577 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
24578 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
24579 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
24580 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
24582 @node Extending the Spam ELisp package
24583 @subsubsection Extending the Spam ELisp package
24584 @cindex spam filtering
24585 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
24586 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
24588 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
24589 incoming mail, provide the following:
24597 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
24598 "True if blackbox should be used.")
24601 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
24603 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
24604 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
24605 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
24606 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
24607 register/unregister spam and ham.
24612 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
24613 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
24614 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
24615 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
24620 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
24627 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
24628 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
24630 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
24631 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
24632 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
24633 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
24636 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
24637 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
24638 Only applicable to spam groups.")
24640 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
24641 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
24642 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
24651 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
24652 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
24654 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
24655 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
24656 variable customization.
24660 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
24662 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
24663 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
24665 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
24666 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
24672 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
24674 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
24675 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
24676 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
24679 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
24681 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
24682 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
24686 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
24688 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
24689 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
24690 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
24694 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
24696 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
24697 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
24698 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
24701 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
24703 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
24704 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
24708 @code{spam-install-backend}
24710 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
24711 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
24712 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
24715 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
24717 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
24718 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
24719 never install such a back end.
24725 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
24726 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
24727 @cindex Paul Graham
24728 @cindex Graham, Paul
24729 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
24730 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
24731 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
24733 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
24734 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
24735 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
24736 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
24737 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
24738 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
24739 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
24740 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
24741 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
24744 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
24745 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
24746 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
24747 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
24748 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
24749 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
24750 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
24751 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
24753 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
24754 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
24755 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
24756 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
24757 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
24760 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
24761 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
24762 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
24765 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
24766 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
24768 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
24769 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
24770 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
24771 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
24772 need several hundred emails in both collections.
24774 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
24775 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
24776 per mail. Use the following:
24778 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
24779 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
24780 is treated as one spam mail.
24783 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
24784 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
24785 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
24788 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
24789 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
24790 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
24791 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
24792 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
24793 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
24795 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
24796 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
24797 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
24798 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
24799 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
24802 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
24803 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
24804 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
24805 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
24808 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
24809 reset the dictionary.
24811 @defun spam-stat-reset
24812 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
24815 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
24816 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
24817 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
24818 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
24819 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
24820 only non-spam mails.
24822 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
24823 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
24824 to update the dictionary incrementally.
24827 @defun spam-stat-save
24828 Save the dictionary.
24831 @defvar spam-stat-file
24832 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
24833 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
24836 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
24837 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
24839 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
24840 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24843 (require 'spam-stat)
24847 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
24850 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
24851 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
24852 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
24853 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
24855 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
24856 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
24857 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
24858 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
24861 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24862 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24866 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
24867 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
24870 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
24871 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
24872 expression are considered potential spam.
24875 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24876 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24877 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24881 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
24882 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
24883 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
24884 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
24885 mails, when creating the dictionary!
24888 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24889 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24890 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24894 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
24895 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
24896 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
24897 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
24898 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
24902 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24903 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
24904 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24905 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24910 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24911 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24913 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
24915 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
24916 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
24917 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24920 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
24921 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
24922 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24925 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
24926 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
24927 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
24928 already been processed as non-spam.
24931 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
24932 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
24933 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
24934 been processed as spam.
24937 @defun spam-stat-save
24938 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
24939 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24942 @defun spam-stat-load
24943 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
24944 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24947 @defun spam-stat-score-word
24948 Return the spam score for a word.
24951 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
24952 Return the spam score for a buffer.
24955 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
24956 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
24957 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24960 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
24961 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24964 (require 'spam-stat)
24968 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
24971 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24972 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24973 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24974 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24975 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24976 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24977 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24978 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24979 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24980 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24981 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
24982 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
24983 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24984 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24987 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
24990 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
24991 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
24992 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
24993 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
24994 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
24995 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
24999 @section Interaction with other modes
25004 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provided some useful functions for dired
25005 buffers. It is enabled with
25007 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
25012 @findex gnus-dired-attach
25013 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
25014 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
25017 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
25018 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
25019 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
25023 @findex gnus-dired-print
25024 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
25025 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
25028 @node Various Various
25029 @section Various Various
25035 @item gnus-home-directory
25036 @vindex gnus-home-directory
25037 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
25038 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
25040 @item gnus-directory
25041 @vindex gnus-directory
25042 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
25043 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
25044 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
25046 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
25047 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
25048 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
25049 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
25051 @item gnus-default-directory
25052 @vindex gnus-default-directory
25053 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
25054 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
25055 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
25056 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
25057 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
25058 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
25061 @vindex gnus-verbose
25062 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
25063 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
25064 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
25065 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
25066 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
25068 @item gnus-verbose-backends
25069 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
25070 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
25071 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
25073 @item nnheader-max-head-length
25074 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
25075 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
25076 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
25077 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
25078 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
25079 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
25080 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
25081 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
25082 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
25084 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
25085 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
25086 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
25087 read when doing the operation described above.
25089 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25090 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25092 @cindex invalid characters in file names
25093 @cindex characters in file names
25094 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
25095 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
25096 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
25100 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25105 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
25106 Windows (phooey) systems.
25108 @item gnus-hidden-properties
25109 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
25110 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
25111 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
25112 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
25114 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
25115 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
25116 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
25117 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
25118 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
25120 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
25121 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
25122 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
25124 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25125 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25127 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
25128 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
25129 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
25130 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
25133 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
25141 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
25142 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
25144 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
25146 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
25152 Not because of victories @*
25155 but for the common sunshine,@*
25157 the largess of the spring.
25161 but for the day's work done@*
25162 as well as I was able;@*
25163 not for a seat upon the dais@*
25164 but at the common table.@*
25169 @chapter Appendices
25172 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
25173 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
25174 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
25175 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
25176 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
25177 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
25178 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
25179 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
25180 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
25187 @cindex installing under XEmacs
25189 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
25190 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
25191 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
25192 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
25193 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
25194 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
25201 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
25202 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
25204 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
25205 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
25206 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
25207 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
25208 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
25210 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
25211 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
25212 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
25213 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
25214 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
25215 appropriate name, don't you think?)
25217 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
25218 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
25219 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
25220 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
25223 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
25224 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
25225 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
25226 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
25227 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
25228 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
25229 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
25230 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
25231 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
25235 @node Gnus Versions
25236 @subsection Gnus Versions
25238 @cindex September Gnus
25240 @cindex Quassia Gnus
25241 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
25244 @cindex Gnus versions
25246 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
25247 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
25248 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
25250 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
25251 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
25253 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
25254 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
25256 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
25257 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
25259 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
25260 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
25263 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
25264 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
25266 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
25268 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
25269 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
25270 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
25271 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
25272 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
25273 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
25276 @node Other Gnus Versions
25277 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
25280 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
25281 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
25282 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
25283 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
25285 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
25286 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
25287 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
25288 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
25295 What's the point of Gnus?
25297 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
25298 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
25299 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
25300 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
25301 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
25302 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
25303 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
25304 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
25305 keep track of millions of people who post?
25307 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
25308 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
25309 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
25310 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
25311 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
25312 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
25313 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
25314 every one of you to explore and invent.
25316 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
25317 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
25320 @node Compatibility
25321 @subsection Compatibility
25323 @cindex compatibility
25324 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
25325 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
25326 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
25331 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
25335 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
25338 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
25341 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
25342 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
25343 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
25344 important variables have their values copied into their global
25345 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
25346 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
25348 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
25349 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
25350 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
25351 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
25352 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
25356 @cindex highlighting
25357 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
25358 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
25359 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
25360 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
25361 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
25362 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
25365 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
25366 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
25367 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
25368 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
25370 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
25371 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
25372 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
25373 to stop doing it the old way.
25375 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
25377 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
25379 @cindex reporting bugs
25381 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
25382 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
25383 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
25385 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
25386 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
25387 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
25388 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
25393 @subsection Conformity
25395 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
25396 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
25404 There are no known breaches of this standard.
25408 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
25410 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
25411 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
25412 We do have some breaches to this one.
25418 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
25419 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
25420 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
25421 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
25422 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
25427 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
25428 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
25429 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
25430 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
25432 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
25433 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
25434 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
25436 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
25437 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
25439 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
25442 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
25443 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
25444 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
25445 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
25446 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
25449 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
25450 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
25451 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
25452 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
25454 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
25455 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
25457 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
25458 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
25459 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
25460 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
25461 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
25462 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
25463 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
25464 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
25468 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
25469 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
25474 @subsection Emacsen
25480 Gnus should work on:
25488 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
25492 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
25493 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
25496 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
25497 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
25498 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
25502 @node Gnus Development
25503 @subsection Gnus Development
25505 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
25506 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
25507 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
25508 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
25509 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
25510 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
25511 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
25512 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
25514 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
25515 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
25516 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
25517 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
25518 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
25521 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
25522 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
25523 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
25524 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
25525 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
25527 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
25528 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
25529 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
25530 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
25531 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
25532 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
25533 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
25534 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
25535 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
25536 can't be assumed to do so.
25541 @subsection Contributors
25542 @cindex contributors
25544 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
25545 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
25546 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
25547 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
25548 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
25549 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
25550 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
25551 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
25552 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
25553 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
25555 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
25561 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
25564 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
25565 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
25566 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
25567 functionality and stuff.
25570 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
25571 well as numerous other things).
25574 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
25577 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
25580 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
25583 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
25586 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
25587 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
25590 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
25593 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
25596 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
25599 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
25602 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
25605 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
25608 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
25609 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
25612 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
25615 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
25618 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
25621 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
25625 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
25628 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
25631 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
25634 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
25635 well as autoconf support.
25639 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
25640 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
25642 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
25657 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
25659 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
25663 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
25673 Alexei V. Barantsev,
25688 Massimo Campostrini,
25693 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
25694 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
25698 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
25701 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
25707 Michael Welsh Duggan,
25712 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
25716 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
25724 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
25726 Michelangelo Grigni,
25730 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
25732 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
25734 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
25741 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
25742 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
25743 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
25745 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
25755 Peter Skov Knudsen,
25756 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
25758 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
25759 Thor Kristoffersen,
25762 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
25780 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
25781 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
25788 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
25793 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
25797 John McClary Prevost,
25803 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
25808 Christian von Roques,
25811 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
25818 Philippe Schnoebelen,
25820 Randal L. Schwartz,
25834 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
25839 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
25859 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
25860 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
25861 (550kB and counting).
25863 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
25866 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
25867 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
25871 @subsection New Features
25872 @cindex new features
25875 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
25876 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
25877 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
25878 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
25879 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
25880 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
25881 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
25884 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
25885 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
25886 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
25889 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
25891 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
25896 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
25897 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
25900 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
25901 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
25904 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
25907 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
25908 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
25909 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
25912 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
25913 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
25914 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
25915 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
25918 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
25919 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25922 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
25923 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
25924 (@pxref{The Active File}).
25927 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
25928 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
25931 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
25932 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
25933 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
25936 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
25937 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
25938 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
25941 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
25942 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
25945 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
25946 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
25949 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
25950 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
25953 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
25954 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25957 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
25958 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
25961 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
25962 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
25965 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
25968 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
25969 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
25972 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
25973 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
25976 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
25977 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
25980 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
25983 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
25984 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
25987 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
25991 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
25995 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
25996 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
25999 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
26005 @node September Gnus
26006 @subsubsection September Gnus
26010 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
26014 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
26019 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
26020 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
26024 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
26025 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
26029 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
26033 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
26034 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
26037 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
26041 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
26044 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
26047 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
26050 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
26054 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
26055 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
26058 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
26062 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
26066 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
26070 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
26074 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
26077 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
26078 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
26081 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
26085 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
26086 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
26089 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
26092 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
26093 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
26094 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26097 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
26101 The Gnus cache is much faster.
26104 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
26108 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
26109 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
26112 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
26113 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
26116 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
26117 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
26120 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
26121 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
26122 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
26125 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
26126 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
26129 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
26132 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26135 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
26138 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
26141 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
26142 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
26145 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
26149 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
26152 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
26157 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
26160 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
26164 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26167 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
26171 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
26174 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
26177 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
26178 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26181 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
26182 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
26186 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
26187 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
26190 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
26194 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
26195 buffer to allow easier treatment.
26198 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
26201 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
26205 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
26209 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
26210 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
26213 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
26217 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
26218 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26221 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
26222 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26225 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
26229 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26232 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
26235 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
26241 @subsubsection Red Gnus
26243 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
26247 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
26254 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
26257 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
26258 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26261 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
26262 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
26266 Article washing status can be displayed in the
26267 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
26270 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
26273 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
26274 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
26277 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
26281 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
26282 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
26286 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
26287 Server Internals}).
26290 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
26294 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
26297 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
26298 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
26301 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
26302 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
26303 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
26306 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
26307 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26310 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
26311 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
26314 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
26318 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
26319 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26322 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
26323 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26326 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
26330 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
26333 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
26337 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
26338 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26341 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
26342 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26345 A new command for reading collections of documents
26346 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
26347 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
26350 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
26354 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
26355 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
26358 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
26359 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
26360 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
26363 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
26364 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
26368 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
26372 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
26376 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
26381 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
26385 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
26389 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
26390 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
26393 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
26399 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
26401 New features in Gnus 5.6:
26406 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
26407 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
26408 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
26411 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
26412 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
26413 group, which is created automatically.
26416 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
26420 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
26423 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
26424 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
26427 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
26431 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
26434 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
26435 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
26438 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
26441 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
26445 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
26446 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
26449 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
26450 control over simplification.
26453 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
26456 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
26460 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
26463 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
26466 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
26467 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
26468 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
26471 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
26472 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
26475 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
26479 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
26480 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
26483 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
26484 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
26487 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
26491 A history of where mails have been split is available.
26494 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
26497 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
26498 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
26501 A new function for citing in Message has been
26502 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
26505 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
26508 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
26512 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
26513 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
26516 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
26517 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
26520 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
26523 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
26527 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
26528 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
26530 New features in Gnus 5.8:
26535 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
26536 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
26538 If you used procmail like in
26541 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
26542 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
26543 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
26544 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
26547 this now has changed to
26551 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
26555 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
26558 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
26559 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
26562 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
26563 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
26566 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
26567 called to position point.
26570 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
26571 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
26574 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
26575 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
26578 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
26579 subtly different manner.
26582 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
26583 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
26584 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
26587 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
26592 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
26595 New features in Gnus 5.10:
26600 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
26601 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
26602 region if the region is active.
26605 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
26609 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
26610 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
26613 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
26614 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
26617 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
26619 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
26620 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
26621 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
26622 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
26623 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
26624 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
26625 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
26626 isn't save in general.
26631 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
26632 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
26633 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
26634 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
26639 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
26640 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
26641 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
26645 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
26648 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
26653 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
26654 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
26656 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
26657 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
26661 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
26662 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
26665 Retrieval of charters and control messages
26667 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
26668 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
26673 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
26674 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
26675 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
26678 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
26679 decompressed when activated.
26682 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
26683 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
26686 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
26689 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
26690 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
26693 Warn about email replies to news
26695 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
26696 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
26700 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
26701 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
26705 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
26706 opposed to old but unread messages).
26709 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
26710 Gcc articles as read.
26713 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
26716 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
26717 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
26720 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
26721 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
26724 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
26725 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
26728 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
26729 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
26732 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
26734 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
26735 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
26736 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
26737 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
26740 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
26742 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
26743 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
26744 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
26745 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
26746 the second parameter.
26748 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
26749 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
26750 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
26751 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
26752 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
26753 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
26754 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
26755 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
26756 cycle used under Unix systems.
26758 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
26762 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
26764 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
26765 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
26766 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
26767 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
26768 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
26772 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
26774 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
26775 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
26776 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
26777 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
26781 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
26783 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
26784 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
26785 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
26786 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
26788 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
26789 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
26790 message cited below.
26793 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
26796 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
26798 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
26799 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
26800 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
26801 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
26802 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
26805 (setq gnus-parameters
26807 (gnus-show-threads nil)
26808 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
26809 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
26810 (to-group . "\\1"))))
26814 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
26816 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
26820 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
26822 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
26823 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
26824 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
26825 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
26826 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
26827 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
26828 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
26829 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
26830 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
26833 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
26835 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
26836 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
26837 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
26838 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
26839 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
26840 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
26843 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
26844 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
26848 Improved anti-spam features.
26850 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
26851 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
26852 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
26853 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
26854 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
26857 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
26860 Face headers handling.
26863 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
26864 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
26867 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
26870 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
26872 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
26873 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
26874 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
26875 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
26876 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
26877 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
26878 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
26879 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
26880 when getting new mail, remove the function.
26883 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
26885 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
26886 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
26887 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
26888 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
26889 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
26890 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
26891 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
26892 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
26893 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
26894 was inserted directly.
26897 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
26899 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
26900 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
26906 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
26907 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
26908 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
26909 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
26910 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
26911 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
26912 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
26913 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
26914 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
26915 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
26916 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
26917 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
26918 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
26919 is not needed any more.
26922 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
26924 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
26925 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
26926 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
26927 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
26928 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
26932 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
26934 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
26935 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
26937 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
26938 @c CVS. We should find a better place for this item.
26940 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
26942 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
26943 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
26944 lisp directory into load-path.
26946 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
26947 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
26950 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
26952 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
26955 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
26957 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
26958 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
26959 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
26960 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
26963 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
26965 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
26967 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
26968 'bbdb-complete-name)
26972 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
26974 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
26975 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
26976 local files as external parts.
26978 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
26979 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
26980 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
26981 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
26982 that support editing.
26985 @code{gnus-default-charset}
26987 The default value is determined from the
26988 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
26989 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
26990 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
26993 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
26995 Add a new format of match like
26997 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
26998 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27000 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
27002 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
27003 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27007 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
27009 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
27010 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
27011 need add those two headers too.
27014 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
27016 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
27017 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
27018 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
27021 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
27022 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
27023 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
27027 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
27028 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
27029 inline PGP signed messages. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
27032 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
27034 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
27037 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
27039 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
27042 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
27044 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
27045 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
27046 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
27049 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
27051 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
27055 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
27057 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
27058 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
27059 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
27060 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
27061 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
27062 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
27063 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
27064 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
27067 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
27069 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
27070 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
27071 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
27072 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
27073 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
27076 Extended format specs.
27078 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
27079 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
27080 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
27081 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
27082 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
27083 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
27086 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
27088 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
27089 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
27090 out other articles.
27093 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
27095 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
27096 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
27097 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
27098 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
27101 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
27103 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
27104 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
27105 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
27108 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
27110 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
27111 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
27112 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
27113 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
27114 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
27115 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
27116 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
27117 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
27118 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
27119 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
27120 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
27123 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
27124 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
27127 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
27128 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
27129 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
27130 message, Message Manual}).
27133 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
27134 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
27136 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
27137 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
27138 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
27140 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
27144 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
27145 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
27147 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
27148 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
27149 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
27150 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
27153 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
27156 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
27159 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
27160 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
27163 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to symbol @code{best}.
27165 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
27166 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
27167 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
27168 invalidate the digital signature.
27172 @subsubsection No Gnus
27175 New features in No Gnus:
27176 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
27178 @include gnus-news.texi
27184 @section The Manual
27188 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
27189 either @code{texi2dvi}
27191 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
27192 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
27194 to get what you hold in your hands now.
27196 The following conventions have been used:
27201 This is a @samp{string}
27204 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
27207 This is a @file{file}
27210 This is a @code{symbol}
27214 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
27218 (setq flargnoze "yes")
27221 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
27224 (setq flumphel 'yes)
27227 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
27228 ever get them confused.
27232 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
27233 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
27234 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
27235 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
27236 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
27237 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
27238 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
27244 @node On Writing Manuals
27245 @section On Writing Manuals
27247 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
27248 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
27249 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
27250 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
27251 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
27252 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
27255 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
27256 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
27257 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
27260 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
27261 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
27266 @section Terminology
27268 @cindex terminology
27273 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
27274 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
27275 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
27276 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
27277 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
27281 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
27282 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
27283 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
27284 not posting, and replying is not following up.
27288 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
27292 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
27297 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
27298 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
27299 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
27300 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
27301 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
27302 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
27303 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
27304 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
27305 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
27308 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
27309 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
27310 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
27311 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
27312 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
27313 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
27315 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
27316 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
27317 access the articles.
27319 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
27320 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
27321 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
27326 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
27327 default, way of getting news.
27331 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
27332 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
27337 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
27338 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
27342 A message that has been posted as news.
27345 @cindex mail message
27346 A message that has been mailed.
27350 A mail message or news article
27354 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
27359 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
27364 A line from the head of an article.
27368 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
27369 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
27371 @item @acronym{NOV}
27372 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
27373 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
27374 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
27375 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
27376 normal @sc{head} format.
27380 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
27381 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
27382 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
27383 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
27384 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
27385 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
27387 @item killed groups
27388 @cindex killed groups
27389 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
27390 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
27392 @item zombie groups
27393 @cindex zombie groups
27394 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
27397 @cindex active file
27398 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
27399 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
27400 is rather large, as you might surmise.
27403 @cindex bogus groups
27404 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
27405 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
27406 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
27409 @cindex activating groups
27410 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
27411 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
27412 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
27416 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
27417 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
27418 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
27422 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
27424 @item select method
27425 @cindex select method
27426 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
27429 @item virtual server
27430 @cindex virtual server
27431 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
27432 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
27433 whole is a virtual server.
27437 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
27438 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
27441 @item ephemeral groups
27442 @cindex ephemeral groups
27443 @cindex temporary groups
27444 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
27445 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
27446 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
27449 @cindex solid groups
27450 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
27451 group buffer are solid groups.
27453 @item sparse articles
27454 @cindex sparse articles
27455 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
27456 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
27460 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
27461 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
27465 @cindex thread root
27466 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
27467 articles in the thread.
27471 An article that has responses.
27475 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
27479 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
27480 specified by RFC 1153.
27483 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
27484 @cindex mail sorting
27485 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
27486 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
27487 incorrectly called mail filtering.
27493 @node Customization
27494 @section Customization
27495 @cindex general customization
27497 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
27498 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
27499 for some quite common situations.
27502 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
27503 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
27504 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
27505 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
27509 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
27510 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
27512 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
27513 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
27514 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
27518 @item gnus-read-active-file
27519 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
27520 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
27521 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
27522 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
27523 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
27525 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
27526 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
27527 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
27528 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
27532 @node Slow Terminal Connection
27533 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
27535 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
27536 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
27537 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
27541 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
27542 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
27543 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
27544 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
27545 horizontal and vertical recentering.
27547 @item gnus-visible-headers
27548 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
27549 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
27550 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
27551 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
27553 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
27555 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
27556 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
27557 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
27560 @item gnus-use-full-window
27561 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
27562 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
27563 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
27564 want to read them anyway.
27566 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
27567 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
27571 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
27572 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
27573 lines, which might save some time.
27577 @node Little Disk Space
27578 @subsection Little Disk Space
27581 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
27582 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
27586 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
27587 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
27588 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
27589 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
27592 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
27593 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
27594 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
27595 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
27598 @item gnus-save-killed-list
27599 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
27600 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
27601 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
27602 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
27608 @subsection Slow Machine
27609 @cindex slow machine
27611 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
27612 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
27614 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
27615 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
27617 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
27618 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
27619 summary buffer faster.
27623 @node Troubleshooting
27624 @section Troubleshooting
27625 @cindex troubleshooting
27627 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
27635 Make sure your computer is switched on.
27638 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
27639 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
27643 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
27644 like @samp{Gnus v5.10.6} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise
27645 you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
27648 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
27649 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
27652 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
27653 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
27654 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
27655 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
27656 something like that.
27659 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
27662 @cindex reporting bugs
27664 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
27666 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
27667 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
27668 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
27669 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
27671 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
27672 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
27673 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
27674 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
27677 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
27678 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
27679 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
27680 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
27681 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
27682 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
27684 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
27685 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
27686 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
27690 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
27691 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
27694 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
27695 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
27696 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
27697 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
27698 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
27699 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
27700 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
27701 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
27702 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
27703 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
27704 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
27705 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
27706 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
27707 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
27712 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
27713 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
27714 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
27715 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
27716 helps isolating the real problem areas).
27718 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
27719 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
27720 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
27721 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
27722 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
27723 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
27724 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
27725 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
27726 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
27727 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
27728 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
27729 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
27730 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
27733 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
27734 @cindex ding mailing list
27735 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
27736 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
27737 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
27738 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
27742 @node Gnus Reference Guide
27743 @section Gnus Reference Guide
27745 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
27746 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
27747 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
27748 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
27751 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
27752 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
27753 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
27754 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
27755 and general methods of operation.
27758 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
27759 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
27760 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
27761 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
27762 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
27763 * Group Info:: The group info format.
27764 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
27765 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
27766 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
27770 @node Gnus Utility Functions
27771 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
27772 @cindex Gnus utility functions
27773 @cindex utility functions
27775 @cindex internal variables
27777 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
27778 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
27779 Below is a list of the most common ones.
27783 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
27784 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
27785 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
27787 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
27788 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
27789 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
27791 @item gnus-group-real-name
27792 @findex gnus-group-real-name
27793 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
27796 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
27797 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
27798 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
27799 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
27801 @item gnus-get-info
27802 @findex gnus-get-info
27803 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
27805 @item gnus-group-unread
27806 @findex gnus-group-unread
27807 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
27811 @findex gnus-active
27812 The active entry for @var{group}.
27814 @item gnus-set-active
27815 @findex gnus-set-active
27816 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
27818 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27819 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27820 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
27823 @item gnus-continuum-version
27824 @findex gnus-continuum-version
27825 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
27826 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
27829 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
27830 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
27831 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
27833 @item gnus-news-group-p
27834 @findex gnus-news-group-p
27835 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
27837 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27838 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27839 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
27841 @item gnus-server-to-method
27842 @findex gnus-server-to-method
27843 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
27845 @item gnus-server-equal
27846 @findex gnus-server-equal
27847 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
27849 @item gnus-group-native-p
27850 @findex gnus-group-native-p
27851 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
27853 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
27854 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
27855 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
27857 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
27858 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
27859 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
27861 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
27862 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
27863 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
27864 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
27866 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
27867 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
27868 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
27870 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
27871 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
27872 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
27874 @item gnus-check-backend-function
27875 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
27876 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
27877 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
27880 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
27884 @item gnus-read-method
27885 @findex gnus-read-method
27886 Prompts the user for a select method.
27891 @node Back End Interface
27892 @subsection Back End Interface
27894 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
27895 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
27896 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
27897 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
27898 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
27899 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
27901 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
27902 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
27903 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
27904 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
27905 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
27906 been opened, the function should fail.
27908 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
27909 name. Take this example:
27913 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
27914 (nntp-port-number 4324))
27917 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
27918 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
27920 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
27921 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
27922 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
27924 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
27925 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
27926 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
27928 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
27929 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
27930 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
27931 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
27932 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
27933 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
27936 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
27937 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
27938 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
27939 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
27942 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
27943 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
27944 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
27945 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
27946 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
27947 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
27948 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
27949 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
27950 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
27951 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
27953 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
27954 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
27955 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
27956 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
27957 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
27958 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
27959 of numbers as long as possible.
27961 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
27962 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
27963 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
27965 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
27968 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
27971 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
27972 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
27973 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
27974 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
27975 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
27976 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
27980 @node Required Back End Functions
27981 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
27985 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
27987 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
27988 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
27989 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
27990 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
27992 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
27993 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
27994 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
27995 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
27997 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
27998 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
27999 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
28000 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
28001 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
28002 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
28003 number, do maximum fetches.
28005 Here's an example HEAD:
28008 221 1056 Article retrieved.
28009 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
28010 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
28011 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
28012 Subject: Re: Something very droll
28013 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
28014 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
28016 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
28017 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
28018 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
28022 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
28023 these in the data buffer.
28025 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
28029 head = error / valid-head
28030 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
28031 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
28032 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
28033 header = <text> eol
28037 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
28039 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
28040 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
28044 nov-buffer = *nov-line
28045 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
28046 field = <text except TAB>
28049 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
28053 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
28055 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
28056 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
28058 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
28059 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
28060 server. In fact, it should do so.
28062 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
28063 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
28066 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
28068 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
28069 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
28072 There should be no data returned.
28075 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
28077 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
28078 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
28079 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
28080 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
28082 There should be no data returned.
28085 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
28087 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
28088 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
28089 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
28090 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
28092 There should be no data returned.
28095 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
28097 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
28099 There should be no data returned.
28102 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
28104 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
28105 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
28106 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
28107 it would be nice if that were possible.
28109 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
28110 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
28111 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
28112 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
28113 into its article buffer.
28115 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
28116 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
28117 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
28118 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
28119 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
28120 on successful article retrieval.
28123 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
28125 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
28126 making @var{group} the current group.
28128 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
28131 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
28134 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
28137 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
28138 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
28139 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
28140 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
28141 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
28142 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
28143 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
28144 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
28145 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
28149 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
28150 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
28151 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
28155 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28157 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
28158 a no-op on most back ends.
28160 There should be no data returned.
28163 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
28165 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
28168 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
28171 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
28172 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
28175 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
28176 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
28177 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
28178 and the highest as 0.
28181 active-file = *active-line
28182 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
28184 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
28187 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
28188 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
28189 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
28192 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
28194 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
28195 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
28196 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
28197 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
28198 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
28199 clear if the posting could not be completed.
28201 There should be no result data from this function.
28206 @node Optional Back End Functions
28207 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
28211 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
28213 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
28214 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
28215 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
28217 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
28218 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
28219 former is in the same format as the data from
28220 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
28221 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
28224 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
28228 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
28230 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
28231 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
28232 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
28233 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
28234 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
28235 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
28236 the network resources).
28238 There should be no result data from this function.
28241 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
28243 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
28244 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
28245 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
28246 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
28247 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
28248 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
28249 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
28250 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
28252 There should be no result data from this function.
28255 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
28257 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
28258 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
28259 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
28260 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
28261 propagate the mark information to the server.
28263 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
28266 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
28269 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
28270 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
28271 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
28272 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
28273 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
28274 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
28275 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
28276 possible, not limit itself to these.
28278 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
28279 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
28280 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
28281 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
28283 An example action list:
28286 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
28287 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
28288 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
28291 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
28292 mark on (currently not used for anything).
28294 There should be no result data from this function.
28296 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
28298 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
28299 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
28300 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
28301 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
28302 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
28304 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
28305 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
28306 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
28309 There should be no result data from this function.
28312 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
28314 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
28315 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
28316 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
28317 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
28318 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
28319 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
28320 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
28321 local if that's practical.
28323 There should be no result data from this function.
28326 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
28328 The result data from this function should be a description of
28332 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
28334 description = <text>
28337 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
28339 The result data from this function should be the description of all
28340 groups available on the server.
28343 description-buffer = *description-line
28347 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
28349 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
28350 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
28351 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
28352 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
28353 in the active buffer format.
28355 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
28356 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
28357 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
28358 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
28359 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
28360 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
28361 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
28364 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28366 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
28368 There should be no return data.
28371 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
28373 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
28374 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
28375 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
28376 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
28377 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
28380 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
28383 There should be no result data returned.
28386 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
28388 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
28389 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
28391 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
28392 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
28393 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
28394 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
28395 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
28396 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
28398 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
28399 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
28402 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
28403 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
28405 There should be no data returned.
28408 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
28410 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
28411 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
28412 this function in short order.
28414 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
28415 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
28417 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
28418 article for that group.
28420 There should be no data returned.
28423 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
28425 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
28426 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
28428 There should be no data returned.
28431 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
28433 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
28434 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
28435 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
28437 There should be no data returned.
28440 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
28442 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
28443 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
28445 There should be no data returned.
28450 @node Error Messaging
28451 @subsubsection Error Messaging
28453 @findex nnheader-report
28454 @findex nnheader-get-report
28455 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
28456 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
28457 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
28458 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
28459 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
28460 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
28463 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
28465 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
28468 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
28469 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
28470 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
28471 takes one argument---the server symbol.
28473 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
28474 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
28475 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
28478 @node Writing New Back Ends
28479 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
28481 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
28482 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
28483 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
28484 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
28485 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
28488 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
28489 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
28490 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
28492 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
28493 package called @code{nnoo}.
28495 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
28496 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
28502 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
28503 parameters. For instance:
28506 (nnoo-declare nndir
28510 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
28511 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
28514 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
28515 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
28516 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
28518 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
28519 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
28520 a function in those back ends.
28523 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
28524 "Where nndir will look for groups."
28525 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
28528 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
28529 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
28530 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
28532 @item nnoo-define-basics
28533 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
28537 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
28541 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
28542 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
28543 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
28545 @item nnoo-map-functions
28546 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
28547 functions from the parent back ends.
28550 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
28551 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28552 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
28555 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
28556 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
28557 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
28558 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
28561 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
28562 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
28563 haven't already been defined.
28569 nnmh-request-newgroups)
28573 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
28574 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
28575 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
28580 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
28583 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
28584 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
28588 (require 'nnheader)
28592 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
28594 (nnoo-declare nndir
28597 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
28598 "Where nndir will look for groups."
28599 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
28601 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
28602 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
28605 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
28607 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
28608 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
28609 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
28611 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
28612 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
28614 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
28616 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
28618 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
28619 (setq nndir-directory
28620 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
28622 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
28623 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
28624 (push `(nndir-current-group
28625 ,(file-name-nondirectory
28626 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
28628 (push `(nndir-top-directory
28629 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
28631 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
28633 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
28634 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28635 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28636 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
28637 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
28641 nnmh-status-message
28643 nnmh-request-newgroups))
28649 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
28650 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
28652 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
28653 @findex gnus-declare-backend
28654 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
28655 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
28656 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
28658 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
28659 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
28664 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
28667 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
28669 The abilities can be:
28673 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
28675 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
28677 This back end supports both mail and news.
28679 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
28682 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
28683 articles and groups.
28685 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
28686 true for almost all back ends.
28687 @item prompt-address
28688 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
28689 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
28690 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
28694 @node Mail-like Back Ends
28695 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
28697 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
28698 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
28699 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
28700 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
28703 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
28704 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
28705 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
28708 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
28709 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
28712 This function takes four parameters.
28716 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
28719 @item exit-function
28720 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
28722 @item temp-directory
28723 Where the temporary files should be stored.
28726 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
28727 performed for one group only.
28730 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
28731 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
28732 find the article number assigned to this article.
28734 The function also uses the following variables:
28735 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
28736 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
28737 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
28738 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
28742 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
28743 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
28747 @node Score File Syntax
28748 @subsection Score File Syntax
28750 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
28751 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
28752 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
28754 Here's a typical score file:
28758 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
28765 BNF definition of a score file:
28768 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
28769 element = rule / atom
28770 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
28771 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
28772 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
28773 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
28775 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
28776 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
28777 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
28778 date-header = "date"
28779 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28780 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28781 score = "nil" / <integer>
28782 date = "nil" / <natural number>
28783 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
28784 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
28785 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
28786 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
28787 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28788 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28789 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
28790 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28791 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
28792 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
28793 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
28794 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
28795 exclude-files / read-only / touched
28796 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
28797 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
28798 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
28799 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
28800 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
28801 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
28802 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
28803 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
28804 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
28805 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
28806 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
28807 eval = "eval" space <form>
28808 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
28811 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
28814 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
28815 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
28816 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
28817 one looong line, then that's ok.
28819 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
28820 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28824 @subsection Headers
28826 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
28827 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
28828 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
28829 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
28831 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
28832 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
28833 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
28834 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
28835 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
28836 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
28837 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
28839 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
28840 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
28841 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
28842 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
28843 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
28845 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
28846 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
28852 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
28853 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
28855 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
28856 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
28857 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
28858 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
28860 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
28864 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
28867 is transformed into
28870 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
28873 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
28874 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
28877 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
28880 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
28881 is slightly tricky:
28884 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
28890 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
28893 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
28899 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
28906 and is equal to the previous range.
28908 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
28909 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
28910 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
28914 range = simple-range / normal-range
28915 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
28916 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
28917 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
28918 number *[ " " contents ]
28921 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
28922 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
28923 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
28924 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
28925 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
28930 @subsection Group Info
28932 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
28933 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
28934 describes the group.
28936 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
28937 second is a more complex one:
28940 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
28942 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
28943 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
28945 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
28948 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
28949 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
28950 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
28951 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
28952 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
28953 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
28954 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
28955 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
28956 this section is about.
28958 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
28959 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
28960 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
28962 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
28965 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
28966 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
28967 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28968 group = quote <string> quote
28969 ralevel = rank / level
28970 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28971 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
28972 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
28974 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
28975 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
28976 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
28977 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
28980 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
28981 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
28984 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
28985 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
28988 @item gnus-info-group
28989 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
28990 @findex gnus-info-group
28991 @findex gnus-info-set-group
28992 Get/set the group name.
28994 @item gnus-info-rank
28995 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
28996 @findex gnus-info-rank
28997 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
28998 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
29000 @item gnus-info-level
29001 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
29002 @findex gnus-info-level
29003 @findex gnus-info-set-level
29004 Get/set the group level.
29006 @item gnus-info-score
29007 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
29008 @findex gnus-info-score
29009 @findex gnus-info-set-score
29010 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
29012 @item gnus-info-read
29013 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
29014 @findex gnus-info-read
29015 @findex gnus-info-set-read
29016 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
29018 @item gnus-info-marks
29019 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
29020 @findex gnus-info-marks
29021 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
29022 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
29024 @item gnus-info-method
29025 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
29026 @findex gnus-info-method
29027 @findex gnus-info-set-method
29028 Get/set the group select method.
29030 @item gnus-info-params
29031 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
29032 @findex gnus-info-params
29033 @findex gnus-info-set-params
29034 Get/set the group parameters.
29037 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
29038 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
29040 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
29041 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
29042 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
29043 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
29046 @node Extended Interactive
29047 @subsection Extended Interactive
29048 @cindex interactive
29049 @findex gnus-interactive
29051 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
29052 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
29053 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
29056 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
29057 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
29062 The best thing to do would have been to implement
29063 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
29064 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
29065 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
29066 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
29067 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
29068 @code{interactive}.
29070 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
29075 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
29076 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
29080 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
29081 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
29082 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
29085 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
29089 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
29093 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
29099 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
29100 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
29104 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
29105 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
29106 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
29108 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
29109 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
29110 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
29111 Gnus, that's very useful.
29113 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
29114 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
29115 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
29116 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
29117 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
29118 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
29119 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
29120 following function:
29123 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
29127 (,function ,@@args))
29131 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
29132 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
29133 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
29136 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
29137 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
29138 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
29140 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
29141 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
29142 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
29145 @node Various File Formats
29146 @subsection Various File Formats
29149 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
29150 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
29154 @node Active File Format
29155 @subsubsection Active File Format
29157 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
29158 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
29161 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
29164 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
29165 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
29166 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
29167 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
29168 no.general 1000 900 y
29171 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
29174 active = *group-line
29175 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
29176 group = <non-white-space string>
29178 high-number = <non-negative integer>
29179 low-number = <positive integer>
29180 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
29183 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
29184 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
29187 @node Newsgroups File Format
29188 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
29190 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
29191 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
29192 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
29195 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
29196 Here's the definition:
29200 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
29201 group = <non-white-space string>
29203 description = <string>
29208 @node Emacs for Heathens
29209 @section Emacs for Heathens
29211 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
29212 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
29213 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
29214 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
29215 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
29216 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
29217 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
29221 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
29222 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
29227 @subsection Keystrokes
29231 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
29234 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
29237 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
29238 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
29239 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
29240 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
29241 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
29242 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
29244 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
29245 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
29246 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
29247 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
29248 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
29249 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
29250 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
29252 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
29253 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
29254 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
29255 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
29256 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
29257 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
29258 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
29260 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
29261 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
29262 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
29263 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
29264 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
29270 @subsection Emacs Lisp
29272 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
29273 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
29274 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
29275 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
29277 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
29278 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
29279 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
29280 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
29281 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
29282 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
29283 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
29284 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
29285 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
29286 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
29288 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
29289 write the following:
29292 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
29295 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
29296 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
29297 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
29298 change how Gnus works.
29300 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
29301 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
29302 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
29303 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
29304 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
29306 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
29307 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
29308 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
29312 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
29316 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
29319 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
29320 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
29323 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
29326 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
29327 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
29330 @include gnus-faq.texi
29350 @c Local Variables:
29352 @c coding: iso-8859-1
29356 arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819