10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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282 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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291 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
293 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
296 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
297 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
298 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
299 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
300 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
301 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
302 License'' in the Emacs manual.
304 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
305 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
306 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
308 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
309 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
310 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
311 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
319 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
321 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
322 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
324 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
325 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
326 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
327 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
328 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
329 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
330 License'' in the Emacs manual.
332 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
333 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
334 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
336 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
337 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
338 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
339 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
347 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
350 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
351 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
353 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
355 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
356 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
357 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
358 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
359 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
360 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
361 License'' in the Emacs manual.
363 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
364 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
365 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
367 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
368 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
369 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
370 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
379 @top The Gnus Newsreader
383 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
384 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
385 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
388 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v0.10.
399 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
400 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
402 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
403 being accused of plagiarism:
405 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
406 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
407 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
408 can even read news with it!
410 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
411 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
412 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
413 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
414 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
420 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
421 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
422 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
423 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
424 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
425 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
426 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
427 * Various:: General purpose settings.
428 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
429 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
430 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
431 * Key Index:: Key Index.
433 Other related manuals
435 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
436 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; MIME-specific parts.
437 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
438 * PGG:(pgg). PGP/MIME with Gnus.
441 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
445 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
446 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
447 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
448 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
449 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
450 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
451 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
452 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
453 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
454 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
455 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
459 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
460 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
461 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
465 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
466 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
467 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
468 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
469 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
470 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
471 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
472 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
473 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
474 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
475 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
476 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
477 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
478 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
479 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
480 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
481 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
485 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
486 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
487 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
491 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
492 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
493 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
494 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
495 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
499 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
500 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
501 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
502 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
503 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
507 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
508 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
509 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
510 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
511 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
512 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
513 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
514 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
515 * Threading:: How threads are made.
516 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
517 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
518 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
519 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
520 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
521 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
522 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
523 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
524 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
525 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
526 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
527 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
528 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
529 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
530 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
531 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
532 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
533 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
534 or reselecting the current group.
535 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
536 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
537 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
538 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
540 Summary Buffer Format
542 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
543 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
544 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
545 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
549 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
550 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
552 Reply, Followup and Post
554 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
555 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
556 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
557 * Canceling and Superseding::
561 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
562 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
563 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
565 * Generic Marking Commands::
566 * Setting Process Marks::
570 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
571 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
572 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
576 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
577 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
579 Customizing Threading
581 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
582 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
583 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
584 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
588 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
589 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
590 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
591 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
592 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
593 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
597 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
598 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
599 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
603 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
604 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
605 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
606 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
607 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
608 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
609 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
610 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
611 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
612 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
614 Alternative Approaches
616 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
617 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
619 Various Summary Stuff
621 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
622 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
623 * Summary Generation Commands::
624 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
628 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
629 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
630 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
631 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
632 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
636 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
637 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
638 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
639 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
640 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
641 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
642 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
643 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
647 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
648 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
649 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
650 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
651 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
652 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
653 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
654 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
658 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
659 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
660 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
661 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
662 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
663 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
664 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
668 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
669 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
673 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
674 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
675 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
679 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
680 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
681 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
682 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
683 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
684 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
685 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
686 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
687 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
688 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
689 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
690 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
691 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
695 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
696 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
697 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
699 Choosing a Mail Back End
701 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
702 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
703 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
704 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
705 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
706 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
711 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
712 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
713 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
714 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
715 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
716 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
720 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
721 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
722 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
723 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
724 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
728 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
729 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
730 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
731 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
732 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
736 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
740 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
741 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
742 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
746 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
747 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
751 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
752 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
753 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
754 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
755 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
756 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
757 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
758 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
759 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
760 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
761 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
765 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
766 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
767 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
771 * Group Agent Commands::
772 * Summary Agent Commands::
773 * Server Agent Commands::
777 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
778 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
779 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
780 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
781 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
782 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
783 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
784 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
785 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
786 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
787 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
788 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
789 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
790 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
791 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
792 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
793 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
797 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
798 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
799 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
800 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
804 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
805 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
806 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
810 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
811 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
812 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
813 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
814 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
815 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
816 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
817 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
818 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
819 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
820 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
821 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
822 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
823 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
824 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
825 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
826 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
827 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
828 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
832 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
833 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
834 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
835 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
836 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
837 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
838 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
839 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
843 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
844 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
845 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
846 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
847 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
851 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
852 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
853 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
854 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
855 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
859 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
860 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
861 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
862 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
863 * Filtering Spam Using spam.el::
864 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)::
868 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
869 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
870 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
871 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
872 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
873 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
874 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
875 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
876 * Frequently Asked Questions::
880 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
881 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
882 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
883 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
884 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
885 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
886 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
887 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
888 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
892 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
893 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
894 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
895 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
896 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
900 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
901 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
902 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
903 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
907 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
908 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
909 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
910 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
911 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
912 * Group Info:: The group info format.
913 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
914 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
915 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
919 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
920 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
921 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
922 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
923 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
924 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
928 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
929 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
933 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
934 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
940 @chapter Starting Gnus
945 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
946 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
949 @findex gnus-other-frame
950 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
951 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
952 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
954 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
955 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
956 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
958 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
959 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
962 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
963 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
964 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
965 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
966 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
967 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
968 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
969 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
970 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
971 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
972 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
976 @node Finding the News
977 @section Finding the News
980 @vindex gnus-select-method
982 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
983 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
984 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
985 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
988 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
989 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
992 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
995 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
998 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1001 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1002 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1003 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1005 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1007 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
1008 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1009 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1010 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1011 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
1012 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
1014 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1015 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1016 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1017 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1019 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1020 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1021 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1022 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1023 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1024 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1025 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1026 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1027 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1030 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1032 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1033 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1034 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1035 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1036 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1037 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1039 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1041 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1042 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1043 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1044 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1045 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1046 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1049 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1050 you would typically set this variable to
1053 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1057 @node The First Time
1058 @section The First Time
1059 @cindex first time usage
1061 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1062 be subscribed by default.
1064 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1065 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1066 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1067 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1070 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1071 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1072 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1074 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1075 help you with most common problems.
1077 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1078 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1082 @node The Server is Down
1083 @section The Server is Down
1084 @cindex server errors
1086 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1087 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1088 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1090 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1091 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1092 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1093 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1094 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1095 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1096 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1098 @findex gnus-no-server
1099 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1101 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1102 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1103 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1104 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1105 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1106 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1107 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1111 @section Slave Gnusae
1114 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1115 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1116 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1117 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1119 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1120 @code{.newsrc} file.
1122 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1123 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1124 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1125 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1126 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1127 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1128 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1130 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1131 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1132 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1133 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1134 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1135 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1136 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1137 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1139 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1140 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1142 If the @code{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1143 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1144 file. If you answer "yes", the unsaved changes to the master will be
1145 incorporated into the slave. If you answer "no", the slave may see some
1146 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1148 @node Fetching a Group
1149 @section Fetching a Group
1150 @cindex fetching a group
1152 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1153 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1154 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1155 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1156 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1157 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1163 @cindex subscription
1165 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1166 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1167 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1168 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1169 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1170 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1171 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1172 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1173 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1176 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1177 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1178 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1182 @node Checking New Groups
1183 @subsection Checking New Groups
1185 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1186 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1187 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1188 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1189 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1190 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1191 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1192 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1193 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1194 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1196 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1197 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1198 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1199 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1200 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1201 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1202 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1203 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1204 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1205 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1206 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1208 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1209 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1210 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1211 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1212 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1213 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1216 @node Subscription Methods
1217 @subsection Subscription Methods
1219 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1220 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1221 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1223 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1224 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1226 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1230 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1231 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1232 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1233 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1234 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1236 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1237 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1238 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1239 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1241 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1242 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1243 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1245 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1246 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1247 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1248 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1249 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1250 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1251 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1252 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1253 up. Or something like that.
1255 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1256 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1257 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1258 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1259 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1261 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1262 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1263 Kill all new groups.
1265 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1266 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1267 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1268 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1269 topic parameter that looks like
1275 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1278 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1283 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1284 A closely related variable is
1285 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1286 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1287 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1288 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1291 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1292 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1293 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1294 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1297 @node Filtering New Groups
1298 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1300 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1301 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1302 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1305 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1308 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1309 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1310 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1311 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1312 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1313 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1314 subscribing these groups.
1315 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1316 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1318 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1319 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1320 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1321 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1322 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1323 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1324 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1325 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1327 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1328 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1329 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1330 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1331 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1332 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1333 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1334 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1335 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1336 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1339 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1340 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1343 @node Changing Servers
1344 @section Changing Servers
1345 @cindex changing servers
1347 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1348 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1349 very flaky and you want to use another.
1351 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1352 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1356 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1357 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1358 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1359 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1362 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1363 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1364 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1365 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1367 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1368 @findex gnus-change-server
1369 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1370 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1371 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1372 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1373 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1375 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1376 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1377 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1378 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1379 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1381 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1382 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1383 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1384 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1385 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1386 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1388 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1389 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1390 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1391 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1393 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1394 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1395 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1396 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1397 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1398 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1399 cache for all groups).
1403 @section Startup Files
1404 @cindex startup files
1409 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1410 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1412 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1413 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1414 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1415 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1416 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1417 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1418 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1420 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1421 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1422 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1423 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1424 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1425 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1427 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1428 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1429 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1430 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1431 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1432 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1433 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1434 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1435 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1436 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1438 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1439 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1440 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1441 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1442 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1443 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1444 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1445 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1446 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1447 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1448 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1449 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1451 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1452 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1453 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1454 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1456 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1457 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1458 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1459 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1460 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1461 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1462 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1463 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1464 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1465 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1468 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1469 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1471 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1472 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1475 @vindex gnus-init-file
1476 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1477 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1478 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1479 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1480 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1481 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1482 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1483 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1484 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1490 @cindex dribble file
1493 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1494 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1495 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1496 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1497 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1500 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1501 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1504 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1505 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1506 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1508 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1509 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1510 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1511 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1512 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1513 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1515 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1516 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1517 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1520 @node The Active File
1521 @section The Active File
1523 @cindex ignored groups
1525 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1526 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1527 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1529 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1530 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1531 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1532 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1533 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1534 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1535 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1538 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1539 @c if you set it to anything else.
1541 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1543 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1544 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1545 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1547 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1548 you actually subscribe to.
1550 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1551 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1552 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1553 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1555 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1556 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1557 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1558 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1559 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1560 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1562 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1563 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1564 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1567 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1568 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1569 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1570 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1571 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1572 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1574 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1575 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1577 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1578 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1580 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1581 secondary select methods.
1584 @node Startup Variables
1585 @section Startup Variables
1589 @item gnus-load-hook
1590 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1591 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1592 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1593 times you start Gnus.
1595 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1596 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1597 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1599 @item gnus-startup-hook
1600 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1601 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1603 @item gnus-started-hook
1604 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1605 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1608 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1609 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1610 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1611 generating the group buffer.
1613 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1614 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1615 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1616 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1617 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1618 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1619 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1620 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1622 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1623 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1624 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1625 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1626 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1627 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1629 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1630 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1631 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1633 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1634 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1635 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1637 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1638 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1639 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1640 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1646 @chapter Group Buffer
1647 @cindex group buffer
1649 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1651 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1652 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1653 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1654 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1655 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1656 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1657 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1658 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1659 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1660 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1661 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1662 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1663 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1664 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1665 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1666 @c human rights at 9...
1669 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1670 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1671 long as Gnus is active.
1675 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1676 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1677 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1678 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1679 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1680 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1681 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1682 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1688 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1689 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1690 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1691 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1692 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1693 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1694 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1695 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1696 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1697 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1698 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1699 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1700 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1701 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1702 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1703 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1704 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1708 @node Group Buffer Format
1709 @section Group Buffer Format
1712 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1713 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1714 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1718 @node Group Line Specification
1719 @subsection Group Line Specification
1720 @cindex group buffer format
1722 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1723 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1725 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1728 25: news.announce.newusers
1729 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1734 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1735 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1736 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1737 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1739 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1740 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1741 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1742 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1743 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1744 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1746 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1748 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1749 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1750 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1751 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1752 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1754 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1755 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1756 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1758 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1763 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1766 Whether the group is subscribed.
1769 Level of subscribedness.
1772 Number of unread articles.
1775 Number of dormant articles.
1778 Number of ticked articles.
1781 Number of read articles.
1784 Number of unseen articles.
1787 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1788 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1790 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1791 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1792 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1793 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1794 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1795 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1796 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1797 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1800 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1803 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1812 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1813 comment element in the group parameters.
1816 Newsgroup description.
1819 @samp{m} if moderated.
1822 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1828 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1834 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1838 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1841 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1842 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1843 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1844 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1845 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1848 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1850 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1854 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1857 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1861 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1862 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1863 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1864 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1865 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1866 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1871 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1872 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1873 group, or a bogus native group.
1876 @node Group Modeline Specification
1877 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1878 @cindex group modeline
1880 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1881 The mode line can be changed by setting
1882 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1883 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1887 The native news server.
1889 The native select method.
1893 @node Group Highlighting
1894 @subsection Group Highlighting
1895 @cindex highlighting
1896 @cindex group highlighting
1898 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1899 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1900 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1901 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1902 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1904 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1908 (cond (window-system
1909 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1910 (defface my-group-face-1
1911 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1912 (defface my-group-face-2
1913 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1914 (defface my-group-face-3
1915 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1916 (defface my-group-face-4
1917 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1918 (defface my-group-face-5
1919 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1921 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1922 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1923 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1924 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1925 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1926 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1929 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1931 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1938 The number of unread articles in the group.
1942 Whether the group is a mail group.
1944 The level of the group.
1946 The score of the group.
1948 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1950 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1951 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1953 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1954 topic being inserted.
1957 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1958 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1959 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1961 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1962 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1963 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1964 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1965 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1968 @node Group Maneuvering
1969 @section Group Maneuvering
1970 @cindex group movement
1972 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1973 expected, hopefully.
1979 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1980 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1981 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1987 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1988 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1989 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1993 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1994 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1998 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1999 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2003 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2004 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2005 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2009 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2010 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2011 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2014 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2020 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2021 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2022 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2027 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2028 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2029 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2033 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2034 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2035 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2038 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2039 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2040 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2041 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2045 @node Selecting a Group
2046 @section Selecting a Group
2047 @cindex group selection
2052 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2053 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2054 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2055 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2056 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2057 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2058 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2059 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2060 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2061 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2063 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2064 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2065 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2067 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2068 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2073 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2074 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2075 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2076 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2077 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2081 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2082 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2083 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2084 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2085 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2086 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2087 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2088 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2089 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2090 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2093 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2094 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2095 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2096 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2097 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2100 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2101 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2102 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2103 doing any processing of its contents
2104 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2105 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2106 manner will have no permanent effects.
2110 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2111 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2112 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2113 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2114 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2115 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2116 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2117 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2120 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2121 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2122 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2123 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2124 Which article this is is controlled by the
2125 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2131 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2134 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2137 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2139 @item unseen-or-unread
2140 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2141 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2145 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2149 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2150 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2152 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2153 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2154 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2155 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2159 @node Subscription Commands
2160 @section Subscription Commands
2161 @cindex subscription
2169 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2170 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2171 Toggle subscription to the current group
2172 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2178 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2179 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2180 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2181 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2187 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2188 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2189 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2195 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2196 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2199 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2200 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2201 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2202 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2203 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2209 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2210 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2214 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2215 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2218 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2219 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2220 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2221 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2222 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2223 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2224 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2225 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2226 @file{.newsrc} file.
2230 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2240 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2241 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2242 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2243 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2244 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2245 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2250 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2251 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2252 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2256 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2257 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2258 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2260 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2261 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2262 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2263 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2264 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2265 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2272 @section Group Levels
2276 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2277 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2278 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2279 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2280 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2282 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2288 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2289 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2290 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2291 prompted for a level.
2294 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2295 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2296 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2297 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2298 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2299 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2300 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2301 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2302 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2303 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2304 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2305 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2306 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2307 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2308 reasons of efficiency.
2310 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2311 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2313 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2314 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2315 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2316 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2317 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2318 groups are hidden, in a way.
2320 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2321 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2322 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2323 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2324 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2325 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2327 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2328 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2329 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2330 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2331 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2332 list of killed groups.)
2334 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2335 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2336 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2338 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2339 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2340 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2341 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2342 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2343 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2344 relevant valid ranges.
2346 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2347 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2348 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2349 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2350 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2351 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2354 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2355 one with the best level.
2357 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2358 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2359 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2362 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2363 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2364 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2365 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2368 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2369 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2370 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2371 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2373 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2374 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2375 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2376 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2377 to 5. The default is 6.
2381 @section Group Score
2386 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2387 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2388 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2391 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2392 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2393 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2394 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2395 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2396 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2397 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2398 least significant part.))
2400 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2401 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2402 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2403 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2404 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2405 action after each summary exit, you can add
2406 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2407 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2408 slow things down somewhat.
2411 @node Marking Groups
2412 @section Marking Groups
2413 @cindex marking groups
2415 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2416 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2417 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2418 bidding on those groups.
2420 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2421 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2422 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2430 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2431 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2437 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2438 Remove the mark from the current group
2439 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2443 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2444 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2448 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2449 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2453 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2454 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2458 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2459 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2460 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2463 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2465 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2466 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2467 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2468 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2469 the command to be executed.
2472 @node Foreign Groups
2473 @section Foreign Groups
2474 @cindex foreign groups
2476 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2477 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2478 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2479 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2486 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2487 @cindex making groups
2488 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2489 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2490 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2494 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2495 @cindex renaming groups
2496 Rename the current group to something else
2497 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2498 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2504 @findex gnus-group-customize
2505 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2509 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2510 @cindex renaming groups
2511 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2512 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2516 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2517 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2518 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2522 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2523 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2524 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2528 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2530 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2531 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2536 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2537 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2541 @cindex (ding) archive
2542 @cindex archive group
2543 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2544 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2545 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2546 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2547 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2548 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2549 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2553 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2555 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2556 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2557 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2558 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2562 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2564 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2565 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2566 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2570 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2571 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2573 Make a group based on some file or other
2574 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2575 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2576 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2577 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2578 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2579 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2580 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2581 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2582 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2586 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2587 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2588 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2589 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2593 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2597 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2598 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2599 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2600 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2601 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2602 @xref{Web Searches}.
2604 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2605 to a particular group by using a match string like
2606 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2609 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2610 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2611 This function will delete the current group
2612 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2613 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2614 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2615 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2616 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2620 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2621 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2622 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2626 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2627 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2628 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2631 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2634 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2635 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2636 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2637 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2638 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2639 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2643 @node Group Parameters
2644 @section Group Parameters
2645 @cindex group parameters
2647 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2648 Here's an example group parameter list:
2651 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2655 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2656 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2657 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2658 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2660 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2661 is an alist of regexps and values.
2663 The following group parameters can be used:
2668 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2671 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2674 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2675 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2676 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2677 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2678 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2680 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2681 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2682 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2683 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2684 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2685 list address instead.
2687 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2691 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2694 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2697 It is totally ignored
2698 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2699 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2701 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2702 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2703 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2704 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2705 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2707 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2708 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2709 sending the message.
2711 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2712 @cindex Mail List Groups
2713 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2714 entering summary buffer.
2716 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2721 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2722 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2723 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2724 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2725 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{(message)Mailing
2726 Lists} for a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2728 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2729 directly uses this group parameter.
2733 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2734 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2735 of whether it has any unread articles.
2737 @item broken-reply-to
2738 @cindex broken-reply-to
2739 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2740 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2741 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2742 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2743 broken behavior. So there!
2747 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2748 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2752 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2753 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2754 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2759 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2760 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2761 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2762 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2763 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2764 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2765 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2766 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2767 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept articles.
2771 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2772 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2773 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2775 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2778 @cindex total-expire
2779 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2780 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2781 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2782 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2785 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2789 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2790 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2791 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2792 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2793 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2794 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2795 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2798 @cindex score file group parameter
2799 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2800 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2801 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2804 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2805 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2806 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2807 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2810 @cindex admin-address
2811 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2812 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2813 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2814 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2818 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2819 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2823 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2826 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2827 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2830 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2834 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2836 Here are some examples:
2840 Display only unread articles.
2843 Display everything except expirable articles.
2845 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2846 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2850 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2851 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2852 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2853 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2854 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2858 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2859 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2860 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2864 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2865 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2866 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2870 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2871 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2872 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2874 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2876 @item ignored-charsets
2877 @cindex ignored-charset
2878 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2879 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2880 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2882 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2885 @cindex posting-style
2886 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2887 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2888 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2889 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2890 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2892 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2893 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2894 like this in the group parameters:
2899 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2900 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2905 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2906 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2910 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2911 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2912 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2913 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2914 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2918 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2919 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2920 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2921 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2923 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2924 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2925 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2926 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2929 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2930 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2934 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2937 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2938 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2939 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2940 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2941 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2942 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2943 @code{eval}ed there.
2945 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2946 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2947 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2948 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2949 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2950 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2951 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2952 parameters for the group.
2955 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2956 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2957 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2958 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2959 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2963 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2964 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2965 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2966 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2967 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2969 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2970 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2974 (setq gnus-parameters
2976 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2977 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2978 (gnus-summary-line-format
2979 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2983 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2987 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2991 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2994 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2995 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2998 @node Listing Groups
2999 @section Listing Groups
3000 @cindex group listing
3002 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3010 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3011 List all groups that have unread articles
3012 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3013 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3014 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
3015 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3022 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3023 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3024 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3025 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3026 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3027 unsubscribed groups).
3031 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3032 List all unread groups on a specific level
3033 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3034 with no unread articles.
3038 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3039 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3040 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3041 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3046 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3047 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3051 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3052 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3053 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3057 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3058 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3062 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3063 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3064 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3065 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3066 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3067 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3068 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3069 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3073 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3074 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3075 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3079 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3080 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3081 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3085 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3086 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3090 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3091 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3095 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3096 List groups limited within the current selection
3097 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3101 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3102 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3106 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3107 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3111 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3112 @cindex visible group parameter
3113 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3114 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3115 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3116 get the same effect.
3118 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3119 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3120 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3121 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3122 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3125 @node Sorting Groups
3126 @section Sorting Groups
3127 @cindex sorting groups
3129 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3130 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3131 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3132 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3133 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3134 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3139 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3140 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3141 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3143 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3144 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3145 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3147 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3148 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3149 Sort by group level.
3151 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3152 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3153 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3155 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3156 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3157 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3158 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3160 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3161 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3162 Sort by number of unread articles.
3164 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3165 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3166 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3168 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3169 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3170 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3175 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3176 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3180 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3181 some sorting criteria:
3185 @kindex G S a (Group)
3186 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3187 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3188 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3191 @kindex G S u (Group)
3192 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3193 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3194 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3197 @kindex G S l (Group)
3198 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3199 Sort the group buffer by group level
3200 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3203 @kindex G S v (Group)
3204 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3205 Sort the group buffer by group score
3206 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3209 @kindex G S r (Group)
3210 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3211 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3212 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3215 @kindex G S m (Group)
3216 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3217 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3218 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3221 @kindex G S n (Group)
3222 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3223 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3224 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3228 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3229 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3231 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3232 commands will sort in reverse order.
3234 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3238 @kindex G P a (Group)
3239 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3240 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3241 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3244 @kindex G P u (Group)
3245 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3246 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3247 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3250 @kindex G P l (Group)
3251 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3252 Sort the groups by group level
3253 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3256 @kindex G P v (Group)
3257 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3258 Sort the groups by group score
3259 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3262 @kindex G P r (Group)
3263 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3264 Sort the groups by group rank
3265 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3268 @kindex G P m (Group)
3269 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3270 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3271 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3274 @kindex G P n (Group)
3275 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3276 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3277 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3280 @kindex G P s (Group)
3281 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3282 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3286 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3290 @node Group Maintenance
3291 @section Group Maintenance
3292 @cindex bogus groups
3297 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3298 Find bogus groups and delete them
3299 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3303 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3304 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3305 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3306 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3307 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3311 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3312 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3313 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3314 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3315 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3316 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3319 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3320 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3321 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3322 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3327 @node Browse Foreign Server
3328 @section Browse Foreign Server
3329 @cindex foreign servers
3330 @cindex browsing servers
3335 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3336 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3337 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3338 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3341 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3342 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3343 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3344 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3346 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3351 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3352 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3356 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3357 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3360 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3361 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3362 Enter the current group and display the first article
3363 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3366 @kindex RET (Browse)
3367 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3368 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3372 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3373 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3374 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3380 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3381 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3385 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3386 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3390 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3391 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3392 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3397 @section Exiting Gnus
3398 @cindex exiting Gnus
3400 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3405 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3406 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3407 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3408 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3412 @findex gnus-group-exit
3413 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3414 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3418 @findex gnus-group-quit
3419 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3420 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3423 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3424 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3425 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3426 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3427 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3432 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3433 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3434 trying to customize meta-variables.
3439 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3440 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3441 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3447 @section Group Topics
3450 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3451 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3452 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3453 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3454 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3455 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3459 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3460 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3471 2: alt.religion.emacs
3474 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3476 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3477 13: comp.sources.unix
3480 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3482 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3483 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3484 is a toggling command.)
3486 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3487 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3488 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3489 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3492 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3493 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3494 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3497 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3501 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3502 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3503 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3504 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3505 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3509 @node Topic Commands
3510 @subsection Topic Commands
3511 @cindex topic commands
3513 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3514 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3515 definitions slightly.
3517 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3518 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3519 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3520 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3521 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3522 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3524 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3531 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3532 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3533 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3537 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3539 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3540 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3541 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3542 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3545 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3546 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3547 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3548 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3552 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3553 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3554 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3555 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3561 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3562 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3563 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3567 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3568 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3569 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3572 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3573 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3574 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3575 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3576 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3578 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3579 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3583 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3584 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3591 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3593 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3594 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3595 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3596 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3597 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3598 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3602 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3608 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3609 Move the current group to some other topic
3610 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3611 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3615 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3616 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3620 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3621 Copy the current group to some other topic
3622 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3623 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3627 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3628 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3629 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3633 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3634 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3635 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3639 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3640 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3641 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3642 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3643 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3644 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3645 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3648 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3649 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3653 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3654 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3655 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3659 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3660 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3661 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3665 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3666 Toggle hiding empty topics
3667 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3671 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3672 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3673 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3676 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3677 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3678 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3679 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3682 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3683 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3684 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3685 expiry process (if any)
3686 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3690 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3691 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3694 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3695 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3696 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3700 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3701 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3702 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3705 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3706 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3707 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3710 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3711 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3712 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3716 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3717 @cindex group parameters
3718 @cindex topic parameters
3720 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3721 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3726 @node Topic Variables
3727 @subsection Topic Variables
3728 @cindex topic variables
3730 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3731 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3733 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3734 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3735 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3748 Number of groups in the topic.
3750 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3752 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3755 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3756 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3757 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3760 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3761 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3763 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3764 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3765 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3769 @subsection Topic Sorting
3770 @cindex topic sorting
3772 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3778 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3779 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3780 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3781 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3784 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3785 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3786 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3787 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3790 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3791 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3792 Sort the current topic by group level
3793 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3796 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3797 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3798 Sort the current topic by group score
3799 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3802 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3803 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3804 Sort the current topic by group rank
3805 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3808 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3809 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3810 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3811 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3814 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3815 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3816 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3817 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3821 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3822 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3823 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3824 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3828 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3829 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3833 @node Topic Topology
3834 @subsection Topic Topology
3835 @cindex topic topology
3838 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3844 2: alt.religion.emacs
3847 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3849 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3850 13: comp.sources.unix
3853 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3854 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3855 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3860 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3861 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3865 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3866 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3867 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3868 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3869 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3870 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3872 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3873 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3874 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3877 @node Topic Parameters
3878 @subsection Topic Parameters
3879 @cindex topic parameters
3881 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3882 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3883 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3885 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3890 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3891 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3892 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3895 @item subscribe-level
3896 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3897 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3898 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3902 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3903 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3904 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3905 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3911 2: alt.religion.emacs
3915 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3917 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3918 13: comp.sources.unix
3922 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3923 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3924 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3925 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3926 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3927 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3929 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3930 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3931 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3932 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3933 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3935 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3936 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3937 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3938 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3939 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3940 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3941 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3942 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3945 @node Misc Group Stuff
3946 @section Misc Group Stuff
3949 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3950 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3951 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3952 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3953 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3960 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3961 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3962 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3966 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3967 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3968 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3969 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3970 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3971 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3972 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3976 @findex gnus-group-mail
3977 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3978 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3979 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3980 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3984 @findex gnus-group-news
3985 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3986 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3987 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3989 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3990 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3991 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3992 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3993 for this to work though.
3997 Variables for the group buffer:
4001 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4002 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4003 is called after the group buffer has been
4006 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4007 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4008 is called after the group buffer is
4009 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4012 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4013 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4014 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4015 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4017 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4018 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4019 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4020 whether they are empty or not.
4022 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4023 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4024 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4025 non-ASCII group names.
4029 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4030 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4033 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4034 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4035 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4036 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4037 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4038 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
4042 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4043 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4048 @node Scanning New Messages
4049 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4050 @cindex new messages
4051 @cindex scanning new news
4057 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4058 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4059 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4060 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4061 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4062 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4067 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4068 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4069 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4070 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4071 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4072 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4073 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4075 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4076 @cindex activating groups
4078 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4079 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4084 @findex gnus-group-restart
4085 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4086 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4087 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4091 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4092 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4094 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4095 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4099 @node Group Information
4100 @subsection Group Information
4101 @cindex group information
4102 @cindex information on groups
4109 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4110 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4113 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4114 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4115 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4116 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4117 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4118 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4119 for fetching the file.
4121 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4122 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4126 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4127 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4129 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4130 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4133 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4134 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4135 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4139 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4140 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4141 @cindex control message
4142 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4143 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4144 group if given a prefix argument.
4146 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-nil, Gnus
4147 will open the control messages in a browser using @code{browse-url}.
4148 Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp} and displayed in an
4151 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4152 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode}
4153 (@pxref{(emacs)Compressed Files}).
4157 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4159 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4160 @cindex describing groups
4161 @cindex group description
4162 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4163 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4164 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4168 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4169 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4170 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4177 @findex gnus-version
4178 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4182 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4183 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4186 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4189 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4190 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4194 @node Group Timestamp
4195 @subsection Group Timestamp
4197 @cindex group timestamps
4199 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4200 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4201 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4204 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4207 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4209 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4210 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4213 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4214 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4217 This will result in lines looking like:
4220 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4221 0: custom 19961002T012713
4224 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4225 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4229 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4230 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4233 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4234 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4238 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4239 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4240 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4241 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4243 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4249 @subsection File Commands
4250 @cindex file commands
4256 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4257 @vindex gnus-init-file
4258 @cindex reading init file
4259 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4260 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4264 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4265 @cindex saving .newsrc
4266 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4267 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4268 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4271 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4272 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4273 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4278 @node Sieve Commands
4279 @subsection Sieve Commands
4280 @cindex group sieve commands
4282 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4283 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4284 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4285 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4286 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4288 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4289 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4290 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4291 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4292 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4293 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4294 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4295 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4296 regenerate the Sieve script.
4298 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4299 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4300 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4301 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4302 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4303 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4304 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4305 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4306 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4307 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4310 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4311 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4316 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4322 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4323 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4324 @cindex generating sieve script
4325 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4326 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4330 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4331 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4332 @cindex updating sieve script
4333 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4334 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4335 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4340 @node Summary Buffer
4341 @chapter Summary Buffer
4342 @cindex summary buffer
4344 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4345 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4347 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4348 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4350 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4353 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4354 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4355 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4356 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4357 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4358 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4359 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4360 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4361 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4362 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4363 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4364 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4365 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4366 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4367 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4368 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4369 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4370 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4371 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4372 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4373 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4374 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4375 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4376 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4377 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4378 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4379 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4380 or reselecting the current group.
4381 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4382 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4383 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4384 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4388 @node Summary Buffer Format
4389 @section Summary Buffer Format
4390 @cindex summary buffer format
4394 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4395 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4396 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4402 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4403 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4404 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4405 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4408 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4409 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4410 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4411 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4412 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4413 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4414 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4415 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4416 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4417 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4418 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4421 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4422 'mail-extract-address-components)
4425 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4426 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4427 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4428 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4431 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4432 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4434 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4435 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4436 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4437 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4438 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4440 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4441 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4442 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4443 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4444 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4445 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4447 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4449 The following format specification characters and extended format
4450 specification(s) are understood:
4456 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4457 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4459 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4460 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4461 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4463 Full @code{From} header.
4465 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4467 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4470 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4471 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4472 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4473 may be more thorough.
4475 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4478 Number of lines in the article.
4480 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4481 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4483 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4484 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4486 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4488 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4491 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4492 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4494 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4495 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4497 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4498 for adopted articles.
4500 One space for each thread level.
4502 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4504 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4507 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4508 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4509 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4512 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4514 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4515 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4516 default level. If the difference between
4517 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4518 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4526 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4528 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4534 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4535 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4537 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4538 article has any children.
4544 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4545 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4547 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4548 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4549 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4550 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4551 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4552 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4555 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4556 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4557 There can only be one such area.
4559 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4560 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4561 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4562 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4563 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4564 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4566 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4567 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4569 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4572 @node To From Newsgroups
4573 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4577 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4578 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4579 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4580 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4581 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4585 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4586 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4587 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4591 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4592 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4595 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4596 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4599 @findex gnus-extra-header
4600 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4601 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4602 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4605 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4609 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4610 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4611 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4612 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4613 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4614 headers are used instead.
4618 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4619 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4620 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4621 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4622 this variable, by entering the server buffer using `^', and then `g' on
4623 the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause regeneration.
4625 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4626 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4627 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4628 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4630 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4634 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4636 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4637 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4638 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4639 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4643 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4646 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4647 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4650 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4651 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4652 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4658 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4659 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4662 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4663 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4665 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4666 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4667 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4668 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4670 Here are the elements you can play with:
4676 Unprefixed group name.
4678 Current article number.
4680 Current article score.
4684 Number of unread articles in this group.
4686 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4689 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4690 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4691 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4692 and no unselected ones.
4694 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4695 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4697 Subject of the current article.
4699 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4701 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4703 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4705 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4707 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4709 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4713 @node Summary Highlighting
4714 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4718 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4719 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4720 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4721 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4722 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4724 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4725 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4726 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4727 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4729 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4730 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4731 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4732 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4734 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4735 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4736 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4737 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4738 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4739 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4742 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4743 ((> score default) . bold))
4745 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4746 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4750 @node Summary Maneuvering
4751 @section Summary Maneuvering
4752 @cindex summary movement
4754 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4755 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4757 None of these commands select articles.
4762 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4763 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4764 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4765 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4766 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4770 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4771 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4772 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4773 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4774 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4777 @kindex G g (Summary)
4778 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4779 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4780 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4783 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4784 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4785 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4786 to the group buffer.
4788 Variables related to summary movement:
4792 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4793 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4794 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4795 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4796 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4797 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4798 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4799 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4800 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4801 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4802 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4803 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4804 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4805 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4807 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4808 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4809 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4810 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4811 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4812 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4813 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4815 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4817 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4818 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4819 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4820 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4821 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4823 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4824 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4825 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4826 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4827 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4828 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4829 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4830 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4833 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4834 the given number of lines from the top.
4839 @node Choosing Articles
4840 @section Choosing Articles
4841 @cindex selecting articles
4844 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4845 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4849 @node Choosing Commands
4850 @subsection Choosing Commands
4852 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4853 and they all select and display an article.
4855 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4856 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4860 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4861 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4862 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4863 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4868 @kindex G n (Summary)
4869 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4870 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4871 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4876 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4877 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4878 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4883 @kindex G N (Summary)
4884 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4885 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4890 @kindex G P (Summary)
4891 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4892 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4895 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4896 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4897 Go to the next article with the same subject
4898 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4901 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4902 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4903 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4904 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4908 @kindex G f (Summary)
4910 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4911 Go to the first unread article
4912 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4916 @kindex G b (Summary)
4918 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4919 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4920 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4921 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4926 @kindex G l (Summary)
4927 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4928 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4931 @kindex G o (Summary)
4932 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4934 @cindex article history
4935 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4936 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4937 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4938 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4939 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4940 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4945 @kindex G j (Summary)
4946 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4947 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4948 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4953 @node Choosing Variables
4954 @subsection Choosing Variables
4956 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4959 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4960 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4961 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4962 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4963 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4964 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4966 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4967 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4968 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4969 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you wish
4970 that the Agent saves all articles you read, putting
4971 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook should do it.
4973 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4974 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4975 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4976 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4977 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4978 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4979 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4980 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4981 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4982 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4983 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4984 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4985 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4986 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4991 @node Paging the Article
4992 @section Scrolling the Article
4993 @cindex article scrolling
4998 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4999 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5000 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5001 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5002 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5005 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5006 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5007 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5010 @kindex RET (Summary)
5011 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5012 Scroll the current article one line forward
5013 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5016 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5017 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5018 Scroll the current article one line backward
5019 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5023 @kindex A g (Summary)
5025 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5026 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5027 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5028 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5029 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5030 the way it came from the server.
5032 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5033 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5034 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5037 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5042 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5047 @kindex A < (Summary)
5048 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5049 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5050 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5055 @kindex A > (Summary)
5056 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5057 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5061 @kindex A s (Summary)
5063 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5064 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5065 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5069 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5070 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5075 @node Reply Followup and Post
5076 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5079 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5080 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5081 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5082 * Canceling and Superseding::
5086 @node Summary Mail Commands
5087 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5089 @cindex composing mail
5091 Commands for composing a mail message:
5097 @kindex S r (Summary)
5099 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5100 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5101 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5102 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5103 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5108 @kindex S R (Summary)
5109 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5110 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5111 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5112 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5113 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5116 @kindex S w (Summary)
5117 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5118 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5119 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5120 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5121 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5124 @kindex S W (Summary)
5125 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5126 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5127 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5128 the process/prefix convention.
5131 @kindex S v (Summary)
5132 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5133 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5134 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5135 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5136 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5137 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5140 @kindex S V (Summary)
5141 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5142 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5143 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5144 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5147 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5148 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5149 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5150 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5153 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5154 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5155 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5156 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5157 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5161 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5162 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5163 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5164 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5165 Forward the current article to some other person
5166 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5167 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5168 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5169 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5170 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5171 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5172 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5173 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5174 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime}
5180 @kindex S m (Summary)
5181 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5182 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5183 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5184 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5185 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5190 @kindex S i (Summary)
5191 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5192 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5193 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5194 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5196 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5197 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5198 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5199 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5200 for this to work though.
5203 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5204 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5205 @cindex bouncing mail
5206 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5207 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5208 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5209 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5210 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5211 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5212 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5213 very well fail, though.
5216 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5217 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5218 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5219 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5220 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5221 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5222 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5223 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5224 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5225 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5227 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5228 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5229 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5230 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5231 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5233 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5234 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5237 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5238 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5239 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5240 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5241 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5244 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5245 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5246 @cindex crossposting
5247 @cindex excessive crossposting
5248 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5249 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5251 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5252 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5253 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5254 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5255 command understands the process/prefix convention
5256 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5260 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5261 Manual}, for more information.
5264 @node Summary Post Commands
5265 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5267 @cindex composing news
5269 Commands for posting a news article:
5275 @kindex S p (Summary)
5276 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5277 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5278 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5279 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5280 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5285 @kindex S f (Summary)
5286 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5287 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5288 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5292 @kindex S F (Summary)
5294 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5295 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5296 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5297 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5298 process/prefix convention.
5301 @kindex S n (Summary)
5302 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5303 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5304 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5307 @kindex S N (Summary)
5308 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5309 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5310 message through mail and include the original message
5311 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5312 the process/prefix convention.
5315 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5316 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5317 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5318 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5319 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5320 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5321 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5322 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5323 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5324 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5325 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5326 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5327 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section.
5330 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5331 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5333 @cindex making digests
5334 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5335 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5336 process/prefix convention.
5339 @kindex S u (Summary)
5340 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5341 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5342 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5343 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5346 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5347 Manual}, for more information.
5350 @node Summary Message Commands
5351 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5355 @kindex S y (Summary)
5356 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5357 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5358 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5359 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5360 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5365 @node Canceling and Superseding
5366 @subsection Canceling Articles
5367 @cindex canceling articles
5368 @cindex superseding articles
5370 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5371 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5373 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5375 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5377 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5378 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5379 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5380 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5381 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5382 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5384 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5385 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5388 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5389 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5390 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5392 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5393 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5394 your original article.
5396 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5398 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5399 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5400 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5403 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5404 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5405 have posted almost the same article twice.
5407 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5408 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5409 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5410 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5411 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5412 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5413 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5414 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5415 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5416 canceled/superseded.
5418 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5420 @node Delayed Articles
5421 @section Delayed Articles
5422 @cindex delayed sending
5423 @cindex send delayed
5425 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5426 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5427 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5428 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5431 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5434 @findex gnus-delay-article
5435 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5436 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5437 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5438 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5442 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5443 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5444 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5445 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5448 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5449 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5450 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5453 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5454 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5455 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5456 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5457 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5458 that means a time tomorrow.
5461 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5462 couple of variables:
5465 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5466 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5467 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5468 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5470 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5471 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5472 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5473 formats described above.
5475 @item gnus-delay-group
5476 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5477 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5478 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5479 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5481 @item gnus-delay-header
5482 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5483 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5484 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5485 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5488 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5489 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5490 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5491 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5492 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5494 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5495 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5496 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5497 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5498 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5499 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5502 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5503 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5504 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5505 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5506 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-nil,
5507 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5508 argument is ignored.
5510 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5511 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5512 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5516 @node Marking Articles
5517 @section Marking Articles
5518 @cindex article marking
5519 @cindex article ticking
5522 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5524 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5525 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5526 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5528 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5531 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5532 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5533 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5537 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5541 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5542 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5543 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5547 @node Unread Articles
5548 @subsection Unread Articles
5550 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5555 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5556 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5558 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5559 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5560 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5561 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5562 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5563 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5564 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5567 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5568 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5570 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5571 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5572 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5573 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5577 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5578 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5580 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5585 @subsection Read Articles
5586 @cindex expirable mark
5588 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5593 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5594 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5595 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5598 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5599 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5602 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5603 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5604 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5607 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5608 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5611 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5612 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5615 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5616 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5619 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5620 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5623 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5624 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5627 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5628 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5631 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5632 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5636 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5637 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5638 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5642 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5643 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5645 One more special mark, though:
5649 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5650 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5652 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5653 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5654 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5655 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5661 @subsection Other Marks
5662 @cindex process mark
5665 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5671 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5672 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5673 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5674 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5675 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5678 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5679 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5680 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5681 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5684 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5685 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5686 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5689 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5690 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5691 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5694 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5695 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5696 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5697 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5700 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5701 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5702 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5703 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5704 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5705 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5708 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5709 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5710 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5711 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5714 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5715 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might not
5716 have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you are
5717 offline (unplugged). These articles get the @samp{@@} mark in the
5718 first column. (The variable @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls
5719 which character to use.)
5722 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5723 The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
5724 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5725 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5726 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5727 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5731 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5732 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5733 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5734 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5735 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5738 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5739 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5740 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5741 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5742 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5743 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5747 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5748 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5749 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5751 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5752 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5753 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5757 @subsection Setting Marks
5758 @cindex setting marks
5760 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5765 @kindex M c (Summary)
5766 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5767 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5768 @cindex mark as unread
5769 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5770 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5776 @kindex M t (Summary)
5777 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5778 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5779 @xref{Article Caching}.
5784 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5785 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5786 Mark the current article as dormant
5787 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5791 @kindex M d (Summary)
5793 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5794 Mark the current article as read
5795 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5799 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5800 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5801 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5806 @kindex M k (Summary)
5807 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5808 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5809 and then select the next unread article
5810 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5814 @kindex M K (Summary)
5815 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5816 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5817 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5818 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5821 @kindex M C (Summary)
5822 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5823 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5824 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5827 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5828 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5829 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5830 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5833 @kindex M H (Summary)
5834 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5835 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5836 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5839 @kindex M h (Summary)
5840 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5841 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5842 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5845 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5846 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5847 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5848 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5851 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5852 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5853 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5854 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5858 @kindex M e (Summary)
5860 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5861 Mark the current article as expirable
5862 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5865 @kindex M b (Summary)
5866 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5867 Set a bookmark in the current article
5868 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5871 @kindex M B (Summary)
5872 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5873 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5874 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5877 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5878 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5879 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5880 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5883 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5884 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5885 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5886 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5889 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5890 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5891 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5892 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5893 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5896 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5897 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5898 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5899 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5900 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5901 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5902 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5903 The default is @code{t}.
5906 @node Generic Marking Commands
5907 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5909 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5910 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5911 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5912 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5913 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5916 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5917 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5920 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5921 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5922 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5923 to list in this manual.
5925 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5926 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5927 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5928 article, you could say something like:
5931 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5932 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5933 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5939 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5940 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5944 @node Setting Process Marks
5945 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5946 @cindex setting process marks
5948 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
5949 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
5950 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
5951 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
5952 commands into the cache. For more information,
5953 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
5960 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5961 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5962 Mark the current article with the process mark
5963 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5964 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5968 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5969 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5970 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5971 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5974 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5975 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5976 Remove the process mark from all articles
5977 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5980 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5981 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5982 Invert the list of process marked articles
5983 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5986 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5987 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5988 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5989 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5992 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5993 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5994 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5995 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5998 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5999 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6000 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6004 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6005 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6008 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6009 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6010 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6011 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6014 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6015 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6016 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6017 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6020 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6021 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6022 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6023 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6026 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6027 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6028 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6031 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6032 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6033 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6034 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6037 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6038 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6039 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6042 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6043 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6044 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6045 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6048 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6049 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6050 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6051 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6054 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6055 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6056 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6057 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6060 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6061 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6062 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6063 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6067 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6068 set process marks based on article body contents.
6075 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6076 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6077 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6080 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6081 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6082 additional articles.
6088 @kindex / / (Summary)
6089 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6090 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6091 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6095 @kindex / a (Summary)
6096 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6097 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6098 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6102 @kindex / x (Summary)
6103 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6104 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6105 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6106 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6111 @kindex / u (Summary)
6113 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6114 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6115 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6116 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6117 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6120 @kindex / m (Summary)
6121 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6122 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6123 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6126 @kindex / t (Summary)
6127 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6128 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6129 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6130 articles younger than that number of days.
6133 @kindex / n (Summary)
6134 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6135 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6136 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6137 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6140 @kindex / w (Summary)
6141 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6142 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6143 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6147 @kindex / . (Summary)
6148 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6149 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6150 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6153 @kindex / v (Summary)
6154 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6155 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6156 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6159 @kindex / p (Summary)
6160 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6161 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6162 group parameter predicate
6163 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6164 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6168 @kindex M S (Summary)
6169 @kindex / E (Summary)
6170 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6171 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6172 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6175 @kindex / D (Summary)
6176 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6177 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6178 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6181 @kindex / * (Summary)
6182 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6183 Include all cached articles in the limit
6184 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6187 @kindex / d (Summary)
6188 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6189 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6190 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6193 @kindex / M (Summary)
6194 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6195 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6198 @kindex / T (Summary)
6199 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6200 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6203 @kindex / c (Summary)
6204 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6205 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6206 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6209 @kindex / C (Summary)
6210 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6211 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6212 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6213 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6216 @kindex / N (Summary)
6217 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6218 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6219 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6222 @kindex / o (Summary)
6223 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6224 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6225 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6233 @cindex article threading
6235 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6236 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6237 hierarchical fashion.
6239 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6240 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6241 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6242 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6243 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6244 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6245 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6247 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6251 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6254 A tree-like article structure.
6257 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6260 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6261 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6262 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6263 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6264 called loose threads.
6266 @item thread gathering
6267 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6269 @item sparse threads
6270 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6271 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6277 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6278 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6282 @node Customizing Threading
6283 @subsection Customizing Threading
6284 @cindex customizing threading
6287 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6288 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6289 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6290 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6295 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6298 @cindex loose threads
6301 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6302 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6303 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6304 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6305 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6306 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6308 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6309 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6310 There are four possible values:
6314 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6315 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6316 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6317 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6318 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6323 @cindex adopting articles
6328 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6329 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6330 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6331 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6334 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6335 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6336 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6337 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6338 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6339 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6340 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6341 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6342 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6343 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to t.
6346 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6347 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6348 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6352 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6353 display them after one another.
6356 Don't gather loose threads.
6359 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6360 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6361 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6362 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6363 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6364 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6365 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6366 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6367 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6368 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6369 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6371 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6372 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6373 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6376 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6377 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6378 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6379 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6380 simplification is used.
6382 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6383 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6384 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6385 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6387 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6389 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6395 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6396 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6397 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6398 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6403 (mapconcat 'identity
6404 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6406 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6409 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6412 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6413 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6414 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6415 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6416 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6417 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6419 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6422 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6423 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6424 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6426 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6427 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6430 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6431 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6432 Remove excessive whitespace.
6434 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6435 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6436 Remove all whitespace.
6439 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6442 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6443 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6444 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6445 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6446 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6447 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6448 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6449 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6451 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6452 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6453 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6454 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6455 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6456 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6457 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6458 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6459 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6463 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6464 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6465 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6466 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6468 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6469 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6470 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6473 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6477 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6478 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6484 @node Filling In Threads
6485 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6488 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6489 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6490 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6491 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6492 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6493 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6494 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6495 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6496 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6497 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6498 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6499 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6502 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6503 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6504 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6506 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6507 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6508 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6509 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6510 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6511 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6512 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6513 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6514 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6515 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6516 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6517 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6518 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6519 @code{nil} by default.
6521 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6522 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6523 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6524 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6525 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6526 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6527 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6529 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6530 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6531 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6536 @node More Threading
6537 @subsubsection More Threading
6540 @item gnus-show-threads
6541 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6542 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6543 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6544 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6545 slower and more awkward.
6547 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6548 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6549 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6552 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6553 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6554 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6559 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6560 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6561 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6564 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6565 unread, but you get my drift.)
6568 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6569 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6570 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6571 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6572 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6573 threads are expunged.
6575 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6576 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6577 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6580 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6581 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6582 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6583 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6584 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6585 result in a new thread.
6587 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6588 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6589 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6592 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6593 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6594 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6595 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6596 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6597 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6598 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6599 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6600 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6601 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6602 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6607 @node Low-Level Threading
6608 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6612 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6613 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6614 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6616 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6617 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6618 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6619 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6620 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6621 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6622 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6623 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6624 meaningful. Here's one example:
6627 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6629 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6630 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6632 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6634 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6641 @node Thread Commands
6642 @subsection Thread Commands
6643 @cindex thread commands
6649 @kindex T k (Summary)
6650 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6651 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6652 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6653 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6654 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6659 @kindex T l (Summary)
6660 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6661 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6662 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6663 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6666 @kindex T i (Summary)
6667 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6668 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6669 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6672 @kindex T # (Summary)
6673 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6674 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6675 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6678 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6679 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6680 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6681 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6684 @kindex T T (Summary)
6685 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6686 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6689 @kindex T s (Summary)
6690 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6691 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6692 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6695 @kindex T h (Summary)
6696 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6697 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6700 @kindex T S (Summary)
6701 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6702 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6705 @kindex T H (Summary)
6706 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6707 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6710 @kindex T t (Summary)
6711 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6712 Re-thread the current article's thread
6713 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6714 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6717 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6718 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6719 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6720 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6724 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6725 understand the numeric prefix.
6730 @kindex T n (Summary)
6732 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6734 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6735 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6736 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6739 @kindex T p (Summary)
6741 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6743 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6744 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6745 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6748 @kindex T d (Summary)
6749 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6750 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6753 @kindex T u (Summary)
6754 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6755 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6758 @kindex T o (Summary)
6759 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6760 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6763 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6764 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6765 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6766 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6767 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6768 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6769 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6770 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6771 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6772 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6773 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6774 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6778 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6779 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6781 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6782 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6783 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6784 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6785 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6786 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6787 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6788 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6789 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6790 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6791 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6792 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6793 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6795 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6796 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6797 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6798 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6799 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6800 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6801 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6802 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6804 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6805 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6806 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6808 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6809 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6810 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6811 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6812 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6813 ascending article order.
6815 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6816 by number, you could do something like:
6819 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6820 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6821 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6822 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6825 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6826 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6827 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6828 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6829 which the articles arrived.
6831 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6835 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6837 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6838 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6841 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6842 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6843 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6844 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6847 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6848 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6849 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6850 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6851 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6852 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6853 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6854 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6855 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6856 variable. It is very similar to the
6857 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6858 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6859 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6860 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6861 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6862 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6863 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6865 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6869 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6870 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6871 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6876 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6877 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6878 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6879 @cindex article pre-fetch
6882 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6883 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6884 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6885 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6886 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6888 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6889 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6891 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6892 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6893 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6894 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6895 connection is blocked.
6897 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6898 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6899 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6900 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6902 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6903 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6904 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6905 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6908 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6911 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6912 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6913 happen automatically.
6915 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6916 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6917 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6918 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6919 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6920 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6921 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6923 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6924 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6925 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6926 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6927 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6928 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6929 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6930 data structure as the only parameter.
6932 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6935 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6936 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6937 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6938 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6941 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6944 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6945 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
6946 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6948 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6949 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6950 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6951 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6955 Remove articles when they are read.
6958 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6961 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6963 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6964 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6965 @c from the next group.
6968 @node Article Caching
6969 @section Article Caching
6970 @cindex article caching
6973 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6974 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6975 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6976 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6977 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6979 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6981 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6982 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6983 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6984 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6985 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6986 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6987 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6988 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6990 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6991 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6992 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6993 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6994 as dormant, and don't worry.
6996 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6998 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6999 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7000 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7001 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7002 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7003 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7004 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7005 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7006 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7007 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7009 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7010 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7011 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7012 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7013 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7014 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
7015 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7016 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7017 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7018 not then be downloaded by this command.
7020 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7021 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7022 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7023 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7024 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7025 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7027 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7028 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7029 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7030 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7031 variables, the group is not cached.
7033 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7034 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7035 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7036 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7037 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7038 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7039 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7040 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
7041 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7044 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7045 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7046 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7047 where, isn't that cool?
7049 @node Persistent Articles
7050 @section Persistent Articles
7051 @cindex persistent articles
7053 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7054 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7055 useful in my opinion.
7057 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7058 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7059 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7060 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7061 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7062 the expiry going on at the news server.
7064 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7065 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7066 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7072 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7073 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7076 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7077 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7078 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7079 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7083 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7085 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7086 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7087 interested in persistent articles:
7090 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7094 @node Article Backlog
7095 @section Article Backlog
7097 @cindex article backlog
7099 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7100 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7101 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7102 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7103 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7104 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7105 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7106 increase memory usage some.
7108 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7109 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7110 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7111 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7112 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7113 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7114 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7116 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
7119 @node Saving Articles
7120 @section Saving Articles
7121 @cindex saving articles
7123 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7124 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7125 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7126 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7127 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7129 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7130 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7131 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7133 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7134 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7135 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7137 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7138 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7139 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7140 deleted before saving.
7146 @kindex O o (Summary)
7148 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7149 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7150 Save the current article using the default article saver
7151 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7154 @kindex O m (Summary)
7155 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7156 Save the current article in mail format
7157 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7160 @kindex O r (Summary)
7161 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7162 Save the current article in rmail format
7163 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7166 @kindex O f (Summary)
7167 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7168 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7169 Save the current article in plain file format
7170 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7173 @kindex O F (Summary)
7174 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7175 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7176 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7179 @kindex O b (Summary)
7180 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7181 Save the current article body in plain file format
7182 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7185 @kindex O h (Summary)
7186 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7187 Save the current article in mh folder format
7188 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7191 @kindex O v (Summary)
7192 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7193 Save the current article in a VM folder
7194 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7198 @kindex O p (Summary)
7200 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7201 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7202 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7203 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7204 complete headers in the piped output.
7207 @kindex O P (Summary)
7208 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7209 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7210 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7211 external program Muttprint (see
7212 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7213 options to use is controlled by the variable
7214 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7218 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7219 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7220 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7221 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7222 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7223 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7224 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7225 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7226 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7227 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7228 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7229 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7233 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7234 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7235 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7236 functions below, or you can create your own.
7240 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7241 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7242 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7243 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7244 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7245 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7246 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7248 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7249 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7250 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7251 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7252 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7253 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7255 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7256 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7257 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7258 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7259 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7260 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7261 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7263 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7264 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7265 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7266 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7267 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7268 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7270 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7271 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7272 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7273 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7274 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7276 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7277 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7278 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7279 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7280 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7283 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7284 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7285 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7286 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7287 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7289 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7290 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7291 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7292 reader to use this setting.
7295 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7296 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7297 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7298 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7301 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7302 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7303 available functions that generate names:
7307 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7308 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7309 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7311 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7312 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7313 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7315 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7316 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7317 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7319 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7320 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7321 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7323 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7324 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7325 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7328 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7329 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7330 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7331 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7332 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7336 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7337 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7338 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7339 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7342 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7343 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7344 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7345 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7346 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7347 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7348 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7349 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7350 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7352 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7353 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7354 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7355 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7357 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7358 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7359 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7362 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7363 lots of mail groups called things like
7364 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7365 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7366 following will do just that:
7369 (defun my-save-name (group)
7370 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7371 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7373 (setq gnus-split-methods
7374 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7379 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7380 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7381 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7382 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7383 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7384 all the files in the top level directory
7385 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7386 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7387 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7388 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7390 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7391 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7392 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7393 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7394 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7397 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7401 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7402 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7403 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7406 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7407 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7408 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7409 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7412 @node Decoding Articles
7413 @section Decoding Articles
7414 @cindex decoding articles
7416 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7417 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7420 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7421 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7422 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7423 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7424 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7425 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7429 @cindex article series
7430 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7431 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7432 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7433 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7434 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7436 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7437 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7438 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7440 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7441 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7442 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7444 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7445 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7446 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7449 @node Uuencoded Articles
7450 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7452 @cindex uuencoded articles
7457 @kindex X u (Summary)
7458 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7459 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7460 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7463 @kindex X U (Summary)
7464 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7465 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7466 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7469 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7470 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7471 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7474 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7475 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7476 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7477 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7481 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7482 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7483 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7484 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7485 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7487 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7488 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7489 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7490 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7493 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7494 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7495 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7496 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7497 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7498 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7502 @node Shell Archives
7503 @subsection Shell Archives
7505 @cindex shell archives
7506 @cindex shared articles
7508 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7509 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7510 some commands to deal with these:
7515 @kindex X s (Summary)
7516 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7517 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7520 @kindex X S (Summary)
7521 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7522 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7525 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7526 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7527 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7530 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7531 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7532 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7533 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7537 @node PostScript Files
7538 @subsection PostScript Files
7544 @kindex X p (Summary)
7545 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7546 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7549 @kindex X P (Summary)
7550 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7551 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7552 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7555 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7556 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7557 View the current PostScript series
7558 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7561 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7562 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7563 View and save the current PostScript series
7564 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7569 @subsection Other Files
7573 @kindex X o (Summary)
7574 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7575 Save the current series
7576 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7579 @kindex X b (Summary)
7580 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7581 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7582 doesn't really work yet.
7586 @node Decoding Variables
7587 @subsection Decoding Variables
7589 Adjective, not verb.
7592 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7593 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7594 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7598 @node Rule Variables
7599 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7600 @cindex rule variables
7602 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7603 variables are of the form
7606 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7613 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7614 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7616 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7617 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7620 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7621 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7624 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7625 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7626 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7627 user and default view rules.
7629 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7630 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7631 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7636 @node Other Decode Variables
7637 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7640 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7642 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7643 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7644 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7645 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7646 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7650 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7651 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7654 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7655 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7656 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7659 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7660 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7661 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7662 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7663 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7666 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7667 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7668 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7670 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7671 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7672 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7673 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7674 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7677 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7678 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7679 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7681 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7682 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7683 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7684 looking for files to display.
7686 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7687 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7688 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7691 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7692 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7693 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7696 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7697 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7698 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7701 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7702 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7703 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7706 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7707 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7708 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7709 decoded articles as unread.
7711 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7712 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7713 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7714 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7716 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7717 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7718 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7720 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7721 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7723 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7724 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7725 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7726 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7728 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7729 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7730 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7731 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7732 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7733 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7734 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7735 simply dropped them.
7740 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7741 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7745 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7746 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7747 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7748 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7749 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7750 for you when you post the article.
7752 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7753 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7754 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7755 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7757 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7758 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7759 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7760 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7761 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7762 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7763 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7765 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7766 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7767 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7768 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7769 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7770 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7771 Default is @code{t}.
7777 @subsection Viewing Files
7778 @cindex viewing files
7779 @cindex pseudo-articles
7781 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7782 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7783 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7784 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7785 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7786 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7787 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7789 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7790 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7791 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7792 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7794 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7795 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7796 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7798 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7799 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7800 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7801 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7802 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7804 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7805 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7806 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7807 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7808 a list of parameters to that command.
7810 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7811 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7812 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7814 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7815 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7816 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7819 @node Article Treatment
7820 @section Article Treatment
7822 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7823 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7824 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7825 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7826 these articles easier.
7829 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7830 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7831 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7832 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7833 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7834 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7835 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7836 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7837 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7838 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7842 @node Article Highlighting
7843 @subsection Article Highlighting
7844 @cindex highlighting
7846 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7847 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7852 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7853 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7854 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7855 Do much highlighting of the current article
7856 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7857 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7860 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7861 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7862 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7863 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7864 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7865 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7866 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7867 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7868 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7869 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7870 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7871 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7874 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7875 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7876 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7878 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7881 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7883 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7884 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7885 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7887 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7888 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7889 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7891 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7892 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7893 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7894 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7895 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7896 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7898 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7899 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7900 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7902 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7903 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7904 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7906 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7907 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7908 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7909 that it's a citation.
7911 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7912 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7913 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7915 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7916 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7917 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7919 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7920 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7921 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7922 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7928 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7929 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7930 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7931 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7932 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7933 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7934 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7935 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7940 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7943 @node Article Fontisizing
7944 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7946 @cindex article emphasis
7948 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7949 @kindex W e (Summary)
7950 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7951 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7952 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7953 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7955 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7956 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7957 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7958 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7959 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7960 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7961 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7962 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7966 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7967 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7968 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7977 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7978 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7979 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7980 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7981 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7982 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7983 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7984 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7985 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7986 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7987 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7988 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7989 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7991 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7992 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7993 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7997 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8000 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8002 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8003 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8004 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8005 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8007 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8010 @node Article Hiding
8011 @subsection Article Hiding
8012 @cindex article hiding
8014 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8015 too much cruft in most articles.
8020 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8021 @findex gnus-article-hide
8022 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8023 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8024 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
8027 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8028 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8029 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8033 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8034 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8035 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8036 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8039 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8040 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8041 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8045 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8046 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8047 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8048 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8049 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8050 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8051 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8052 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8056 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8057 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8058 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8059 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8064 @kindex W W p (Summary)
8065 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
8066 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
8067 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
8068 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
8069 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
8070 articles that have signatures in them do:
8072 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
8074 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
8076 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
8077 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
8079 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
8082 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
8087 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8088 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8089 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8090 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8093 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8094 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8095 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8096 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8099 @cindex stripping advertisements
8100 @cindex advertisements
8101 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8102 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8103 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8104 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8105 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8106 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8107 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8108 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8109 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8110 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8113 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8114 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8115 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8119 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8120 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8121 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8122 @code{(ADDRESS . BANNER)}, where ADDRESS is a regexp matching a mail
8123 address in the From header, BANNER is one of a symbol @code{signature},
8124 an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}, a regexp and @code{nil}.
8125 If ADDRESS matches author's mail address, it will remove things like
8126 advertisements. For example, if a sender has the mail address
8127 @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a banner something like
8128 @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he sends, you can use the
8129 following element to remove them:
8132 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" . "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8138 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8139 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8140 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8141 customizing the hiding:
8145 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8146 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8147 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8148 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8149 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8150 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8151 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8156 Starting point of the hidden text.
8158 Ending point of the hidden text.
8160 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8162 Number of lines of hidden text.
8165 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8166 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8167 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8168 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8169 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8174 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8175 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8177 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8178 following two variables:
8181 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8182 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8183 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8184 50), hide the cited text.
8186 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8187 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8188 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8193 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8194 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8195 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8196 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8197 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8198 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8202 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8203 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8204 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8206 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8207 citation customization.
8209 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8213 @node Article Washing
8214 @subsection Article Washing
8216 @cindex article washing
8218 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8219 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8221 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8222 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8225 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8226 articles by default.
8231 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8232 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8236 @kindex W l (Summary)
8237 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8238 Remove page breaks from the current article
8239 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8243 @kindex W r (Summary)
8244 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8245 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8246 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8247 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8248 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8249 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8251 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8252 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8253 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8254 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8257 @kindex W m (Summary)
8258 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8259 @c @icon{gnus-summary-morse-message}
8260 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8264 @kindex W t (Summary)
8266 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8267 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8268 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8271 @kindex W v (Summary)
8272 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8273 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8274 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8277 @kindex W o (Summary)
8278 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8279 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8282 @kindex W d (Summary)
8283 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8284 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8286 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8288 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8289 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8290 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8291 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8294 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8295 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8296 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8297 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8300 @kindex W k (Summary)
8301 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8302 @cindex Outlook Express
8303 Deuglify broken Outlook (Express) articles and redisplay
8304 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8307 @kindex W w (Summary)
8308 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8309 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8311 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8315 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8316 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8317 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8320 @kindex W C (Summary)
8321 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8322 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8323 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8326 @kindex W c (Summary)
8327 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8328 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8329 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8330 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8331 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8334 @kindex W q (Summary)
8335 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8336 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8337 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8338 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8339 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8340 readable to me. Note that this is usually done automatically by
8341 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8342 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8343 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8346 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8347 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8348 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8349 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8350 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8351 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8352 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8354 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8357 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8358 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8359 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8360 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8361 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8364 @kindex W u (Summary)
8365 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8366 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8367 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8368 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8369 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8372 @kindex W h (Summary)
8373 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8374 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8375 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8376 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8378 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8380 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8381 The default is to use the function specified by
8382 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{(emacs-mime)Display
8383 Customization}) to convert the @sc{html}, but this is controlled by
8384 the @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions
8385 you can use include:
8392 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8396 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8399 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8402 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8407 @kindex W b (Summary)
8408 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8409 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8410 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8413 @kindex W B (Summary)
8414 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8415 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8416 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8419 @kindex W p (Summary)
8420 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8421 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8422 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8423 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8424 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8425 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8426 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8429 @kindex W s (Summary)
8430 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8431 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8432 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8435 @kindex W a (Summary)
8436 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8437 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8438 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8441 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8442 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8443 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8444 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8447 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8448 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8449 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8450 lines with a single empty line.
8451 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8454 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8455 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8456 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8457 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8460 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8461 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8462 Do all the three commands above
8463 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8466 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8467 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8468 Remove all blank lines
8469 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8472 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8473 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8474 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8475 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8478 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8479 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8480 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8481 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8485 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8488 @node Article Header
8489 @subsection Article Header
8491 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8496 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8497 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8498 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8501 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8502 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8503 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8504 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8507 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8508 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8509 Fold all the message headers
8510 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8514 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8515 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8516 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8521 @node Article Buttons
8522 @subsection Article Buttons
8525 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8526 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8527 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8528 button on these references.
8530 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8531 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8532 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links and man pages.
8533 This is controlled by two variables, one that handles article bodies and
8534 one that handles article heads:
8538 @item gnus-button-alist
8539 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8540 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8543 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8549 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8550 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8551 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8552 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8553 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}.
8556 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8557 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8558 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8561 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8562 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8563 avoid false matches.
8566 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8569 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8570 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8574 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8577 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8580 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8581 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8582 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8583 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8584 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8587 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8590 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8592 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8593 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8594 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8595 default values of the variables above.
8597 @item gnus-article-button-face
8598 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8599 Face used on buttons.
8601 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8602 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8603 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8607 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8611 @subsection Article Date
8613 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8614 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8615 when the article was sent.
8620 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8621 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8622 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8623 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8626 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8627 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8629 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8630 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8633 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8634 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8635 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8638 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8639 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8640 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8641 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8644 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8645 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8646 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8647 @findex format-time-string
8648 Display the date using a user-defined format
8649 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8650 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8651 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8652 for a list of possible format specs.
8655 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8656 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8657 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8658 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8659 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8660 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8663 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8666 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8667 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8670 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8671 into wonderful absurdities.
8673 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8676 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8679 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8680 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8684 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8685 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8686 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8687 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8688 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8689 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8690 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8694 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8695 preferred format automatically.
8698 @node Article Display
8699 @subsection Article Display
8704 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
8705 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8707 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8708 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8710 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8711 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8713 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8714 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8716 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8721 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8722 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8723 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8724 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8727 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8728 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8729 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8732 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8733 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8734 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8737 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8738 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8739 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8740 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8743 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8744 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8745 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8746 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8749 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8750 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8751 Remove all images from the article buffer
8752 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8758 @node Article Signature
8759 @subsection Article Signature
8761 @cindex article signature
8763 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8764 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8765 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8766 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8767 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8768 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8769 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8770 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8771 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8774 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8775 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8776 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8777 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8778 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8779 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8780 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8781 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8784 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8787 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8788 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8789 signature when displaying articles.
8793 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8796 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8799 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8800 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8802 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8803 in question is not a signature.
8806 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8807 listed above. Here's an example:
8810 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8811 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8814 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8815 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8816 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8817 signature after all.
8820 @node Article Miscellania
8821 @subsection Article Miscellania
8825 @kindex A t (Summary)
8826 @findex gnus-article-babel
8827 Translate the article from one language to another
8828 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8834 @section MIME Commands
8835 @cindex MIME decoding
8837 @cindex viewing attachments
8839 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8840 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8846 @kindex K v (Summary)
8847 View the @sc{mime} part.
8850 @kindex K o (Summary)
8851 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8854 @kindex K c (Summary)
8855 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8858 @kindex K e (Summary)
8859 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8862 @kindex K i (Summary)
8863 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8866 @kindex K | (Summary)
8867 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8870 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8875 @kindex K b (Summary)
8876 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8877 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8881 @kindex K m (Summary)
8882 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8883 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8884 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8885 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8886 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8889 @kindex X m (Summary)
8890 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8891 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8892 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8893 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8896 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8897 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
8898 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8899 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8902 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8903 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
8904 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8905 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8908 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8909 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
8910 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8911 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8913 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8914 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8915 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8916 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
8917 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
8918 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8921 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8922 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
8923 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8924 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8931 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8932 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8933 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8934 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8937 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8940 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8944 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8945 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8946 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8947 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8948 displayed or this variable is overridden by
8949 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8950 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
8951 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is nil.
8953 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8954 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8955 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8956 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8957 displayed. This variable overrides
8958 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8959 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
8962 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8963 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8964 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
8966 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
8967 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
8968 If this is non-nil, then all @sc{mime} parts get buttons. The default
8969 value is @code{nil}.
8971 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8972 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8973 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8974 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8975 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8976 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8977 save all jpegs into some directory).
8979 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8982 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8983 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8985 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8986 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8987 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8988 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8989 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8992 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8993 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8994 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8996 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8997 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8998 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8999 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9001 Ready-made functions include@*
9002 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9003 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9004 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9005 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9006 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9007 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9008 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9009 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9010 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9011 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9012 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9013 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9015 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9016 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9018 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9019 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9020 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9023 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9024 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9025 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9026 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9030 to your @file{.gnus.el} file.
9039 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
9040 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9041 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
9042 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9043 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9044 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9045 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9047 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9048 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9049 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9050 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9052 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
9053 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9054 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9055 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9056 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9057 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9058 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9059 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9061 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9062 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9063 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
9064 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9065 quoted-printable header encoding.
9067 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9068 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9069 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9073 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9076 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9077 means encode all charsets),
9079 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9080 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9081 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9088 @cindex coding system aliases
9089 @cindex preferred charset
9091 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9093 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9094 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9097 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9098 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9101 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9102 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
9104 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9107 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9110 This will almost do the right thing.
9112 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9116 (codepage-setup 1251)
9117 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9121 @node Article Commands
9122 @section Article Commands
9129 @kindex A P (Summary)
9130 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9131 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9132 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9133 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9134 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9135 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9140 @node Summary Sorting
9141 @section Summary Sorting
9142 @cindex summary sorting
9144 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9145 can't really see why you'd want that.
9150 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9151 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9152 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9155 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9156 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9157 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9160 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9161 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9162 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9165 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9166 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9167 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9170 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9171 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9172 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9175 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9176 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9177 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9180 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9181 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9182 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9185 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9186 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9187 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9190 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9191 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9192 Sort using the default sorting method
9193 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9196 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9197 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9198 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9199 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9200 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9204 @node Finding the Parent
9205 @section Finding the Parent
9206 @cindex parent articles
9207 @cindex referring articles
9212 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9213 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9214 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9215 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9216 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9217 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9218 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9219 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9220 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9222 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9223 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9224 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9225 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9226 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9230 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9231 @kindex A R (Summary)
9232 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9233 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9236 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9237 @kindex A T (Summary)
9238 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9239 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9240 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9241 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9242 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9243 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9244 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9246 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9247 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9248 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9249 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9250 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9251 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9254 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9255 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9257 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9258 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9259 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9260 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9261 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9262 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9263 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9266 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9267 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9268 by giving this command a prefix.
9270 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9271 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9272 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9273 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9274 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9275 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9278 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9279 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9280 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9283 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9284 then ask Google if that fails:
9287 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9289 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9292 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9293 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9294 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9295 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9296 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9297 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9298 support this at all.
9301 @node Alternative Approaches
9302 @section Alternative Approaches
9304 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9305 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9308 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9309 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9314 @subsection Pick and Read
9315 @cindex pick and read
9317 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9318 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9319 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9320 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9322 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9323 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9324 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9325 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9326 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9327 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9329 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9334 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9335 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9336 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9337 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9338 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9339 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9340 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9341 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9344 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9345 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9346 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9347 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9351 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9352 Unpick the thread or article
9353 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9354 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9355 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9356 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9357 the thread or article at that line.
9361 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9362 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9363 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9364 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9365 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9366 will still be visible when you are reading.
9370 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9371 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9372 which is mapped to the same function
9373 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9375 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9378 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9381 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9382 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9384 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9385 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9386 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9388 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9389 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9390 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9391 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9392 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9393 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9394 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9398 @subsection Binary Groups
9399 @cindex binary groups
9401 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9402 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9403 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9404 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9405 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9406 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9407 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9410 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9411 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9412 command, when you have turned on this mode
9413 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9415 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9416 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9420 @section Tree Display
9423 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9424 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9425 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9426 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9429 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9432 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9433 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9434 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9436 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9437 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9438 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9439 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9440 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9442 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9443 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9444 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9445 default is @code{modeline}.
9447 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9448 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9449 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9450 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9451 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9452 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9453 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9459 The name of the poster.
9461 The @code{From} header.
9463 The number of the article.
9465 The opening bracket.
9467 The closing bracket.
9472 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9474 Variables related to the display are:
9477 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9478 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9479 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9480 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9481 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9482 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9484 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9485 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9486 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9487 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9491 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9492 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9493 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9494 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9495 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9496 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9497 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9498 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9499 other windows displayed next to it.
9501 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9505 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9506 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9509 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9510 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9511 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9512 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9513 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9514 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9515 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9519 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9522 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9532 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9536 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9537 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9539 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9541 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9546 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9547 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9548 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9551 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9552 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9553 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9554 (gnus-add-configuration
9558 (summary 0.75 point)
9563 @xref{Window Layout}.
9566 @node Mail Group Commands
9567 @section Mail Group Commands
9568 @cindex mail group commands
9570 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9571 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9573 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9574 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9579 @kindex B e (Summary)
9580 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9581 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9582 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9583 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9584 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9587 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9588 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9589 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9590 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9591 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9592 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9595 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9596 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9597 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9598 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9599 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9600 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9603 @kindex B m (Summary)
9605 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9606 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9607 Move the article from one mail group to another
9608 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9609 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9612 @kindex B c (Summary)
9614 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9615 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9616 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9617 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9618 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9621 @kindex B B (Summary)
9622 @cindex crosspost mail
9623 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9624 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9625 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9626 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9627 be properly updated.
9630 @kindex B i (Summary)
9631 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9632 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9633 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9634 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9637 @kindex B I (Summary)
9638 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9639 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9640 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9641 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9644 @kindex B r (Summary)
9645 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9646 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9647 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9648 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9649 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9650 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9651 (which is the default).
9655 @kindex B w (Summary)
9657 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9658 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9659 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9660 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9661 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9662 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9663 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9666 @kindex B q (Summary)
9667 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9668 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9669 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9670 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9673 @kindex B t (Summary)
9674 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9675 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9676 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9679 @kindex B p (Summary)
9680 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9681 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9682 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9683 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9684 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9685 article from your news server (or rather, from
9686 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9687 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9688 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9689 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9690 just not have arrived yet.
9693 @kindex K E (Summary)
9694 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9695 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9696 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9697 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9698 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9702 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9703 @cindex moving articles
9704 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9705 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9706 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9707 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9708 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9709 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9710 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9713 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9714 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9715 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9716 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9720 @node Various Summary Stuff
9721 @section Various Summary Stuff
9724 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9725 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9726 * Summary Generation Commands::
9727 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9731 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9732 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9733 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9735 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9736 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9737 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9738 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9739 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9740 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9743 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9744 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9745 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9746 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9747 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9749 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9750 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9751 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9754 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9755 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9756 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9757 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9758 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9759 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9760 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
9761 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9762 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9763 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9765 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9766 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9767 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9768 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9769 list of articles to be selected.
9771 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9772 the list in one particular group:
9775 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9776 (if (string= group "some.group")
9777 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9781 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9782 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9783 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9784 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9785 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9786 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9787 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9788 buffers. For example:
9791 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9792 '(message-use-followup-to
9793 (gnus-visible-headers .
9794 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9800 @node Summary Group Information
9801 @subsection Summary Group Information
9806 @kindex H f (Summary)
9807 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9808 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9809 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9810 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9811 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9812 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9813 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9814 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9815 be used for fetching the file.
9818 @kindex H d (Summary)
9819 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9820 Give a brief description of the current group
9821 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9822 rereading the description from the server.
9825 @kindex H h (Summary)
9826 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9827 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9828 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9831 @kindex H i (Summary)
9832 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9833 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9837 @node Searching for Articles
9838 @subsection Searching for Articles
9843 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9844 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9845 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9846 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9849 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9850 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9851 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9852 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9856 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9857 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9858 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9859 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9860 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9861 search backward instead.
9863 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9864 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9867 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9868 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9869 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9870 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9873 @node Summary Generation Commands
9874 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9879 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9880 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9881 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9884 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9885 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9886 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9887 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9890 @kindex Y d (Summary)
9891 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
9892 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9893 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
9898 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9899 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9905 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9906 @kindex A D (Summary)
9907 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9908 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9909 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9910 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9911 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9912 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9913 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9914 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9918 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9919 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9920 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9921 several documents into one biiig group
9922 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9923 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9924 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9925 command understands the process/prefix convention
9926 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9929 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9930 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9931 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9932 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9933 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9934 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9938 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9939 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9940 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9943 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9944 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9945 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9946 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9949 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9950 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9951 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9952 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9957 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9958 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9959 @cindex summary exit
9960 @cindex exiting groups
9962 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9963 group and return you to the group buffer.
9969 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9971 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9972 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9973 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9974 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9975 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9976 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9977 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9978 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9979 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9980 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9981 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9985 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9987 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9988 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9989 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9993 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9995 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9996 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9997 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9998 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10001 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10002 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10003 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10004 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10007 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10008 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10009 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10010 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10013 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10014 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10015 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10016 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10017 all articles, both read and unread.
10021 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10022 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10023 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10024 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10025 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10026 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10027 articles, both read and unread.
10030 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10031 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10032 Exit the group and go to the next group
10033 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10036 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10037 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10038 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10039 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10042 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10043 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10044 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10045 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10046 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10047 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10050 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10051 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10052 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10053 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10055 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10056 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10057 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10058 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10059 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10060 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10061 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10062 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10063 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10064 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10065 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10066 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10068 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10070 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10071 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10072 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10073 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10074 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10075 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10076 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10077 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10078 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10081 @node Crosspost Handling
10082 @section Crosspost Handling
10086 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10087 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10088 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10089 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10090 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10091 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10094 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10095 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10096 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10097 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10098 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10100 @cindex cross-posting
10103 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10104 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
10105 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10106 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
10107 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10108 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10109 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10110 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10111 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10112 the cross reference mechanism.
10114 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10115 @cindex overview.fmt
10116 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10117 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10118 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10119 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10120 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10121 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10124 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10125 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10126 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10131 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10134 @node Duplicate Suppression
10135 @section Duplicate Suppression
10137 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10138 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10139 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10140 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10145 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10146 is evil and not very common.
10149 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10150 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10153 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10154 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10157 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10160 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10161 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10163 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10164 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10165 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10166 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10167 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10168 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10169 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10172 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10173 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10174 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10175 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10176 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10177 saw the article in.
10180 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10181 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10182 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10184 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10185 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10186 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10187 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10188 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10189 session are suppressed.
10191 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10192 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10193 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10194 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10196 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10197 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10198 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10199 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10202 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10203 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10204 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10205 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10206 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10207 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10208 to you to figure out, I think.
10213 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10214 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10215 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10219 To handle PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or gpg.el as
10220 well as a OpenPGP implementation (such as GnuPG).
10223 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10224 or newer is recommended.
10228 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10229 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10232 @item mm-verify-option
10233 @vindex mm-verify-option
10234 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10235 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10236 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10238 @item mm-decrypt-option
10239 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10240 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10241 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10242 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10247 @section Mailing List
10249 @kindex A M (summary)
10250 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10251 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10252 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10253 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10254 summary buffer, or say:
10257 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
10260 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10265 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10266 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10267 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10270 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10271 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10272 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10275 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10276 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10277 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10281 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10282 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10283 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10286 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10287 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10288 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10291 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10292 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10293 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10297 @node Article Buffer
10298 @chapter Article Buffer
10299 @cindex article buffer
10301 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10302 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10303 tell Gnus otherwise.
10306 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10307 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10308 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10309 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10310 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10314 @node Hiding Headers
10315 @section Hiding Headers
10316 @cindex hiding headers
10317 @cindex deleting headers
10319 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10320 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10322 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10323 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10324 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10325 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10326 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10327 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10328 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10329 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10330 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10332 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10336 @item gnus-visible-headers
10337 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10338 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10339 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10340 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10342 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10343 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10346 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10349 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10352 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10353 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10354 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10355 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10356 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10357 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10359 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10360 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10363 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10366 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10369 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10370 variable will have no effect.
10374 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10375 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10376 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10377 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10378 the headers are to be displayed.
10380 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10381 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10384 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10387 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10388 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10390 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10391 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10392 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10393 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10394 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10395 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10396 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10399 These conditions are:
10402 Remove all empty headers.
10404 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10405 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10407 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10408 @code{From} header.
10410 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10413 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10414 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10416 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10419 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10421 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10424 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10427 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10428 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10431 This is also the default value for this variable.
10435 @section Using MIME
10438 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10439 while people stand around yawning.
10441 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10442 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10444 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10445 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10446 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10448 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10449 @findex gnus-display-mime
10450 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10451 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10452 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10453 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
10455 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10459 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10460 @item RET (Article)
10461 @kindex RET (Article)
10462 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10463 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
10464 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If builtin viewers can not display
10465 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10466 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10467 object is displayed inline.
10469 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10470 @item M-RET (Article)
10471 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10473 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10474 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10476 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10478 @kindex t (Article)
10479 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10480 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10482 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10484 @kindex C (Article)
10485 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10486 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10488 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10490 @kindex o (Article)
10491 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10492 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10494 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10495 @item C-o (Article)
10496 @kindex C-o (Article)
10497 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10498 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10499 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10500 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10501 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10502 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10504 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10506 @kindex c (Article)
10507 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10508 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
10510 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10512 @kindex p (Article)
10513 Print the @sc{mime} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10514 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10515 @file{.mailcap} file.
10517 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10519 @kindex i (Article)
10520 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10521 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10522 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10523 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10524 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10527 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10529 @kindex E (Article)
10530 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10531 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10532 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10534 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10536 @kindex e (Article)
10537 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10538 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10540 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10542 @kindex | (Article)
10543 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10545 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10547 @kindex . (Article)
10548 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10549 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10553 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10554 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10557 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10558 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10559 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10560 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10561 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10562 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10563 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10564 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10565 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10567 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10569 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10572 @node Customizing Articles
10573 @section Customizing Articles
10574 @cindex article customization
10576 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10577 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10578 called automatically when you select the articles.
10580 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10581 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10582 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10583 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10585 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10586 for sensible values.
10590 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10593 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10596 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10599 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10602 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10606 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10607 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10608 regexps in the list.
10611 A list where the first element is not a string:
10613 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10614 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10615 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10619 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10624 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10625 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10626 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10627 considered to contain just a single part.
10629 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10630 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10631 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10632 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10633 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10634 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10635 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10637 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10638 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10639 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10640 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10643 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10644 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10646 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10648 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10649 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10650 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10651 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10652 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10653 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10654 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10655 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10656 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10657 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10658 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
10660 @xref{Article Washing}.
10662 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10663 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10664 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10665 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10666 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10667 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10668 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10670 @xref{Article Date}.
10672 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10673 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10674 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10678 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10680 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10682 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10683 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10684 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10688 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10692 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10693 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10694 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10695 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10696 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10697 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10698 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10699 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10701 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10703 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10704 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10705 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10707 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10709 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10710 @item gnus-treat-translate
10711 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10713 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10714 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10715 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10716 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10718 @xref{Article Header}.
10723 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10724 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10725 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10726 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10727 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10731 @node Article Keymap
10732 @section Article Keymap
10734 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10735 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10736 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10737 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10740 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10745 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10746 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10747 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10750 @kindex DEL (Article)
10751 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10752 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10755 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10756 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10757 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10758 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10759 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10762 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10763 @findex gnus-article-mail
10764 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10765 given a prefix, include the mail.
10768 @kindex s (Article)
10769 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10770 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10771 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10774 @kindex ? (Article)
10775 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10776 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10777 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10780 @kindex TAB (Article)
10781 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10782 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10783 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10786 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10787 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10788 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10791 @kindex R (Article)
10792 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10793 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10794 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10795 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10799 @kindex F (Article)
10800 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10801 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10802 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10803 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10811 @section Misc Article
10815 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10816 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10817 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10818 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10821 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10822 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10824 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10825 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10827 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10828 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10829 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10830 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10831 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10832 the contents of the article buffer.
10834 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10835 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10836 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10838 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10839 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10840 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10841 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10843 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10844 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10845 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10846 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10847 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10853 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10854 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10855 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10860 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10863 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10866 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10867 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10868 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10871 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10874 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10877 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10882 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10886 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10888 @item gnus-break-pages
10889 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10890 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10891 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10892 paging will not be done.
10894 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10895 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10896 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10901 @node Composing Messages
10902 @chapter Composing Messages
10903 @cindex composing messages
10906 @cindex sending mail
10911 @cindex using s/mime
10912 @cindex using smime
10914 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10915 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10916 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10917 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10918 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10919 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10922 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10923 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
10924 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10925 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10926 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10927 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10928 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10929 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10932 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10933 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10939 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10942 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10943 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10944 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10945 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
10946 @code{nil} include all headers.
10948 @item gnus-add-to-list
10949 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10950 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10951 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10953 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10954 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10955 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus requests confirmation when replying to news.
10956 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
10957 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
10962 @node Posting Server
10963 @section Posting Server
10965 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10966 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10968 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10970 It can be quite complicated.
10972 @vindex gnus-post-method
10973 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
10974 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
10975 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
10976 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
10977 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
10978 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
10979 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
10980 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
10981 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10984 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10987 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10988 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10989 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10990 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10992 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10993 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10995 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10996 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10999 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11000 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11002 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11003 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11004 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11005 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11006 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
11007 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11008 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11009 package correctly. An example:
11012 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11013 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11016 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
11017 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
11018 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11020 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11021 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11022 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11024 @node Mail and Post
11025 @section Mail and Post
11027 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11031 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11032 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11033 @cindex mailing lists
11035 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11036 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
11037 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11038 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11039 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11040 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11041 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11042 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11043 still a pain, though.
11047 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11048 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11049 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11052 @findex ispell-message
11054 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11057 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11058 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11061 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11065 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11066 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11068 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11071 Modify to suit your needs.
11074 @node Archived Messages
11075 @section Archived Messages
11076 @cindex archived messages
11077 @cindex sent messages
11079 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11080 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11081 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11082 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11085 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11086 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11089 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11090 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11091 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11094 (nnfolder "archive"
11095 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11096 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11097 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11098 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11101 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11102 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11103 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11104 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11107 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11108 '(nnfolder "archive"
11109 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11110 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11111 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11114 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11116 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11117 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11118 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11120 This variable can be used to do the following:
11125 Messages will be saved in that group.
11127 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11128 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11129 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11130 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11131 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11132 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11133 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11134 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11138 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11140 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11141 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11144 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11149 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11151 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11154 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11156 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11159 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11161 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11162 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11163 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11164 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11167 More complex stuff:
11169 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11170 '((if (message-news-p)
11175 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11176 messages in one file per month:
11179 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11180 '((if (message-news-p)
11182 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11185 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11186 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11188 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11189 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11190 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11191 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11192 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11193 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11194 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11195 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11196 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11197 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11199 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11200 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11201 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11202 this will disable archiving.
11205 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11206 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11207 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11208 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11209 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11212 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11213 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11214 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11217 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11218 but the latter is the preferred method.
11220 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11221 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11222 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11224 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11225 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11226 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11227 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11228 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11229 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11230 changed in the future.
11235 @node Posting Styles
11236 @section Posting Styles
11237 @cindex posting styles
11240 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11242 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11243 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11244 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11247 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11248 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11249 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11250 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11251 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11256 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11257 (organization "What me?"))
11259 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11260 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11261 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11264 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11265 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11266 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11267 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11268 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11269 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11270 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11271 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11273 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11274 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11275 If it is the form @code{(header MATCH REGEXP)}, then Gnus will look in
11276 the original article for a header whose name is MATCH and compare that
11277 REGEXP. MATCH and REGEXP are strings. (There original article is the
11278 one you are replying or following up to. If you are not composing a
11279 reply or a followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11280 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with no
11281 arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11282 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11283 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
11286 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11287 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11288 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11289 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11290 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11291 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11292 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11293 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11294 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11295 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11298 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11299 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11300 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11301 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11302 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11303 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11304 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11305 references chars lines xref extra.
11307 @vindex message-reply-headers
11309 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11310 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11311 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11313 @findex message-mail-p
11314 @findex message-news-p
11316 So here's a new example:
11319 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11321 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11323 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11324 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11326 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11327 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11328 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11329 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11330 (signature my-news-signature))
11331 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11332 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11333 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11334 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11335 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11336 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11337 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11338 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11339 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11340 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11342 (From (save-excursion
11343 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11344 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11346 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11349 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11350 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11351 if you fill many roles.
11358 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11359 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11360 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11361 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11362 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11364 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11365 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11366 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11367 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11368 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11372 @vindex nndraft-directory
11373 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11374 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11375 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11376 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11377 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11378 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11380 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11381 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11384 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11385 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11386 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11387 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11388 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11389 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11390 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11391 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11392 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11393 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11394 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11395 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11396 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11397 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11399 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11400 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11401 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11403 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11404 @kindex D e (Draft)
11405 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11406 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11407 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11409 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11412 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11413 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11414 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11415 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11416 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11417 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11418 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11421 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11422 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11423 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11426 @node Rejected Articles
11427 @section Rejected Articles
11428 @cindex rejected articles
11430 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11431 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11432 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11433 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11435 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11436 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11437 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11438 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11439 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11441 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11442 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11443 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11445 @node Signing and encrypting
11446 @section Signing and encrypting
11448 @cindex using s/mime
11449 @cindex using smime
11451 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11452 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11453 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11454 (@pxref{Security}).
11456 For PGP, Gnus supports two external libraries, @sc{gpg.el} and
11457 @sc{Mailcrypt}, you need to install at least one of them. The
11458 @sc{s/mime} support in Gnus requires the external program OpenSSL.
11460 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11461 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11462 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11463 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11464 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11465 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11466 automatically encrypted messages.
11468 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11469 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11470 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11475 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11476 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11478 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11481 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11482 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11484 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11487 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11488 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11490 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11493 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11494 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11496 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11499 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11500 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11502 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11505 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11506 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11508 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11511 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11512 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11513 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11517 Also @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}.
11519 @node Select Methods
11520 @chapter Select Methods
11521 @cindex foreign groups
11522 @cindex select methods
11524 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11525 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11526 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11527 personal mail group.
11529 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11530 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11531 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11532 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11533 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11534 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11536 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11537 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11539 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11542 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11543 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11544 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11545 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11546 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11548 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11551 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11552 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11553 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11554 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11555 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11556 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11557 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11558 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11562 @node Server Buffer
11563 @section Server Buffer
11565 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11566 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11567 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11568 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11569 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11570 back end represents a virtual server.
11572 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11573 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11574 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11575 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11577 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11578 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11579 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11580 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11581 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11582 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11583 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11585 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11586 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11589 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11590 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11591 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11592 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11593 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11594 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11595 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11598 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11599 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11602 @node Server Buffer Format
11603 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11604 @cindex server buffer format
11606 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11607 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11608 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11609 variable, with some simple extensions:
11614 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11617 The name of this server.
11620 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11623 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11626 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11627 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11628 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11629 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11639 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11642 @node Server Commands
11643 @subsection Server Commands
11644 @cindex server commands
11650 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11651 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11655 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11656 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11659 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11660 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11661 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11665 @findex gnus-server-exit
11666 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11670 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11671 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11675 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11676 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11680 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11681 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11685 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11686 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11690 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11691 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11692 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11697 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11698 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11699 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11700 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11705 @node Example Methods
11706 @subsection Example Methods
11708 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11711 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11714 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11720 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11721 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11724 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11725 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11727 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11728 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11732 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11735 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11736 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11738 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11739 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11740 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11744 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11747 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11750 Here's the method for a public spool:
11754 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11755 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11761 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11762 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11763 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11764 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11765 should probably look something like this:
11769 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11770 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11771 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11772 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11775 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11776 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11777 configuration to the example above:
11780 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11783 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
11785 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11786 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11787 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11791 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11792 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11793 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11794 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11797 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11798 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11799 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11800 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11803 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11804 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11806 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11807 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11809 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11810 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11811 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11813 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11815 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11816 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11817 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11818 will contain the following:
11828 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11829 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11830 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11833 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11834 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11835 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11838 @node Server Variables
11839 @subsection Server Variables
11841 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11842 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11843 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11844 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11845 won't change the "derived" variables.
11847 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11848 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11849 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11850 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11851 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11852 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11853 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11854 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11855 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11859 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11860 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11861 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11865 @node Servers and Methods
11866 @subsection Servers and Methods
11868 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11869 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11870 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11871 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11875 @node Unavailable Servers
11876 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11878 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11879 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11880 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11881 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11882 actually the case or not.
11884 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11885 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11886 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11887 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11888 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11889 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11890 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11891 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11893 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11894 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11896 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11897 with the following commands:
11903 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11904 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11905 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11909 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11910 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11911 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11915 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11916 Mark the current server as unreachable
11917 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11920 @kindex M-o (Server)
11921 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11922 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11923 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11926 @kindex M-c (Server)
11927 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11928 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11929 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11933 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11934 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11935 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11939 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
11940 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
11946 @section Getting News
11947 @cindex reading news
11948 @cindex news back ends
11950 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11951 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11952 or it can read from a local spool.
11955 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11956 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11964 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11965 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11966 server as the, uhm, address.
11968 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11969 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11970 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11971 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11973 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11974 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11975 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11977 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11982 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11983 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11984 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11986 @cindex authentification
11987 @cindex nntp authentification
11988 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11989 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11990 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11991 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11992 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11993 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11994 present in this hook.
11996 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11997 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11998 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11999 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12000 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
12001 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12002 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12003 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12004 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12005 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12006 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12007 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12011 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12014 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12016 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12017 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12018 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12019 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12020 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12021 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12022 @samp{force} is explained below.
12026 Here's an example file:
12029 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12030 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12033 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12034 have to be first, for instance.
12036 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12037 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12038 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12039 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12040 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12041 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12042 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12044 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12045 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12051 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12052 previously mentioned.
12054 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12056 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12057 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12058 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12059 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12060 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12063 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12064 '(("innd" (ding))))
12067 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12069 The default value is
12072 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12073 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12074 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12077 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12078 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12080 @item nntp-maximum-request
12081 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12082 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
12083 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12084 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12085 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12086 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12087 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12089 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12090 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12091 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12092 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
12093 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12094 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12095 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12096 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12097 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12098 no timeouts are done.
12100 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12101 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12102 @c @cindex PPP connections
12103 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12104 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12105 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12106 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
12107 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12108 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12109 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12110 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12111 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12112 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12114 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12115 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12116 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12117 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12118 @c described above.
12120 @item nntp-server-hook
12121 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12122 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
12125 @item nntp-buggy-select
12126 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12127 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12129 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12130 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12131 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
12132 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
12135 @item nntp-xover-commands
12136 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12139 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
12140 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12144 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12145 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
12146 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12147 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12148 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
12149 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12150 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12151 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12152 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12153 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12154 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12156 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12157 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12158 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
12160 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12161 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12162 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12163 server closes connection.
12165 @item nntp-record-commands
12166 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12167 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12168 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12169 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12170 that doesn't seem to work.
12172 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12173 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12174 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12175 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12176 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12177 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12178 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12179 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12181 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12182 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12183 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12184 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12185 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12186 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12187 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12190 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12193 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12194 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12198 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12199 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12200 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12204 @node Direct Functions
12205 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12206 @cindex direct connection functions
12208 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12209 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12210 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12211 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12214 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12215 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12216 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12219 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12220 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12221 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12222 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12223 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
12224 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
12225 define a server as follows:
12228 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
12230 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12231 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports
12233 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12234 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12235 (nntp-port-number 563)
12236 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12239 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12240 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12241 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12242 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12243 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12244 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12245 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12246 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12250 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12251 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12252 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12255 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12256 session, which is not a good idea.
12260 @node Indirect Functions
12261 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12262 @cindex indirect connection functions
12264 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12265 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12266 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12267 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
12268 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12269 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12272 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12273 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12274 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12275 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12276 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12278 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12281 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12282 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12283 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12284 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12286 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12287 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12288 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12289 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12290 @samp{ssh} for `nntp-via-rlogin-command', you may set this to
12291 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12292 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12293 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12296 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12297 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12298 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12299 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12301 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12304 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12305 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12306 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12309 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12310 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12311 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12312 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12314 @item nntp-via-user-password
12315 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12316 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12318 @item nntp-via-envuser
12319 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12320 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12321 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12322 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12324 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12325 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12326 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12327 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12334 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12339 @item nntp-via-user-name
12340 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12341 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12343 @item nntp-via-address
12344 @vindex nntp-via-address
12345 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12350 @node Common Variables
12351 @subsubsection Common Variables
12353 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12354 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12359 @item nntp-pre-command
12360 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12361 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
12362 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
12363 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
12364 wrapper for instance.
12367 @vindex nntp-address
12368 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12370 @item nntp-port-number
12371 @vindex nntp-port-number
12372 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
12373 If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12374 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews}), because
12375 external SSL tools may not work with named ports.
12377 @item nntp-end-of-line
12378 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12379 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12380 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12381 using a non native connection function.
12383 @item nntp-telnet-command
12384 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12385 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12386 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12387 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12389 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12390 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12391 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12398 @subsection News Spool
12402 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12403 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12404 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12407 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12408 anything else) as the address.
12410 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12411 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12412 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12413 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12417 @item nnspool-inews-program
12418 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12419 Program used to post an article.
12421 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12422 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12423 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12425 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12426 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12427 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12428 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12430 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12431 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12432 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12433 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12435 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12436 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12437 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12439 @item nnspool-active-file
12440 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12441 The path to the active file.
12443 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12444 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12445 The path to the group descriptions file.
12447 @item nnspool-history-file
12448 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12449 The path to the news history file.
12451 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12452 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12453 The path to the active date file.
12455 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12456 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12457 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12460 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12461 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12463 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12464 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12465 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12471 @section Getting Mail
12472 @cindex reading mail
12475 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12479 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12480 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12481 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12482 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12483 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12484 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12485 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12486 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12487 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12488 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12489 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12490 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12491 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12495 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12496 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12498 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12499 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12500 of a culture shock.
12502 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12503 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12505 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12506 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12507 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12508 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12510 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12512 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12513 deleted? How awful!
12515 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12516 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12517 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12518 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12521 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12522 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12523 they want to treat a message.
12525 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12526 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12527 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12528 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12529 archived somewhere else.
12531 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12532 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12533 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12534 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12535 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12537 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12538 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12539 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12541 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12542 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12545 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12546 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12547 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12548 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12549 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12551 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12552 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12553 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12554 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12555 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12556 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12560 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12561 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12563 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12564 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12565 and things will happen automatically.
12567 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12568 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
12571 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12574 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12575 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12576 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12577 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12578 like any other group.
12580 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12583 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12584 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12585 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12589 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12590 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12591 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12594 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12595 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12596 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12599 @node Splitting Mail
12600 @subsection Splitting Mail
12601 @cindex splitting mail
12602 @cindex mail splitting
12604 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12605 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12606 to be split into groups.
12609 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12610 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12611 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12612 ("mail.other" "")))
12615 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12616 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12617 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12618 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12619 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12620 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12621 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12624 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12627 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12628 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12629 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12630 mail belongs in that group.
12632 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12633 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12634 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12635 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12636 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12637 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12639 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12640 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12641 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12642 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12643 thinks should carry this mail message.
12645 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12646 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12647 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12648 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12650 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12651 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12652 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12653 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12654 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12656 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12659 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12660 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12661 links. If that's the case for you, set
12662 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12663 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12665 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12666 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12667 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12668 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12669 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12670 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12673 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12674 Header lines longer than the value of
12675 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12678 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
12679 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
12680 By default the splitting codes MIME decodes headers so you can match
12681 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
12682 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
12683 can be turned off completely by binding
12684 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
12685 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
12687 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12688 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If
12689 you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
12690 @code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
12691 splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
12692 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
12693 happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on other kinds
12696 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12697 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12698 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12699 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12700 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12701 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12702 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12703 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12704 month's rent money.
12708 @subsection Mail Sources
12710 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12711 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12715 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12716 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12717 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12721 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12722 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12724 @cindex mail server
12727 @cindex mail source
12729 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12730 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12735 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12738 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12739 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12740 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12743 The following mail source types are available:
12747 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12753 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12754 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
12755 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
12758 An example file mail source:
12761 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12764 Or using the default path:
12770 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12771 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12772 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12775 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12779 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12782 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12786 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12789 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12791 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12794 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12798 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
12799 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
12800 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. That is,
12801 there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that directory and
12802 groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in
12803 the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12804 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12805 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
12806 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
12807 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12809 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12810 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
12811 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
12812 to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
12818 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12822 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12826 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12827 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12828 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12829 predicate are considered.
12833 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12837 An example directory mail source:
12840 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12845 Get mail from a POP server.
12851 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12852 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12855 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12856 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12857 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12858 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12859 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12862 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12866 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12870 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12871 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12874 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12877 The valid format specifier characters are:
12881 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12882 included in this string.
12885 The name of the server.
12888 The port number of the server.
12891 The user name to use.
12894 The password to use.
12897 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12898 corresponding keywords.
12901 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12902 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12905 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12906 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12909 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12910 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12913 @item :authentication
12914 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12915 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12920 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12921 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12923 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12924 default user name, and default fetcher:
12930 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12933 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12934 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12937 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
12940 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
12944 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
12945 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
12946 contains exactly one mail.
12952 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
12953 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
12956 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
12957 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
12959 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
12960 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
12961 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
12964 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
12965 from locking problems).
12969 Two example maildir mail sources:
12972 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
12973 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
12977 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
12982 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
12983 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
12984 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
12985 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
12988 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
12989 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
12995 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
12996 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12999 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13000 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
13003 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
13007 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
13011 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13012 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13013 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
13014 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13016 @item :authentication
13017 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13018 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13019 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13020 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13023 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13024 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
13025 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13031 The valid format specifier characters are:
13035 The name of the server.
13038 User name from `imap-default-user'.
13041 The port number of the server.
13044 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13045 corresponding keywords.
13048 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13049 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13052 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13053 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13054 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
13055 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13056 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13057 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13060 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13061 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13062 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13063 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13066 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
13067 after finishing the fetch.
13071 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
13074 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13076 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13080 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13081 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13082 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
13084 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13085 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13087 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13093 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13094 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13097 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13101 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13105 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
13106 folder after finishing the fetch.
13110 An example webmail source:
13113 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13115 :password "secret")
13120 @item Common Keywords
13121 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13127 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
13128 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
13132 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13137 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13138 useful when you use local mail and news.
13143 @subsubsection Function Interface
13145 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13146 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13147 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13148 consider the following mail-source setting:
13151 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13152 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13155 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13156 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13157 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13158 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13159 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13161 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13164 @node Mail Source Customization
13165 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13167 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13168 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13172 @item mail-source-crash-box
13173 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13174 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13175 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13177 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13178 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13179 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
13181 @item mail-source-directory
13182 @vindex mail-source-directory
13183 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13184 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13185 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13188 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13189 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13190 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13191 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13192 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13193 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13195 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13196 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13197 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13199 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13200 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13201 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13202 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13207 @node Fetching Mail
13208 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13210 @vindex mail-sources
13211 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13212 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13213 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13214 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13216 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13217 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13220 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13221 mail server, you'd say something like:
13226 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13227 :password "secret")))
13230 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13234 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13235 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13238 :password "secret")))
13242 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13243 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13244 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13245 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13246 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13247 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13251 @node Mail Back End Variables
13252 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13254 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13258 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13259 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13260 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13261 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13263 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13264 @item nnmail-split-hook
13265 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
13266 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13267 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13268 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13269 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13270 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13271 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13272 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13273 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13276 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13277 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13278 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13279 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13280 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13281 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13282 starting to handle the new mail) and
13283 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13284 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13285 default file modes the new mail files get:
13288 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13289 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13291 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13292 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13295 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13296 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13297 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13298 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13299 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13300 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13301 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13303 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13304 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13305 @findex delete-file
13306 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13308 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13309 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13310 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13311 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13312 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13314 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13315 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13316 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13317 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13318 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13320 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13321 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13322 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13327 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13328 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13329 @cindex mail splitting
13330 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13332 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13333 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13334 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13335 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13336 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13337 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13339 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13342 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13343 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13344 ;; from real errors.
13345 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13347 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13348 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13349 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13350 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13351 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13352 ;; Other mailing lists...
13353 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13354 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13355 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13356 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13357 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13358 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13359 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13360 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13362 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13363 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13367 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13368 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13369 the five possible split syntaxes:
13374 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13375 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13379 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13380 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13381 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13382 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13383 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13384 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13385 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13386 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13389 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13390 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13391 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13392 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13395 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13396 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13399 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13400 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13403 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13404 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13405 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13406 function should return a @var{split}.
13409 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13410 body of the messages:
13413 (defun split-on-body ()
13415 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13416 (goto-char (point-min))
13417 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13421 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13422 when the @code{:} function is run.
13425 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13426 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
13427 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
13431 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13435 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13436 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13437 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13438 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13439 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13441 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13442 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13443 are expanded as specified by the variable
13444 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13445 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13448 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13449 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13450 when all this splitting is performed.
13452 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13453 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13454 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13457 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13460 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13461 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13463 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13464 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13465 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13466 groupings 1 through 9.
13468 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13469 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13470 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13471 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13472 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13473 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13474 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13475 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13476 it once per thread.
13478 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13479 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13480 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13483 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13484 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13486 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13487 ;; other splits go here
13491 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13492 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13493 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13494 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13495 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13496 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13497 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13498 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13499 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13500 unless the group name matches the regexp
13501 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13502 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13503 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13504 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13505 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13506 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13507 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13508 messages goes into the new group.
13510 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13511 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13512 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13513 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13514 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13518 @node Group Mail Splitting
13519 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13520 @cindex mail splitting
13521 @cindex group mail splitting
13523 @findex gnus-group-split
13524 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13525 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13526 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13527 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13528 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13529 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13530 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13531 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13533 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13534 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13535 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13536 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13538 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13539 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13540 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13541 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13542 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13543 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13544 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13546 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13547 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13548 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13549 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13550 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13551 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13552 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13554 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13555 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13556 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13557 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13558 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13559 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13560 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13561 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13562 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13563 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13564 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13565 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13566 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13568 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13573 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13574 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13576 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13577 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13578 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13579 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13581 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13584 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13585 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13586 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13589 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13590 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13591 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13595 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13596 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13597 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13601 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13604 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13605 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13606 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13607 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13608 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13609 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13610 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13611 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13612 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13614 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13615 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13616 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13617 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13618 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13619 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13620 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13621 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13622 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13624 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13625 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13626 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13627 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13628 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13629 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus.el}:
13632 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13635 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13636 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13637 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13638 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13639 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13642 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13643 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13644 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13645 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13647 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13648 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13649 @cindex incorporating old mail
13650 @cindex import old mail
13652 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13653 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13654 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13657 Doing so can be quite easy.
13659 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13660 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13661 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13662 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13663 your @code{nnml} groups.
13669 Go to the group buffer.
13672 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13673 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13676 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
13679 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13680 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13683 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13684 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13687 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13688 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13689 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13690 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13691 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13693 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13694 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13695 using the new mail back end.
13698 @node Expiring Mail
13699 @subsection Expiring Mail
13700 @cindex article expiry
13702 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13703 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13704 different approach to mail reading.
13706 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13707 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13708 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13709 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13710 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13711 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13714 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13715 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default keybindings, this means
13716 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
13717 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13718 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13719 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13720 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13721 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13722 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13724 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
13725 two features, called `auto-expire' and `total-expire', that can help you
13726 with this. In a nutshell, `auto-expire' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
13727 for you when you select an article. And `total-expire' means that Gnus
13728 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
13729 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
13730 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
13733 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
13734 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
13735 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
13736 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
13737 into its own group.)
13739 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
13740 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
13741 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
13742 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
13743 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
13744 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
13745 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring @pxref{Adaptive
13746 Scoring}. Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
13749 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13750 Groups that match the regular expression
13751 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
13752 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
13753 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
13755 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13756 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13757 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13758 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13759 @file{.gnus.el} file:
13761 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13763 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13764 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13765 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13768 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13769 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13770 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13771 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13772 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13774 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13775 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13778 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13779 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13782 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13783 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13785 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13786 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13787 don't really mix very well.
13789 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13790 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13791 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13792 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13795 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13796 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13797 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13798 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13801 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13803 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13805 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13807 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13809 ((string= group "important")
13815 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13816 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13818 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13819 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13820 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13823 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13824 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13826 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13827 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13828 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13829 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13830 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13831 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13832 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13833 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13834 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13835 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13836 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13837 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13838 name or @code{delete}.
13840 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13842 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13845 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13846 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13847 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13848 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13849 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13852 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13853 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13854 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13855 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13856 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13859 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13860 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13861 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13862 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13863 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13864 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13866 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13867 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13868 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13869 easier for procmail users.
13871 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13872 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13873 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13874 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13875 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13876 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13877 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13878 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13879 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13880 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13881 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13882 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13883 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13886 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13888 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13889 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13890 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13891 auto-expire turned on.
13895 @subsection Washing Mail
13896 @cindex mail washing
13897 @cindex list server brain damage
13898 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13900 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13901 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13902 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13903 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13904 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13905 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13907 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13908 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13909 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13912 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13913 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13914 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13915 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13918 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13919 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13920 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13921 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13922 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13925 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13926 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13927 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13928 Emacs running on MS machines.
13932 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13933 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13934 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13935 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
13938 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13939 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13940 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
13941 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
13943 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
13944 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
13945 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
13946 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
13947 into a feature by documenting it.)
13949 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13950 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13951 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
13952 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
13953 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
13954 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
13955 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
13958 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
13959 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
13962 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
13963 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
13966 This can also be done non-destructively with
13967 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
13969 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
13970 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
13971 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
13973 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13974 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13976 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
13977 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
13978 @code{References} headers.
13982 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13983 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13984 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
13988 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
13989 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
13990 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
13997 @subsection Duplicates
13999 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14000 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14001 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14002 @cindex duplicate mails
14003 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14004 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14005 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14006 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14007 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14008 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14009 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14010 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14011 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14012 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14013 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14014 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14015 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14017 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14018 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14019 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14020 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14022 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14025 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14026 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14030 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14031 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
14032 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14033 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
14034 (any mail "mail.misc")
14041 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14042 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14047 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14048 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14049 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14050 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14051 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14054 @node Not Reading Mail
14055 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14057 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14058 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14059 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14061 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14062 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14063 mail, which should help.
14065 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14066 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14067 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14068 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14069 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14070 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14071 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
14072 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14073 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14074 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14075 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14077 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14078 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14082 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14083 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14085 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14086 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14087 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14089 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14090 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14091 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14092 Spool}). You might notice that only five back ends are listed below;
14093 @code{nnmaildir}'s documentation has not yet been completely
14094 incorporated into this manual. Until it is, you can find it at
14095 @uref{http://multivac.cwru.edu./nnmaildir/}.
14098 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14099 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
14100 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14101 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14102 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14103 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14107 @node Unix Mail Box
14108 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14110 @cindex unix mail box
14112 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14113 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14114 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14115 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14116 which group it belongs in.
14118 Virtual server settings:
14121 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14122 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14123 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14126 @item nnmbox-active-file
14127 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14128 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14129 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14131 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14132 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14133 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14134 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14139 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14143 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14144 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14145 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
14146 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14147 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14149 Virtual server settings:
14152 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14153 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14154 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14156 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14157 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14158 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14159 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14161 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14162 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14163 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14169 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14171 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
14173 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14174 format. It should be used with some caution.
14176 @vindex nnml-directory
14177 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14178 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14179 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14180 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14182 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14185 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14186 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14187 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14188 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14189 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14190 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14191 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14192 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14194 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14195 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14196 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14197 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14199 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14201 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14202 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14203 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14204 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14205 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14206 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14207 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14208 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14211 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14212 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14213 them next time it starts.
14215 Virtual server settings:
14218 @item nnml-directory
14219 @vindex nnml-directory
14220 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
14221 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
14224 @item nnml-active-file
14225 @vindex nnml-active-file
14226 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14227 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
14229 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14230 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14231 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14232 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
14234 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14235 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14236 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14239 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14240 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14241 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14242 default is @code{nil}.
14244 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14245 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14246 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14248 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14249 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14250 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14252 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14253 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14254 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14255 default is @code{nil}.
14257 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14258 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14259 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14261 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14262 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14263 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14268 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14269 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14270 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14271 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14272 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14273 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14274 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14279 @subsubsection MH Spool
14281 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14283 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14284 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14285 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14286 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14288 Virtual server settings:
14291 @item nnmh-directory
14292 @vindex nnmh-directory
14293 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14294 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14297 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14298 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14299 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14303 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14304 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14305 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14306 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14307 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14308 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14309 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14314 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14316 @cindex mbox folders
14317 @cindex mail folders
14319 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14320 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14321 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14324 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14326 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14327 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14328 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14329 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14330 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14331 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14332 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14333 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14334 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14335 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14337 Virtual server settings:
14340 @item nnfolder-directory
14341 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14342 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14343 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14346 @item nnfolder-active-file
14347 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14348 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14350 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14351 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14352 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14353 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
14355 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14356 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14357 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14360 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14361 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14362 @cindex backup files
14363 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14364 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14365 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14366 your @file{.emacs} file:
14369 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14370 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14372 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14375 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14376 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14377 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14378 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14379 extract some information from it before removing it.
14381 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14382 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14383 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14384 default is @code{nil}.
14386 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14387 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14388 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
14390 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
14391 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
14392 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
14393 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14395 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14396 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14397 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14398 default is @code{nil}.
14400 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14401 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14402 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14404 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14405 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14406 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14407 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14412 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14413 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14414 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14415 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14416 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14417 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14420 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14421 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14423 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14424 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14425 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14426 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14427 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14429 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14430 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14431 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14432 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14433 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14434 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14435 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14436 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14439 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14440 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14441 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14442 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14447 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14448 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14449 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14450 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14451 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14452 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14453 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14454 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14455 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14456 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14457 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14458 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14459 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14464 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14465 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14466 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14467 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14468 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14469 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14470 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14471 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14472 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14473 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14474 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14475 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14476 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14477 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14479 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14480 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14485 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14486 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14487 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14488 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14489 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14490 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14491 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14492 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14493 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14494 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14495 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14496 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14497 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14498 provided by the active file and overviews.
14500 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14501 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
14502 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14503 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14504 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14507 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14508 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
14513 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
14514 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
14515 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
14516 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14517 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14518 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14519 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14523 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14524 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14525 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14526 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14527 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14528 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14529 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14530 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14531 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14533 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14534 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14535 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14536 friendly mail back end all over.
14540 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14541 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14542 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14543 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14544 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14545 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14546 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14547 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14550 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14551 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14552 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14553 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14554 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14555 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14556 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14557 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14558 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14559 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will undergo
14560 treatment such as duplicate checking.
14562 An article will not necessarily keep the same number across Gnus
14563 sessions; articles are renumbered starting from 1 for each Gnus session
14564 (more precisely, each time you open the @code{nnmaildir} server). This
14565 way, you don't get gaps in your article number ranges, and when entering
14566 large groups, Gnus is likely to give a more accurate article count. The
14567 price is that @code{nnmaildir} doesn't work with the cache or agent.
14568 This will probably be changed in the future.
14570 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14571 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14572 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
14573 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
14574 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
14577 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
14578 parameters slightly different from those of other mail back ends.
14580 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
14581 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
14582 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
14583 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
14584 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
14585 would) to make it use less memory.
14587 Startup and shutdown are likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than
14588 with other back ends. Everything in between is likely to be faster,
14589 depending in part on your file system.
14591 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
14592 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
14597 @node Browsing the Web
14598 @section Browsing the Web
14600 @cindex browsing the web
14604 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
14605 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
14606 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
14607 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
14608 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
14609 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
14610 even know what a news group is.
14612 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14613 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14614 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14615 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14616 you mad in the end.
14618 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14621 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14622 interfaces to these sources.
14626 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14627 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14628 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14629 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14630 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14631 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14634 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14636 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14637 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14638 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14639 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14640 though, you should be ok.
14642 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14643 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14644 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14645 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14646 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14648 @node Archiving Mail
14649 @subsection Archiving Mail
14650 @cindex archiving mail
14651 @cindex backup of mail
14653 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
14654 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
14655 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
14656 marks is fairly simple.
14658 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14659 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
14662 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
14663 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
14664 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
14665 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
14666 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
14667 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
14668 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
14669 before you restore the data.
14671 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
14672 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
14673 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
14674 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
14675 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
14676 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
14677 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
14678 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
14679 is unnecessary in that case.
14682 @subsection Web Searches
14687 @cindex Usenet searches
14688 @cindex searching the Usenet
14690 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14691 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14692 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14693 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14694 searches without having to use a browser.
14696 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14697 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14698 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14699 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14700 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14702 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14703 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14704 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14705 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14706 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14707 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14708 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14709 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14710 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14711 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14714 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14715 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14716 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14717 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14718 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14719 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14721 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14722 to use @code{nnweb}.
14724 Virtual server variables:
14729 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14730 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
14731 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
14734 @vindex nnweb-search
14735 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14737 @item nnweb-max-hits
14738 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14739 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14742 @item nnweb-type-definition
14743 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14744 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14745 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14750 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14754 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14757 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14760 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14764 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14771 @subsection Slashdot
14775 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14776 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14777 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14779 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14780 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14783 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14784 '((nnslashdot "")))
14787 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14788 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14789 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14790 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14791 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14794 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14795 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14797 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14798 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14799 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14800 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14801 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14802 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14805 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14808 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14809 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14810 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14811 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14812 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14813 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14814 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
14816 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14817 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14818 The login name to use when posting.
14820 @item nnslashdot-password
14821 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14822 The password to use when posting.
14824 @item nnslashdot-directory
14825 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14826 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14827 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14829 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14830 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14831 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14832 news articles and comments. The default is
14833 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14835 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14836 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14837 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14839 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14841 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14842 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14843 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14845 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14847 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14848 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14849 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14851 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14852 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14853 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14854 updated. The default is 0.
14861 @subsection Ultimate
14863 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14865 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14866 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14867 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14868 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14870 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14871 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14872 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14873 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14874 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14875 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14876 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14878 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14881 @item nnultimate-directory
14882 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14883 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14884 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14889 @subsection Web Archive
14891 @cindex Web Archive
14893 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14894 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14895 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14896 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14899 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14900 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14901 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14902 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14903 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14904 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14905 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14907 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14910 @item nnwarchive-directory
14911 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14912 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14913 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14915 @item nnwarchive-login
14916 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14917 The account name on the web server.
14919 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14920 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14921 The password for your account on the web server.
14929 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14930 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14931 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14934 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14935 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
14938 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
14941 @item nnrss-directory
14942 @vindex nnrss-directory
14943 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
14944 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
14948 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
14949 the summary buffer.
14952 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
14953 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
14955 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
14957 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
14958 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
14961 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
14964 (require 'browse-url)
14966 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
14968 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
14971 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
14972 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
14975 (browse-url (cdr url))
14976 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
14977 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
14979 (eval-after-load "gnus"
14980 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
14981 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
14982 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
14985 @node Customizing w3
14986 @subsection Customizing w3
14992 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
14993 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
14994 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
14996 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
14997 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
14998 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15001 (eval-after-load "w3"
15003 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15004 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15005 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15006 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15008 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15011 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15012 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15021 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
15022 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
15023 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15024 specify the network address of the server.
15026 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
15027 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
15028 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
15029 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
15030 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15032 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
15033 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
15034 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
15035 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
15037 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15038 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15039 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
15040 usage explained in this section.
15042 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
15043 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
15044 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
15047 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15048 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
15049 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
15051 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15052 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15053 ; a UW server running on localhost
15055 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15056 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15057 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15058 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
15059 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15060 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15061 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15062 (nnimap-stream network))
15063 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
15065 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15066 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15067 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15070 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15075 @item nnimap-address
15076 @vindex nnimap-address
15078 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
15079 server name if not specified.
15081 @item nnimap-server-port
15082 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15083 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
15085 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15088 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15089 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15092 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15093 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15094 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15095 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15096 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
15097 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15098 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15100 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15101 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15102 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15105 Example server specification:
15108 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15109 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15110 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15113 @item nnimap-stream
15114 @vindex nnimap-stream
15115 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15116 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15117 of SSL/TLS. (@sc{imap} over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
15118 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15120 Example server specification:
15123 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15124 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15127 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15131 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15132 @samp{imtest} program.
15134 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15136 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15137 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15140 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15141 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
15142 library @samp{ssl.el}.
15144 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
15146 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15149 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15150 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15151 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15152 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15153 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15154 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15155 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15156 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15157 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15160 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15161 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15162 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15163 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
15164 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15165 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15166 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15167 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
15168 distribution, for instance).
15170 @vindex imap-shell-program
15171 @vindex imap-shell-host
15172 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15173 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15175 @item nnimap-authenticator
15176 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15178 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15179 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15181 Example server specification:
15184 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15185 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15188 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15192 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15193 external program @code{imtest}.
15195 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15198 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15199 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15201 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15203 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15205 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your email address as password.
15208 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15210 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15211 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15212 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15213 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15214 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15215 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15218 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15219 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15220 running in circles yet?
15222 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15223 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15226 The possible options are:
15231 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
15234 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15235 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15236 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15237 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15239 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15244 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15245 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15247 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15248 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15249 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15250 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15251 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15254 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15255 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15258 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15259 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15260 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15261 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15264 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15265 as ticked for other users.
15267 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15269 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15271 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15272 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15273 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15274 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15276 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15277 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15278 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15279 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15281 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15282 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15284 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15285 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15286 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15292 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15293 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
15294 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15295 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
15296 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
15301 @node Splitting in IMAP
15302 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15303 @cindex splitting imap mail
15305 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15306 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15307 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15308 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15309 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15313 Here are the variables of interest:
15317 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15318 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15320 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15322 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15323 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15325 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15327 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15328 @cindex splitting, inbox
15330 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15332 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15333 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15337 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15338 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15341 No nnmail equivalent.
15343 @item nnimap-split-rule
15344 @cindex Splitting, rules
15345 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15347 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15350 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15351 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15352 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15353 Neither did I, we need examples.
15356 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15358 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15359 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15360 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15363 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15364 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15365 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
15367 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
15368 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
15372 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
15375 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
15376 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
15378 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15379 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
15380 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
15381 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
15383 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
15384 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
15385 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
15386 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
15387 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
15388 them every time you fetch new mail.)
15390 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
15391 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
15392 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
15394 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
15395 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
15396 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15398 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
15400 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
15401 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
15402 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
15405 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15406 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
15407 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
15408 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
15409 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
15410 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15413 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15414 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15415 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15416 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15417 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15418 group/function elements.
15420 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15422 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15424 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15426 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15427 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15429 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15430 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15431 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15434 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15435 @cindex splitting, fancy
15436 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15437 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15439 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15440 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15441 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15443 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15444 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15445 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15446 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15451 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15452 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15455 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15459 @node Expiring in IMAP
15460 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
15461 @cindex expiring imap mail
15463 Even though @sc{nnimap} is not a proper @sc{nnmail} derived back end,
15464 it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
15465 Unlike splitting in IMAP (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}) it do not clone
15466 the @sc{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating @var{nnimap-expiry-wait})
15467 but reuse the @sc{nnmail} variables. What follows below are the
15468 variables used by the @sc{nnimap} expiry process.
15470 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @sc{imap} server is
15471 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
15472 @sc{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
15473 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
15474 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
15475 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
15476 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
15477 messages. Most do, fortunately.
15481 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
15482 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15484 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
15485 number, the symbol @var{immediate} or @var{never}.
15487 @item nnmail-expiry-target
15489 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
15490 @sc{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
15491 that if the destination is a IMAP group on the same server, the
15492 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
15496 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
15497 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
15498 @cindex editing imap acls
15499 @cindex Access Control Lists
15500 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15502 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
15504 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
15505 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
15506 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
15509 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
15510 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
15511 editing window with detailed instructions.
15513 Some possible uses:
15517 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
15518 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
15519 follow the list without subscribing to it.
15521 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
15522 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
15523 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
15527 @node Expunging mailboxes
15528 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
15532 @cindex Manual expunging
15534 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
15536 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
15537 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
15538 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
15540 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
15543 @node A note on namespaces
15544 @subsection A note on namespaces
15545 @cindex IMAP namespace
15548 The IMAP protocol has a concept called namespaces, described by the
15549 following text in the RFC:
15552 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
15554 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
15555 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
15556 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
15557 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
15559 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
15560 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
15561 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
15562 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
15563 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
15564 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
15567 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the IMAP
15568 implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace prefixes in a way
15569 that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
15571 Specifically, University of Washington's IMAP server uses mailbox
15572 names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only in the
15573 @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is created
15574 (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed without
15575 the namespace prefix, i.e @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do not make it
15576 possible for the user to guarantee that user entered mailbox names
15577 will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands, you should
15578 simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in Gnus.
15580 See the UoW @sc{imapd} documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
15581 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
15582 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
15584 @node Other Sources
15585 @section Other Sources
15587 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
15588 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
15592 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
15593 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
15594 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
15595 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
15596 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
15600 @node Directory Groups
15601 @subsection Directory Groups
15603 @cindex directory groups
15605 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
15606 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
15609 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
15610 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
15611 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
15612 back end to read directories. Big deal.
15614 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
15615 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
15616 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
15617 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
15618 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
15620 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
15622 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
15623 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
15624 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
15625 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
15628 @node Anything Groups
15629 @subsection Anything Groups
15632 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
15633 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
15634 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
15637 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
15638 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
15639 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
15640 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
15641 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
15642 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
15643 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
15644 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
15645 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
15646 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
15649 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
15650 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
15651 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
15652 in the article buffer, just as usual.
15654 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
15655 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
15656 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
15657 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
15659 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
15660 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
15661 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
15662 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
15663 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
15664 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
15665 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
15666 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
15671 @item nneething-map-file-directory
15672 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
15673 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
15674 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
15676 @item nneething-exclude-files
15677 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
15678 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
15679 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
15681 @item nneething-include-files
15682 @vindex nneething-include-files
15683 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
15684 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
15686 @item nneething-map-file
15687 @vindex nneething-map-file
15688 Name of the map files.
15692 @node Document Groups
15693 @subsection Document Groups
15695 @cindex documentation group
15698 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15699 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15706 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15711 The standard Unix mbox file.
15713 @cindex MMDF mail box
15715 The MMDF mail box format.
15718 Several news articles appended into a file.
15721 @cindex rnews batch files
15722 The rnews batch transport format.
15723 @cindex forwarded messages
15726 Forwarded articles.
15729 Netscape mail boxes.
15732 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
15734 @item standard-digest
15735 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15738 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
15740 @item lanl-gov-announce
15741 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
15743 @item rfc822-forward
15744 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
15747 The Outlook mail box.
15750 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
15753 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
15756 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
15759 An RFC934-forwarded message.
15765 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
15768 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15774 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15775 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15776 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15779 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15780 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15781 group. And that's it.
15783 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15784 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15785 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15786 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15787 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15788 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15789 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15790 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15791 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15792 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15794 Virtual server variables:
15797 @item nndoc-article-type
15798 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15799 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15800 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15801 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15802 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
15803 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
15805 @item nndoc-post-type
15806 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15807 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15808 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15813 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15817 @node Document Server Internals
15818 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15820 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15821 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15822 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15823 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15825 First, here's an example document type definition:
15829 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
15830 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
15833 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
15834 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
15835 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
15836 types can be defined with very few settings:
15839 @item first-article
15840 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
15841 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
15844 @item article-begin
15845 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
15846 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
15848 @item head-begin-function
15849 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
15852 @item nndoc-head-begin
15853 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
15856 @item nndoc-head-end
15857 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
15858 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
15860 @item body-begin-function
15861 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
15865 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
15868 @item body-end-function
15869 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
15873 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
15876 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
15877 regexp will be totally ignored.
15881 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
15882 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
15883 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
15884 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
15885 something that's palatable for Gnus:
15888 @item prepare-body-function
15889 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
15890 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
15891 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
15893 @item article-transform-function
15894 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
15895 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
15896 body of the article.
15898 @item generate-head-function
15899 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
15900 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
15901 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
15902 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
15906 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
15911 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15912 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15913 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
15914 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
15915 (head-end . "^ ?$")
15916 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
15917 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
15918 (subtype digest guess))
15921 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
15922 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
15923 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15924 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15925 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15927 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15928 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15929 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15930 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15931 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
15932 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15933 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15934 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15935 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15936 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
15944 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
15945 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
15946 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
15948 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
15949 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
15950 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
15953 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
15954 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
15955 that interested in doing things properly.
15957 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
15958 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
15961 First some terminology:
15966 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
15967 get news and/or mail from.
15970 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
15971 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
15974 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
15978 @item message packets
15979 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
15980 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
15981 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15983 @item response packets
15984 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
15985 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
15986 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15996 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
15997 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
15998 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
15999 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16002 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16005 You put the packet in your home directory.
16008 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16009 the native or secondary server.
16012 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16013 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16016 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16020 You transfer this packet to the server.
16023 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16026 You then repeat until you die.
16030 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16031 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16034 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16035 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16036 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16040 @node SOUP Commands
16041 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16043 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16047 @kindex G s b (Group)
16048 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16049 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16050 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16051 process/prefix convention.
16054 @kindex G s w (Group)
16055 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16056 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16059 @kindex G s s (Group)
16060 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16061 Send all replies from the replies packet
16062 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16065 @kindex G s p (Group)
16066 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16067 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16070 @kindex G s r (Group)
16071 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16072 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16075 @kindex O s (Summary)
16076 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16077 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16078 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16079 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16084 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16089 @item gnus-soup-directory
16090 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16091 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16092 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16094 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16095 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16096 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16097 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16099 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16100 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16101 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16102 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16104 @item gnus-soup-packer
16105 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16106 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16107 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16109 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16110 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16111 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16112 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16114 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16115 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16116 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16118 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16119 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16120 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16121 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16127 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16130 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16131 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16132 you can read them at leisure.
16134 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16138 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16139 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16140 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16141 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16143 @item nnsoup-directory
16144 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16145 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16146 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16148 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16149 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16150 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16151 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
16153 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16154 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16155 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16156 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16157 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16159 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16160 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16161 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16162 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16164 @item nnsoup-active-file
16165 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16166 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16167 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16168 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16169 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16171 @item nnsoup-packer
16172 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16173 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16174 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16176 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16177 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16178 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16179 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16181 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16182 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16183 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16186 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
16187 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
16188 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
16191 @item nnsoup-always-save
16192 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
16193 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
16199 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
16201 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
16202 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
16203 more for that to happen.
16205 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
16206 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
16207 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
16210 In specific, this is what it does:
16213 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
16214 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
16217 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
16218 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
16219 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
16222 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
16223 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
16224 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
16227 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
16228 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
16229 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16231 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16237 @item nngateway-address
16238 @vindex nngateway-address
16239 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
16241 @item nngateway-header-transformation
16242 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
16243 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
16244 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
16245 transformation should be called, and defaults to
16246 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
16247 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
16250 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
16251 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
16252 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
16255 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
16258 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
16261 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
16264 The following pre-defined functions exist:
16266 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16269 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16270 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16271 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
16273 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16275 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16276 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16277 @code{nngateway-address}.
16282 (setq gnus-post-method
16284 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16285 (nngateway-header-transformation
16286 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16294 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16297 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16302 @node Combined Groups
16303 @section Combined Groups
16305 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16309 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16310 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16314 @node Virtual Groups
16315 @subsection Virtual Groups
16317 @cindex virtual groups
16318 @cindex merging groups
16320 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16323 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16324 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16325 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16327 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16328 regexp to match component groups.
16330 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16331 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16332 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16333 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16334 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16335 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16336 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16337 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16339 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16340 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16343 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16346 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16347 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16349 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16350 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16351 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16352 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
16355 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
16358 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
16359 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
16360 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
16362 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
16363 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
16364 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
16365 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
16366 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
16368 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
16369 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
16370 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
16372 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
16373 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
16374 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
16375 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
16376 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
16377 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
16378 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
16379 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
16380 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
16381 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
16382 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
16384 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
16385 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
16386 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
16387 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
16388 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
16389 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
16390 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
16392 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
16393 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
16395 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
16396 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
16400 @node Kibozed Groups
16401 @subsection Kibozed Groups
16405 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
16406 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
16407 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
16408 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
16410 @kindex G k (Group)
16411 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
16414 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
16415 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
16416 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
16417 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
16419 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
16420 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
16421 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
16423 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
16424 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
16425 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
16426 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
16427 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
16428 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
16429 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
16430 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
16432 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
16433 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
16434 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
16435 Stranger things have happened.
16437 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
16438 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
16440 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
16441 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
16442 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
16443 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
16444 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
16445 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
16447 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
16448 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
16451 @node Gnus Unplugged
16452 @section Gnus Unplugged
16457 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
16459 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
16460 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
16461 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
16462 read news. Believe it or not.
16464 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
16465 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
16466 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
16467 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
16468 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
16470 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
16471 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
16472 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
16473 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
16474 reading news on a machine.
16476 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
16477 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
16479 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16482 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16483 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16484 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16485 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
16486 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16487 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16488 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16489 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16490 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16491 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
16492 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
16497 @subsection Agent Basics
16499 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
16501 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
16502 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
16503 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
16504 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
16506 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
16507 connected to the net continuously.
16509 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
16510 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
16512 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
16517 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
16518 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
16519 already fetched while in this mode.
16522 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
16523 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
16524 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
16525 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
16526 Source Specifiers}).
16529 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
16530 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
16531 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
16532 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
16533 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
16536 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
16537 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
16538 then you read the news offline.
16541 And then you go to step 2.
16544 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
16550 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
16551 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
16552 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
16553 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
16554 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
16555 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
16556 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
16557 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
16560 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
16567 @node Agent Categories
16568 @subsection Agent Categories
16570 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
16571 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
16572 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
16573 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
16574 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
16575 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
16576 you're interested in the articles anyway.
16578 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
16579 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
16580 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
16581 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
16582 managing categories.
16585 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
16586 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
16587 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
16591 @node Category Syntax
16592 @subsubsection Category Syntax
16594 A category consists of two things.
16598 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
16599 are eligible for downloading; and
16602 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
16603 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
16604 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
16607 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
16608 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
16609 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
16610 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
16612 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
16613 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
16614 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
16616 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
16617 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
16618 operators sprinkled in between.
16620 Perhaps some examples are in order.
16622 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
16623 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
16629 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
16630 short (for some value of ``short'').
16632 Here's a more complex predicate:
16641 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
16642 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
16645 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
16646 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
16647 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
16649 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
16650 you want to do, you can write your own.
16654 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
16655 lines; default 100.
16658 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
16659 lines; default 200.
16662 True iff the article has a download score less than
16663 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
16666 True iff the article has a download score greater than
16667 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
16670 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
16671 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
16672 checksum and sees whether articles match.
16681 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
16682 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
16683 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
16686 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
16687 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
16688 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
16689 something along the lines of the following:
16692 (defun my-article-old-p ()
16693 "Say whether an article is old."
16694 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
16695 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
16698 with the predicate then defined as:
16701 (not my-article-old-p)
16704 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
16705 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
16709 (require 'gnus-agent)
16710 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
16711 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
16712 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
16715 and simply specify your predicate as:
16721 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16722 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16723 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16724 just don't give a damn.
16726 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
16727 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16728 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16729 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16730 parameters like so:
16733 (agent-predicate . short)
16736 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16737 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16738 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16740 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16743 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16746 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16747 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16748 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16751 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16752 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16753 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16754 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16755 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16756 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16758 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16759 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16760 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16761 if it's to be specific to that group.
16763 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16770 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16771 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16777 Category specification
16781 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16787 Group Parameter specification
16790 (agent-score ("from"
16791 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16796 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16802 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16809 Category specification
16812 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16818 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16822 Group Parameter specification
16825 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
16828 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
16833 Use @code{normal} score files
16835 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
16836 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
16837 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
16838 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
16840 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
16841 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
16842 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
16843 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
16847 Category Specification
16854 Group Parameter specification
16857 (agent-score . file)
16862 @node Category Buffer
16863 @subsubsection Category Buffer
16865 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
16866 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
16867 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
16869 The following commands are available in this buffer:
16873 @kindex q (Category)
16874 @findex gnus-category-exit
16875 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
16878 @kindex k (Category)
16879 @findex gnus-category-kill
16880 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
16883 @kindex c (Category)
16884 @findex gnus-category-copy
16885 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
16888 @kindex a (Category)
16889 @findex gnus-category-add
16890 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
16893 @kindex p (Category)
16894 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
16895 Edit the predicate of the current category
16896 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
16899 @kindex g (Category)
16900 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
16901 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
16902 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
16905 @kindex s (Category)
16906 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
16907 Edit the download score rule of the current category
16908 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
16911 @kindex l (Category)
16912 @findex gnus-category-list
16913 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16917 @node Category Variables
16918 @subsubsection Category Variables
16921 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16922 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16923 Hook run in category buffers.
16925 @item gnus-category-line-format
16926 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16927 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16928 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16932 The name of the category.
16935 The number of groups in the category.
16938 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
16939 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
16940 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
16942 @item gnus-agent-short-article
16943 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
16944 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
16946 @item gnus-agent-long-article
16947 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
16948 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
16950 @item gnus-agent-low-score
16951 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
16952 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
16955 @item gnus-agent-high-score
16956 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
16957 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
16963 @node Agent Commands
16964 @subsection Agent Commands
16966 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
16967 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
16968 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
16972 * Group Agent Commands::
16973 * Summary Agent Commands::
16974 * Server Agent Commands::
16980 @node Group Agent Commands
16981 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
16985 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
16986 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
16987 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
16988 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
16991 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
16992 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
16993 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
16996 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
16997 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
16998 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
16999 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17002 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17003 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17004 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17005 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17008 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17009 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17010 Add the current group to an Agent category
17011 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17012 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17015 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17016 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17017 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17018 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17019 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17022 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17023 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17024 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17030 @node Summary Agent Commands
17031 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17035 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17036 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17037 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17040 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17041 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17042 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17043 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
17046 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
17047 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
17048 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
17051 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
17052 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
17053 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
17056 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
17057 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
17058 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
17059 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
17064 @node Server Agent Commands
17065 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
17069 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
17070 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
17071 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
17072 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
17075 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
17076 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
17077 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
17078 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
17083 @node Agent as Cache
17084 @subsection Agent as Cache
17086 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
17087 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
17088 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
17089 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
17090 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
17091 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
17092 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
17093 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
17094 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
17096 This behaviour can be controlled by @code{gnus-agent-cache}
17097 (@pxref{Agent Variables}).
17100 @subsection Agent Expiry
17102 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17103 @findex gnus-agent-expire
17104 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
17105 @cindex Agent expiry
17106 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
17109 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
17110 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
17111 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
17112 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
17113 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
17114 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
17116 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
17117 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
17118 expiry in different groups.
17121 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
17127 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
17128 method---it must always match all groups.
17130 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
17131 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
17132 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
17133 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
17134 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
17136 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
17137 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
17138 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
17139 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
17141 @node Agent and IMAP
17142 @subsection Agent and IMAP
17144 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
17145 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
17146 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
17147 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
17149 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
17150 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
17151 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
17152 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
17154 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
17155 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
17156 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
17157 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
17159 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17160 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
17161 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
17162 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
17163 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
17164 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
17166 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
17167 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
17168 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
17169 in the group buffer.
17171 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
17172 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
17177 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
17180 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
17184 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
17185 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
17186 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
17187 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
17188 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
17189 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
17190 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
17191 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
17194 @node Outgoing Messages
17195 @subsection Outgoing Messages
17197 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
17198 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
17199 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
17201 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
17202 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
17203 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
17204 messages in the draft group.
17208 @node Agent Variables
17209 @subsection Agent Variables
17212 @item gnus-agent-directory
17213 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
17214 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
17215 @file{~/News/agent/}.
17217 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
17218 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
17219 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
17220 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
17221 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
17224 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17225 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17226 Hook run when connecting to the network.
17228 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17229 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17230 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
17232 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17233 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17234 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
17236 @item gnus-agent-cache
17237 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
17238 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
17239 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
17240 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
17242 @item gnus-agent-go-online
17243 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
17244 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
17245 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
17246 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
17247 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
17248 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
17251 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
17252 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
17253 Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
17254 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
17255 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
17256 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
17257 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
17258 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
17259 is only valid if the Agent is used.
17264 @node Example Setup
17265 @subsection Example Setup
17267 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
17268 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
17269 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
17272 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
17273 ;;; from your ISP's server.
17274 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
17276 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
17277 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
17278 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
17280 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
17281 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
17283 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
17284 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
17285 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
17288 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
17289 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
17292 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
17293 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
17294 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
17295 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
17296 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
17299 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
17300 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
17301 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
17302 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
17303 back all the killed groups.)
17305 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
17306 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
17307 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
17310 @node Batching Agents
17311 @subsection Batching Agents
17313 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
17314 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
17315 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
17317 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
17318 following incantation:
17322 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
17326 @node Agent Caveats
17327 @subsection Agent Caveats
17329 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
17330 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
17334 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
17336 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
17337 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
17338 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
17340 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
17342 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is `nil'.
17346 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
17347 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP and also uses the
17348 locally stored articles.
17355 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
17356 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
17357 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
17360 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
17361 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
17362 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
17363 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
17364 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
17366 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
17367 before generating the summary buffer.
17369 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
17370 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
17371 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
17373 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
17374 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
17375 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
17376 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
17379 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
17380 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
17381 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
17382 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
17383 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
17384 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
17385 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
17386 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
17387 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
17388 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
17389 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
17390 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
17391 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
17392 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
17393 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
17394 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
17395 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
17399 @node Summary Score Commands
17400 @section Summary Score Commands
17401 @cindex score commands
17403 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
17404 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
17405 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
17406 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
17407 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
17409 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
17410 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
17411 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
17412 score file the current one.
17414 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
17419 @kindex V s (Summary)
17420 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
17421 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
17424 @kindex V S (Summary)
17425 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
17426 Display the score of the current article
17427 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
17430 @kindex V t (Summary)
17431 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
17432 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
17433 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
17436 @kindex V w (Summary)
17437 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
17438 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
17441 @kindex V R (Summary)
17442 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
17443 Run the current summary through the scoring process
17444 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
17445 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
17446 effect you're having.
17449 @kindex V c (Summary)
17450 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
17451 Make a different score file the current
17452 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
17455 @kindex V e (Summary)
17456 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
17457 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
17458 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
17462 @kindex V f (Summary)
17463 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
17464 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
17465 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
17468 @kindex V F (Summary)
17469 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17470 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
17471 after editing score files.
17474 @kindex V C (Summary)
17475 @findex gnus-score-customize
17476 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
17477 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
17481 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
17486 @kindex V m (Summary)
17487 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
17488 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
17489 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
17492 @kindex V x (Summary)
17493 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
17494 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
17495 expunge all articles below this score
17496 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
17499 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
17500 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
17503 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
17504 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
17508 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
17509 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
17511 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
17512 keys are available:
17516 Score on the author name.
17519 Score on the subject line.
17522 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
17525 Score on the @code{References} line.
17531 Score on the number of lines.
17534 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
17537 Score on an "extra" header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
17538 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
17541 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
17542 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
17543 @file{ADAPT} files.)
17552 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
17558 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
17559 what headers you are scoring on.
17571 Substring matching.
17574 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
17603 Greater than number.
17608 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
17609 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
17610 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
17615 Temporary score entry.
17618 Permanent score entry.
17621 Immediately scoring.
17625 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
17626 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
17627 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
17631 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
17632 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
17633 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
17634 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
17636 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
17637 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
17638 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
17639 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
17640 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
17642 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
17643 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
17644 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
17645 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
17646 current score file.
17648 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
17649 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
17650 pretend they are keymaps or not.
17653 @node Group Score Commands
17654 @section Group Score Commands
17655 @cindex group score commands
17657 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
17662 @kindex W f (Group)
17663 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17664 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
17665 all the time. This command will flush the cache
17666 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
17670 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
17672 @findex gnus-batch-score
17673 @cindex batch scoring
17675 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
17679 @node Score Variables
17680 @section Score Variables
17681 @cindex score variables
17685 @item gnus-use-scoring
17686 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
17687 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
17688 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
17690 @item gnus-kill-killed
17691 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
17692 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
17693 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
17694 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
17695 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
17696 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
17697 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
17699 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
17700 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
17701 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
17702 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
17703 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
17705 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
17706 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
17707 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
17708 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
17710 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17711 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17712 @cindex score cache
17713 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
17714 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
17715 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
17716 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
17717 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
17718 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
17721 @item gnus-save-score
17722 @vindex gnus-save-score
17723 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
17724 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
17725 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17727 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
17728 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
17729 across group visits.
17731 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17732 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17733 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
17734 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
17735 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
17736 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
17737 manually entered data.
17739 @item gnus-summary-default-score
17740 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
17741 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
17743 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
17744 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
17745 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
17746 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
17747 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
17748 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
17750 @item gnus-score-over-mark
17751 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
17752 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
17753 default. Default is @samp{+}.
17755 @item gnus-score-below-mark
17756 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
17757 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
17758 default. Default is @samp{-}.
17760 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17761 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17762 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
17763 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
17765 Predefined functions available are:
17768 @item gnus-score-find-single
17769 @findex gnus-score-find-single
17770 Only apply the group's own score file.
17772 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
17773 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
17774 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
17775 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
17776 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
17777 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
17778 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
17779 then a regexp match is done.
17781 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
17782 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
17784 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
17785 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
17786 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
17787 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
17789 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17790 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17791 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
17792 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
17793 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
17797 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
17798 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
17799 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
17800 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
17801 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
17802 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
17803 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
17806 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
17807 overall score file, you could use the value
17809 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
17810 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
17813 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
17814 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
17815 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
17816 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
17817 are expired. It's 7 by default.
17819 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17820 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17821 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
17822 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
17823 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
17824 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
17825 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
17826 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
17828 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17829 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17830 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
17832 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
17833 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
17834 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
17835 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
17836 threading---according to the current value of
17837 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
17838 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
17839 simplified in this manner.
17844 @node Score File Format
17845 @section Score File Format
17846 @cindex score file format
17848 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
17849 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
17850 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
17852 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
17856 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
17858 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
17860 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
17862 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
17867 (mark-and-expunge -10)
17871 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
17872 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
17873 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
17874 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
17878 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
17879 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
17881 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
17882 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
17883 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
17885 Six keys are supported by this alist:
17890 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
17891 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
17892 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
17893 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
17894 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
17895 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
17896 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
17897 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
17898 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
17899 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
17900 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
17901 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
17902 to articles that matches these score entries.
17904 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
17905 score entry has one to four elements.
17909 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
17910 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
17914 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
17915 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
17916 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
17917 is successful. If this element is not present, the
17918 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
17919 instead. This is 1000 by default.
17922 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
17923 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
17924 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
17925 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
17926 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
17929 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
17930 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
17931 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
17932 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
17935 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
17936 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
17937 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
17938 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
17939 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
17940 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
17941 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
17942 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
17943 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
17944 instead, if you feel like.
17947 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
17948 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
17949 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
17950 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
17951 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
17952 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
17955 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
17959 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
17960 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
17962 These predicates are true if
17965 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
17968 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
17969 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
17976 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
17977 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
17978 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
17979 it's not. I think.)
17981 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
17982 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
17983 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
17984 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
17987 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
17988 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
17989 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
17990 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
17991 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
17992 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
17993 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
17997 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
17998 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
17999 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
18000 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
18001 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
18002 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
18003 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
18004 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
18007 @item Head, Body, All
18008 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
18012 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
18013 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
18014 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
18015 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
18016 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
18017 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
18018 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
18022 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
18023 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
18024 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
18025 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
18026 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
18027 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
18028 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
18029 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
18030 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
18031 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
18032 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
18036 @cindex Score File Atoms
18038 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18039 lower than this number will be marked as read.
18042 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18043 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
18045 @item mark-and-expunge
18046 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18047 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
18050 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
18051 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
18052 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
18053 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
18054 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
18057 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
18058 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
18061 @item exclude-files
18062 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
18063 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
18067 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
18068 ignored when handling global score files.
18071 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
18072 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
18073 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
18074 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
18077 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
18078 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
18079 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
18080 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
18082 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
18086 (mark-and-expunge -100)
18089 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
18090 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
18091 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
18092 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
18093 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
18095 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
18096 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
18097 scoring rules exist.
18100 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
18101 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
18102 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
18103 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
18104 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
18105 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
18106 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18107 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
18108 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
18109 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
18110 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
18114 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
18115 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
18116 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
18117 file for a number of groups.
18120 @cindex local variables
18121 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
18122 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
18123 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
18124 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
18125 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
18129 @node Score File Editing
18130 @section Score File Editing
18132 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
18133 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
18134 with a mode for that.
18136 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
18137 additional commands:
18142 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
18143 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
18144 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
18145 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
18148 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
18149 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
18150 Insert the current date in numerical format
18151 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
18152 you were wondering.
18155 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
18156 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
18157 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
18158 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
18159 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
18164 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
18166 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
18167 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
18169 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
18170 e} to begin editing score files.
18173 @node Adaptive Scoring
18174 @section Adaptive Scoring
18175 @cindex adaptive scoring
18177 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
18178 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
18179 stupidity, to be precise.
18181 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
18182 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
18183 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
18184 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
18185 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18186 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
18187 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
18188 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
18189 variable to @code{(word line)}.
18191 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18192 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
18193 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
18194 might look something like this:
18197 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18198 '((gnus-unread-mark)
18199 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
18200 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
18201 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
18202 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
18203 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
18204 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
18205 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
18206 (gnus-ancient-mark)
18207 (gnus-low-score-mark)
18208 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
18211 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
18212 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
18213 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
18214 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
18215 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
18216 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
18219 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
18220 will be applied to each article.
18222 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
18223 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
18224 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
18225 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
18227 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
18228 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
18229 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
18230 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
18232 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
18233 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
18234 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
18235 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
18237 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
18238 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
18239 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
18240 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
18241 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
18242 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
18244 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
18245 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
18246 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
18247 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
18248 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
18249 aspirins afterwards.)
18251 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
18252 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
18253 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
18255 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
18256 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
18257 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
18259 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
18260 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
18261 let you use different rules in different groups.
18263 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
18264 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
18265 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
18268 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
18269 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
18270 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
18271 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
18272 the length of the match is less than
18273 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
18274 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
18277 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18278 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
18279 headers. If you adapt on words, the
18280 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
18281 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
18284 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18285 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
18286 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
18287 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
18288 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
18291 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
18292 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
18293 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
18294 score with 30 points.
18296 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
18297 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
18298 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
18299 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
18300 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
18302 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
18303 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
18304 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
18305 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
18306 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
18308 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
18309 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
18310 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
18311 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
18313 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
18314 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
18315 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
18316 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
18318 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
18319 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
18320 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
18321 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
18322 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
18324 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
18325 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
18326 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
18328 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
18329 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
18330 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
18331 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
18334 @node Home Score File
18335 @section Home Score File
18337 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
18338 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
18339 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
18340 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
18342 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
18343 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
18344 could perhaps use the same home score file.
18346 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
18347 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
18352 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
18356 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
18357 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
18361 A list. The elements in this list can be:
18365 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
18366 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
18369 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
18370 the home score file.
18373 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
18376 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
18381 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
18384 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18385 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
18388 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
18389 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
18391 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
18393 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18394 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
18397 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
18398 Other functions include
18401 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
18402 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
18403 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
18404 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
18408 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
18409 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
18410 their own home score files:
18413 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18414 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
18415 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
18416 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
18417 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
18420 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
18421 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
18422 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
18423 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
18424 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
18426 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
18427 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
18428 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
18429 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
18430 precedence over this variable.
18433 @node Followups To Yourself
18434 @section Followups To Yourself
18436 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
18437 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
18438 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
18439 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
18440 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
18441 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
18445 @item gnus-score-followup-article
18446 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
18447 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
18450 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
18451 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
18452 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
18456 @vindex message-sent-hook
18457 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
18458 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
18460 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
18464 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
18465 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
18469 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18470 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18473 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
18474 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
18479 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
18483 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
18484 is system-dependent.
18487 @node Scoring On Other Headers
18488 @section Scoring On Other Headers
18489 @cindex scoring on other headers
18491 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
18492 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
18493 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
18494 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
18495 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
18497 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
18498 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
18499 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
18500 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
18501 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
18503 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18506 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
18507 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
18510 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
18511 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
18512 time if you have much mail.
18514 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
18515 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
18521 @section Scoring Tips
18522 @cindex scoring tips
18528 @cindex scoring crossposts
18529 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
18530 the @code{Xref} header.
18532 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
18535 @item Multiple crossposts
18536 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
18537 more than, say, 3 groups:
18540 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
18544 @item Matching on the body
18545 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
18546 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
18547 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
18548 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
18549 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
18550 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
18551 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
18554 @item Marking as read
18555 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
18556 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
18557 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
18561 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
18563 @item Negated character classes
18564 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
18565 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
18566 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
18570 @node Reverse Scoring
18571 @section Reverse Scoring
18572 @cindex reverse scoring
18574 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
18575 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
18576 like this in your score file:
18580 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
18585 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
18586 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
18589 @node Global Score Files
18590 @section Global Score Files
18591 @cindex global score files
18593 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
18594 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
18595 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
18597 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
18598 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
18599 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
18601 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
18602 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
18603 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
18604 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
18605 files are applicable to which group.
18607 To use the score file
18608 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
18609 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
18613 (setq gnus-global-score-files
18614 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
18615 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
18618 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
18620 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
18621 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
18622 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
18623 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
18625 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
18626 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
18628 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
18629 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
18630 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
18631 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
18632 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
18633 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
18635 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
18641 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
18643 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
18645 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
18647 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
18648 lowered out of existence.
18650 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
18651 articles completely.
18654 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
18655 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
18656 old articles for a long time.
18659 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
18660 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
18661 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
18662 holding our breath yet?
18666 @section Kill Files
18669 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
18670 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
18671 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
18673 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
18674 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
18675 files into score files.
18677 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
18678 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
18679 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
18680 that isn't a very good idea.
18682 Normal kill files look like this:
18685 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18686 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
18690 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
18691 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
18693 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
18694 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
18697 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
18702 @kindex M-k (Summary)
18703 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
18704 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
18707 @kindex M-K (Summary)
18708 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
18709 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
18712 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
18717 @kindex M-k (Group)
18718 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
18719 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
18722 @kindex M-K (Group)
18723 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
18724 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
18727 Kill file variables:
18730 @item gnus-kill-file-name
18731 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
18732 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
18733 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
18734 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
18735 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
18736 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
18738 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18739 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18740 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
18741 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
18744 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
18745 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
18746 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
18747 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
18748 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
18749 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
18750 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
18751 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
18752 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
18754 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18755 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18756 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
18761 @node Converting Kill Files
18762 @section Converting Kill Files
18764 @cindex converting kill files
18766 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
18767 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
18768 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
18771 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
18772 You can fetch it from
18773 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
18775 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
18776 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
18777 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
18785 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
18786 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
18787 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
18788 news articles generated every day.
18790 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
18791 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
18792 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
18793 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
18794 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
18795 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
18796 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
18797 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
18800 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
18801 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
18804 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
18805 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
18806 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
18807 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
18811 @node Using GroupLens
18812 @subsection Using GroupLens
18814 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
18816 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
18817 better bit in town at the moment.
18819 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
18823 @item gnus-use-grouplens
18824 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
18825 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
18826 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
18828 @item grouplens-pseudonym
18829 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
18830 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
18831 with the Better Bit Bureau.
18833 @item grouplens-newsgroups
18834 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
18835 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
18839 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
18840 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
18841 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
18842 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
18843 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
18844 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
18847 @node Rating Articles
18848 @subsection Rating Articles
18850 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
18851 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
18852 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
18853 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
18856 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
18861 @kindex r (GroupLens)
18862 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
18863 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
18866 @kindex k (GroupLens)
18867 @findex grouplens-score-thread
18868 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
18869 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
18870 threads in rec.humor.
18874 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
18875 the score of the article you're reading.
18880 @kindex n (GroupLens)
18881 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
18882 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
18885 @kindex , (GroupLens)
18886 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
18887 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
18891 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
18892 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
18895 @node Displaying Predictions
18896 @subsection Displaying Predictions
18898 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
18899 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
18900 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
18901 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
18902 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
18904 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
18905 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
18906 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
18907 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
18908 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
18909 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
18910 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
18911 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
18912 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
18913 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
18914 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
18915 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
18916 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
18918 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
18919 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
18920 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
18921 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
18923 The following are valid values for that variable.
18926 @item prediction-spot
18927 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
18930 @item confidence-interval
18931 A numeric confidence interval.
18933 @item prediction-bar
18934 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
18936 @item confidence-bar
18937 Numerical confidence.
18939 @item confidence-spot
18940 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
18942 @item prediction-num
18943 Plain-old numeric value.
18945 @item confidence-plus-minus
18946 Prediction +/- confidence.
18951 @node GroupLens Variables
18952 @subsection GroupLens Variables
18956 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
18957 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
18958 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
18959 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
18962 @item grouplens-bbb-host
18963 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
18966 @item grouplens-bbb-port
18967 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
18969 @item grouplens-score-offset
18970 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
18971 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
18974 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
18975 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
18976 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
18981 @node Advanced Scoring
18982 @section Advanced Scoring
18984 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
18985 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
18986 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
18987 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
18988 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
18990 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
18994 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
18995 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
18996 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
19000 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
19001 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
19003 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
19004 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
19005 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
19006 non-@code{nil} value.
19008 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
19009 operator, and various match operators.
19016 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19017 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
19018 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
19023 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19024 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
19025 then this operator will return @code{false}.
19030 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
19031 logical negation of the value of its argument.
19035 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
19036 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
19037 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
19038 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
19039 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
19040 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
19041 the ancestry you want to go.
19043 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
19044 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
19045 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
19046 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
19047 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
19050 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
19051 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
19053 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
19054 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
19057 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
19058 when he's talking about Gnus:
19062 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19063 ("subject" "Gnus"))
19069 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
19073 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19080 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
19081 really don't want to read what he's written:
19085 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19086 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
19090 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
19091 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
19092 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
19099 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
19100 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
19101 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
19102 ("body" "white.*socks"))
19106 The possibilities are endless.
19109 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
19110 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
19112 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
19113 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
19114 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
19115 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
19116 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
19117 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
19118 @samp{subject}) first.
19120 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
19121 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
19132 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
19133 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
19139 ("subject" "Gnus")))
19146 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
19147 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
19152 @section Score Decays
19153 @cindex score decays
19156 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
19157 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
19158 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
19159 use them in any sensible way.
19161 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
19162 @findex gnus-decay-score
19163 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
19164 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
19165 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
19166 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
19167 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
19168 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
19169 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
19170 definition of that function:
19173 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
19175 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
19176 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
19179 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
19181 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
19183 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
19186 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
19187 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
19188 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
19189 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
19193 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
19196 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
19199 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
19203 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
19204 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
19205 the new score, which should be an integer.
19207 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
19208 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
19213 @include message.texi
19214 @chapter Emacs MIME
19215 @include emacs-mime.texi
19217 @include sieve.texi
19227 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
19228 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
19229 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
19230 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
19231 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
19232 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
19233 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
19234 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
19235 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
19236 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
19237 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
19238 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
19239 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
19240 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
19241 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
19242 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
19243 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
19244 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
19245 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
19249 @node Process/Prefix
19250 @section Process/Prefix
19251 @cindex process/prefix convention
19253 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
19254 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
19256 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
19257 command to be performed on.
19261 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
19262 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
19263 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
19264 with the current one.
19266 @vindex transient-mark-mode
19267 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
19268 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
19270 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
19271 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
19274 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
19275 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
19277 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
19280 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
19281 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
19282 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
19283 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19285 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
19286 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
19287 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
19288 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
19289 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
19290 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
19291 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
19292 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
19294 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
19295 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
19296 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
19297 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
19298 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
19302 @section Interactive
19303 @cindex interaction
19307 @item gnus-novice-user
19308 @vindex gnus-novice-user
19309 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
19310 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
19311 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
19312 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
19315 @item gnus-expert-user
19316 @vindex gnus-expert-user
19317 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
19318 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
19319 matter how strange.
19321 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
19322 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
19323 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
19324 is @code{t} by default.
19326 @item gnus-interactive-exit
19327 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
19328 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
19333 @node Symbolic Prefixes
19334 @section Symbolic Prefixes
19335 @cindex symbolic prefixes
19337 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
19338 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
19339 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
19340 rule of 900 to the current article.
19342 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
19343 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
19344 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
19345 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
19346 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
19347 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
19348 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
19350 @kindex M-i (Summary)
19351 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
19352 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
19353 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
19354 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
19355 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
19356 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
19357 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
19358 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
19360 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
19361 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
19362 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
19364 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
19368 @node Formatting Variables
19369 @section Formatting Variables
19370 @cindex formatting variables
19372 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
19373 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
19374 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
19375 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
19376 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
19379 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
19380 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
19381 lots of percentages everywhere.
19384 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
19385 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
19386 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
19387 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
19388 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
19389 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
19390 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
19391 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
19394 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
19395 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
19396 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
19397 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
19398 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
19399 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
19400 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
19401 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
19403 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
19404 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
19406 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
19407 @findex gnus-update-format
19408 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
19409 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
19410 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
19411 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
19415 @node Formatting Basics
19416 @subsection Formatting Basics
19418 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
19419 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
19420 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
19422 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
19423 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
19424 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
19425 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
19426 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
19429 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
19430 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
19431 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
19432 less than 4 characters wide.
19434 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
19435 @samp{%&user-date;}.
19438 @node Mode Line Formatting
19439 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
19441 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
19442 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
19443 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
19444 with the following two differences:
19449 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
19452 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
19453 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
19454 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
19455 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
19456 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
19457 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
19458 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
19463 @node Advanced Formatting
19464 @subsection Advanced Formatting
19466 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
19467 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
19468 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
19469 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
19471 These are the valid modifiers:
19476 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
19480 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
19485 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
19488 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
19493 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
19496 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
19499 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
19502 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
19508 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
19513 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
19514 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
19515 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
19516 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
19517 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
19518 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
19519 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
19521 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
19522 last operation, padding.
19524 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
19525 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
19526 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
19527 @xref{Compilation}.
19530 @node User-Defined Specs
19531 @subsection User-Defined Specs
19533 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
19534 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
19535 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
19536 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
19537 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
19538 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
19539 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
19540 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
19541 should protect against that.
19543 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
19544 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
19546 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
19547 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
19548 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
19549 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
19553 @node Formatting Fonts
19554 @subsection Formatting Fonts
19556 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
19557 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
19558 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
19559 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
19562 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
19563 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
19564 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
19565 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
19566 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
19567 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
19569 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
19570 special @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}.
19571 If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on.
19572 The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or
19573 symbols naming functions that return a string. When the mouse passes
19574 over text with this property set, a balloon window will appear and
19575 display the string. Please refer to @ref{(emacs)Help Echo} (in GNU
19576 Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in XEmacs) for
19577 more information on this. (For technical reasons, the guillemets have
19578 been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this paragraph.)
19580 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
19583 ;; Create three face types.
19584 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
19585 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
19587 ;; We want the article count to be in
19588 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
19589 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
19590 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
19592 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
19593 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
19595 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
19596 (setq gnus-group-line-format
19597 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
19600 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
19601 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
19603 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
19604 mode-line variables.
19606 @node Positioning Point
19607 @subsection Positioning Point
19609 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
19610 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
19611 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
19613 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
19615 @findex gnus-goto-colon
19616 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
19617 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
19619 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
19620 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
19621 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
19626 @subsection Tabulation
19628 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
19629 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
19630 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
19631 about lining up the following text afterwards.
19633 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
19634 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
19636 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19637 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
19638 This is the soft tabulator.
19640 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19641 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
19642 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
19645 @node Wide Characters
19646 @subsection Wide Characters
19648 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
19649 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
19650 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
19652 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
19653 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
19654 these countries, that's not true.
19656 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
19657 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
19658 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
19659 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
19663 @node Window Layout
19664 @section Window Layout
19665 @cindex window layout
19667 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
19669 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
19670 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
19671 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
19672 @code{t} by default.
19674 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
19675 glitches. Use at your own peril.
19677 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
19678 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
19679 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
19682 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
19683 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
19684 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19688 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
19689 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
19690 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
19691 possible names is listed below.
19693 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
19694 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
19697 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19701 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
19702 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
19703 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
19704 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
19705 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
19706 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
19707 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
19708 size spec per split.
19710 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
19711 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
19712 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
19713 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
19714 present) gets focus.
19716 Here's a more complicated example:
19719 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
19720 (summary 0.25 point)
19721 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
19725 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
19726 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
19727 occupy, not a percentage.
19729 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
19730 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
19731 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
19732 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
19733 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
19736 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
19739 (article (horizontal 1.0
19744 (summary 0.25 point)
19749 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
19750 @code{horizontal} thingie?
19752 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
19753 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
19754 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
19755 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
19756 the screen is to be given to this strip.
19758 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
19759 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
19760 lines from the splits.
19762 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
19766 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
19767 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
19768 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
19769 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
19770 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
19771 size = number | frame-params
19772 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
19775 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
19776 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
19777 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
19778 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
19780 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
19781 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
19782 @cindex window height
19783 @cindex window width
19784 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
19785 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
19786 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
19787 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
19788 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
19789 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
19791 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
19792 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
19793 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
19794 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
19796 @findex gnus-configure-frame
19797 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
19798 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
19799 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
19800 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
19801 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
19802 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
19803 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
19804 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
19805 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
19806 configuration list.
19809 (gnus-configure-frame
19813 (article 0.3 point))
19821 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
19822 @code{frame} split:
19825 (gnus-configure-frame
19828 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
19830 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
19831 (user-position . t)
19832 (left . -1) (top . 1))
19837 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
19838 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
19839 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
19840 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
19841 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
19842 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
19843 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
19844 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
19846 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
19847 be found in its default value.
19849 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
19850 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
19851 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
19855 (message (horizontal 1.0
19856 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
19858 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
19863 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
19864 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
19865 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
19870 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
19871 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
19872 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
19873 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
19874 (name . "Message"))
19875 (message 1.0 point))))
19878 @findex gnus-add-configuration
19879 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
19880 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
19881 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
19882 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
19885 (gnus-add-configuration
19886 '(article (vertical 1.0
19888 (summary .25 point)
19892 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
19893 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
19894 Gnus has been loaded.
19896 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
19897 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
19898 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
19899 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
19900 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
19902 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
19903 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
19904 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
19907 @subsection Example Window Configurations
19911 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
19912 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
19927 (gnus-add-configuration
19930 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19932 (summary 0.16 point)
19935 (gnus-add-configuration
19938 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19939 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
19945 @node Faces and Fonts
19946 @section Faces and Fonts
19951 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
19952 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
19953 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
19958 @section Compilation
19959 @cindex compilation
19960 @cindex byte-compilation
19962 @findex gnus-compile
19964 Remember all those line format specification variables?
19965 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
19966 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
19967 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
19968 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
19969 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
19972 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
19973 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
19974 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
19975 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
19976 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
19977 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
19978 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
19982 @section Mode Lines
19985 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
19986 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
19987 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
19988 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
19989 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
19990 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
19991 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
19994 @cindex display-time
19996 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
19997 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
19998 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
19999 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
20000 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
20001 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
20002 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
20003 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
20006 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
20008 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
20009 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
20011 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
20012 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
20013 (length display-time-string)))))
20016 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
20017 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
20018 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
20019 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
20020 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
20023 @node Highlighting and Menus
20024 @section Highlighting and Menus
20026 @cindex highlighting
20029 @vindex gnus-visual
20030 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
20031 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
20032 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
20035 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
20036 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
20039 @item group-highlight
20040 Do highlights in the group buffer.
20041 @item summary-highlight
20042 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
20043 @item article-highlight
20044 Do highlights in the article buffer.
20046 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
20048 Create menus in the group buffer.
20050 Create menus in the summary buffers.
20052 Create menus in the article buffer.
20054 Create menus in the browse buffer.
20056 Create menus in the server buffer.
20058 Create menus in the score buffers.
20060 Create menus in all buffers.
20063 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
20064 buffers, you could say something like:
20067 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
20070 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
20073 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
20076 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
20077 in all Gnus buffers.
20079 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
20082 @item gnus-mouse-face
20083 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
20084 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
20085 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
20089 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
20093 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
20094 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
20095 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
20097 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
20098 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
20099 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
20101 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
20102 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
20103 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
20105 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
20106 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
20107 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
20109 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
20110 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
20111 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
20113 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
20114 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
20115 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
20126 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
20127 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
20128 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
20129 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
20130 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
20134 @vindex gnus-carpal
20135 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
20136 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
20137 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
20142 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20143 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20144 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
20146 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
20147 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
20148 Face used on buttons.
20150 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
20151 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
20152 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
20154 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20155 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20156 Buttons in the group buffer.
20158 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20159 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20160 Buttons in the summary buffer.
20162 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20163 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20164 Buttons in the server buffer.
20166 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20167 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20168 Buttons in the browse buffer.
20171 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
20172 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
20173 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
20181 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
20182 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
20183 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
20184 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
20185 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
20187 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
20188 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
20189 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
20191 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
20192 been idle for thirty minutes:
20195 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
20198 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
20202 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
20205 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
20206 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
20207 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20209 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
20210 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
20211 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
20212 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20214 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
20215 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
20216 @var{idle} minutes.
20218 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
20219 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
20222 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
20223 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
20224 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
20226 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
20227 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
20228 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
20229 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
20231 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
20232 your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20234 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
20236 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
20239 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
20240 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
20241 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
20242 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
20243 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
20244 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
20245 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
20246 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
20247 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
20248 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
20249 @file{.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
20251 @findex gnus-demon-init
20252 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
20253 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
20254 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
20255 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
20256 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
20258 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
20259 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
20260 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
20269 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
20270 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
20272 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
20273 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
20274 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
20275 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
20278 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
20279 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
20280 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
20281 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
20283 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
20284 this will make spam disappear.
20286 There are some variables to customize, of course:
20289 @item gnus-use-nocem
20290 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
20291 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
20294 @item gnus-nocem-groups
20295 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
20296 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
20297 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
20298 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
20300 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
20301 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
20302 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
20303 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
20304 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
20305 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
20307 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
20308 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
20310 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
20311 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
20312 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
20313 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
20314 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
20315 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
20316 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
20317 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
20318 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
20319 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
20321 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
20322 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
20325 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
20328 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
20329 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
20332 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
20335 The specs are applied left-to-right.
20338 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
20339 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
20341 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
20342 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
20343 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
20344 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
20346 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
20347 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
20350 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
20352 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
20360 This might be dangerous, though.
20362 @item gnus-nocem-directory
20363 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
20364 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
20365 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
20367 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20368 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20369 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
20370 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
20371 might then see old spam.
20373 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
20374 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
20375 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
20376 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
20377 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
20380 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20381 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20382 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
20383 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
20387 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
20388 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
20389 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
20390 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
20397 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
20398 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
20399 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
20401 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
20402 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
20403 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
20404 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
20405 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
20406 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
20407 @code{undo} function.
20409 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
20410 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
20411 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
20412 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
20413 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
20414 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
20415 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
20416 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
20417 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
20418 never be totally undoable.
20420 @findex gnus-undo-mode
20421 @vindex gnus-use-undo
20423 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
20424 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
20425 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
20426 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
20430 @node Predicate Specifiers
20431 @section Predicate Specifiers
20432 @cindex predicate specifiers
20434 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
20435 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
20436 to type all that much.
20438 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
20443 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
20444 gnus-article-unread-p)
20447 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
20448 functions all take one parameter.
20450 @findex gnus-make-predicate
20451 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
20452 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
20453 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
20458 @section Moderation
20461 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
20462 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
20463 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
20466 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
20470 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
20473 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
20475 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
20480 You split your incoming mail by matching on
20481 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
20482 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
20485 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
20486 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
20489 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
20490 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
20494 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
20497 (setq gnus-moderated-list
20498 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
20502 @node Image Enhancements
20503 @section Image Enhancements
20505 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
20506 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
20509 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
20510 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
20511 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
20512 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
20513 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
20526 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
20527 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
20528 over your shoulder as you read news.
20531 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
20532 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
20533 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
20534 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
20535 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
20540 @subsubsection Picon Basics
20542 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
20551 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
20552 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
20553 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
20554 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
20555 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
20556 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
20557 @code{GIF} formats.
20560 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20561 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
20562 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
20563 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
20564 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
20566 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20567 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
20568 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
20569 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
20570 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
20571 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20573 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
20574 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
20577 @node Picon Requirements
20578 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
20580 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
20581 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
20582 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
20583 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
20585 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20586 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
20587 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
20588 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
20589 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
20590 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20593 @subsubsection Easy Picons
20595 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
20596 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
20599 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
20600 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
20603 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
20604 containing the Picons databases.
20606 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
20609 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20610 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
20615 @subsubsection Hard Picons
20623 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
20624 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
20625 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
20626 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
20627 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
20632 @item gnus-picons-database
20633 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20634 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
20635 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
20636 subdirectories. This is only useful if
20637 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
20638 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
20640 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20641 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20642 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
20643 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
20644 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
20645 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
20646 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20648 @item gnus-picons-display-where
20649 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20650 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
20651 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
20652 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
20653 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
20654 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
20655 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
20657 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20658 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20659 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
20664 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
20665 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
20667 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
20668 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
20671 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20673 @item gnus-article-display-picons
20674 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
20675 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
20676 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
20678 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20679 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20680 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
20681 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
20687 @node Picon Useless Configuration
20688 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
20696 The following variables offer further control over how things are
20697 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
20698 don't need to worry about.
20702 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
20703 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
20704 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20705 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
20707 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
20708 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
20709 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
20710 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
20712 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
20713 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
20714 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20715 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
20716 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
20718 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20719 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20720 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
20721 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
20722 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
20723 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
20724 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
20725 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20727 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20728 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20729 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
20730 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
20731 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20733 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20734 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20735 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
20736 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
20737 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
20738 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
20739 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
20741 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20742 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20743 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
20744 Defaults to @code{nil}.
20746 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
20747 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
20748 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
20749 Defaults to @code{t}.
20751 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20752 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20753 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
20754 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
20756 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
20757 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
20758 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
20760 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20761 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20762 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
20763 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
20765 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
20766 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
20768 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20769 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20770 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
20771 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
20772 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
20773 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
20774 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
20775 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
20786 @subsection Smileys
20791 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
20796 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
20797 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
20799 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
20800 @file{.gnus.el} file:
20803 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
20806 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
20807 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
20808 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20809 text and maps that to file names.
20811 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
20812 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
20813 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
20814 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
20815 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
20816 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
20818 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
20819 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
20821 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
20822 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
20823 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
20825 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20826 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
20830 @item smiley-data-directory
20831 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20832 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20834 @item smiley-flesh-color
20835 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
20836 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
20838 @item smiley-features-color
20839 @vindex smiley-features-color
20840 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20842 @item smiley-tongue-color
20843 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
20844 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
20846 @item smiley-circle-color
20847 @vindex smiley-circle-color
20848 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20850 @item smiley-mouse-face
20851 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
20852 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
20861 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20862 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20863 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20867 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20868 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20869 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20870 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20878 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20879 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20880 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20881 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20883 The variable that controls this is the
20884 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20885 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20886 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20887 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20888 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20890 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20891 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20892 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20893 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20896 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20897 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20898 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20899 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20900 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20901 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20902 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20903 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20905 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20908 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20909 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20911 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20912 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files
20913 in @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20914 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20915 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20916 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big.
20918 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
20919 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20920 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20922 Here's how you would typically use the former function. Put something
20923 like the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20926 (setq message-required-news-headers
20927 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20928 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
20931 Using the latter function would be something like this:
20934 (setq message-required-news-headers
20935 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20936 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
20937 (gnus-x-face-from-file
20938 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
20943 @subsection Toolbar
20953 @item gnus-use-toolbar
20954 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
20955 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
20956 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
20957 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
20959 @item gnus-group-toolbar
20960 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
20961 The toolbar in the group buffer.
20963 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
20964 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
20965 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
20967 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20968 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20969 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
20975 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
20978 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20979 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20980 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
20981 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
20982 unusual directory structure.
20984 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20985 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20986 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
20987 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
20989 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20990 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20991 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
20992 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
20993 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
20994 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
20996 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20997 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20998 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21012 @node Fuzzy Matching
21013 @section Fuzzy Matching
21014 @cindex fuzzy matching
21016 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21017 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21019 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21020 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21021 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21023 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21024 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21025 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21026 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21027 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21030 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21031 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21035 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21037 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21038 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21039 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21040 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21041 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21042 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21043 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21044 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21047 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21048 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21049 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21050 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21051 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21052 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21054 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21057 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21058 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
21059 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
21060 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
21061 * Filtering Spam Using spam.el::
21062 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)::
21065 @node The problem of spam
21066 @subsection The problem of spam
21068 @cindex spam filtering approaches
21069 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
21071 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21073 First, some background on spam.
21075 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
21076 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
21077 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
21078 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
21079 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
21080 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
21081 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
21082 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
21084 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
21085 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
21086 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
21087 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
21088 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
21089 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
21090 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
21091 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
21092 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
21095 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
21096 spam messages per day from @email{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
21097 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
21098 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
21099 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
21100 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
21101 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
21102 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
21103 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
21104 mail can be useful.
21106 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
21107 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
21108 @code{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @samp{X} in
21109 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
21110 @code{N} systems enter @samp{X} or the spam e-mail from @samp{X} into
21111 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary - it may be the
21112 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
21113 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
21114 message is spam, he consults one of those @code{N} systems.
21116 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
21117 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
21118 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
21119 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
21120 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
21121 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
21122 because of the incident.
21124 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
21125 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
21126 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
21127 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
21128 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
21129 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
21130 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
21131 to store the database of spam analyses.
21133 @node Anti-Spam Basics
21134 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
21138 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21140 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
21141 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
21143 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
21144 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
21145 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
21146 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
21147 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
21148 part of the mail address.)
21151 (setq message-default-news-headers
21152 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
21155 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
21156 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21161 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
21162 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
21163 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
21169 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
21170 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
21171 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
21172 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
21174 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
21175 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
21176 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
21177 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
21178 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
21179 your fancy split rule in this way:
21184 (to "larsi" "misc")
21188 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
21189 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
21190 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
21191 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
21192 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
21194 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
21195 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
21196 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
21197 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
21198 cosmic balance somewhat.
21200 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
21201 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
21202 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
21203 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
21208 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
21209 @cindex SpamAssassin
21210 @cindex Vipul's Razor
21213 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
21214 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
21215 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
21216 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
21217 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
21218 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
21219 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
21221 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
21222 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
21223 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
21224 Specifiers}) follows.
21228 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
21231 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
21234 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
21235 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
21236 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
21239 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
21243 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21246 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
21247 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
21251 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
21252 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
21253 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
21254 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
21257 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
21259 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
21261 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
21262 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
21264 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
21266 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
21267 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
21271 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
21272 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
21273 spam. And here is the nifty function:
21276 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
21277 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
21279 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
21280 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
21281 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
21285 @subsection Hashcash
21288 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
21289 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
21290 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
21291 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
21292 in smaller communities.
21294 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
21295 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
21296 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
21297 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
21298 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
21299 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
21300 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
21301 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
21302 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
21303 one of them separately.
21306 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
21307 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
21308 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
21309 header. For more details, and for the external application
21310 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
21311 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
21312 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
21314 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
21318 (require 'hashcash)
21319 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
21322 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
21323 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
21324 development contrib directory.
21326 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
21330 @item hashcash-default-payment
21331 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
21332 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
21333 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
21334 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
21336 @item hashcash-payment-alist
21337 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
21338 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
21339 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(ADDR AMOUNT)} cells,
21340 where ADDR is the receiver (email address or newsgroup) and AMOUNT is
21341 the number of bits in the collision that is needed. It can also
21342 contain @samp{(ADDR STRING AMOUNT)} cells, where the STRING is the
21343 string to use (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
21347 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
21351 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
21352 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
21353 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
21354 a useful contribution, however.
21356 @node Filtering Spam Using spam.el
21357 @subsection Filtering Spam Using spam.el
21358 @cindex spam filtering
21361 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
21362 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
21363 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
21364 @emph{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
21367 So, what happens when you load @code{spam.el}? First of all, you get
21368 the following keyboard commands:
21378 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
21379 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
21381 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{H} mark.
21382 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
21383 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
21384 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
21390 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
21391 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
21393 You must have bogofilter processing enabled for that command to work
21400 Also, when you load @code{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
21401 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
21404 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
21405 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
21406 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
21407 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
21408 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
21409 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
21410 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
21411 will be detected later.
21413 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
21414 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
21415 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
21416 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
21417 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
21418 by customizing the corresponding variable
21419 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
21420 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
21421 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
21422 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
21423 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
21424 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
21425 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
21428 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
21429 they get the @samp{H} mark when you enter the group. You must review
21430 these messages from time to time and remove the @samp{H} mark for
21431 every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{H}
21432 mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to "unread" the article, or @kbd{d} for
21433 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
21434 spam-marked (@samp{H}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
21435 will study them as spam samples.
21437 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
21438 @code{spam-ham-marks} gets overridden below, marks @samp{R} and
21439 @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
21440 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
21441 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
21442 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
21443 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
21444 should then adjust the @code{spam-ham-marks} variable.
21446 @defvar spam-ham-marks
21447 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21448 consider ham. By default, the list contains the deleted, read,
21449 killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
21452 @defvar spam-spam-marks
21453 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21454 consider spam. By default, the list contains only the spam mark.
21457 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
21458 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
21459 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
21460 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
21461 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
21462 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{H},
21465 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
21466 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
21467 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
21468 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
21469 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
21470 parameter or the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations} variable. The
21471 location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
21472 parameter is not set, spam articles are only expired.
21474 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
21475 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
21477 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
21478 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
21479 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or the
21480 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable. The location is a
21481 group name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not
21482 set, the spam articles are only expired.
21484 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
21485 must add the following to your fancy split list
21486 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
21492 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
21493 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
21494 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
21496 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
21497 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
21498 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
21499 but you can customize it.
21501 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
21502 into a backend. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
21503 longer spam or ham.}
21505 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
21506 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
21509 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
21510 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
21513 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
21514 * BBDB Whitelists::
21517 * ifile spam filtering::
21518 * spam-stat spam filtering::
21519 * Extending spam.el::
21522 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
21523 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
21524 @cindex spam filtering
21525 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
21526 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
21529 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
21530 Set this variable to t if you want to use blacklists when splitting
21531 incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist will be
21532 sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit filter,
21533 meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to be
21537 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
21538 Set this variable to t if you want to use whitelists when splitting
21539 incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the whitelist will
21540 be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an implicit filter,
21541 meaning it believes everyone to be a spammer unless told otherwise.
21545 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
21546 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21547 customizing the group parameters or the
21548 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21549 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21550 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
21553 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
21554 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21555 customizing the group parameters or the
21556 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21557 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21558 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
21559 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
21560 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21563 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
21564 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
21565 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
21566 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
21567 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
21569 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
21570 legitimate. All non-whitelisted addresses are considered spammers.
21571 This option is probably not useful for most Gnus users unless the
21572 whitelists is very comprehensive or permissive. Also see @ref{BBDB
21573 Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the Emacs regular expression
21576 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
21577 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
21578 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
21579 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
21580 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
21581 @file{blacklist} respectively.
21583 @node BBDB Whitelists
21584 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
21585 @cindex spam filtering
21586 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
21587 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
21590 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
21592 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
21593 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted addresses,
21594 without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded for
21595 @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Only addresses in the BBDB
21596 will be allowed through; all others will be classified as spam.
21600 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
21601 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21602 customizing the group parameters or the
21603 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21604 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21605 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
21606 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
21607 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21611 @subsubsection Blackholes
21612 @cindex spam filtering
21613 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
21616 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
21618 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
21619 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
21620 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
21621 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
21622 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
21623 contains outdated servers.
21625 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
21626 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
21627 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil. It is not recommended at this
21628 time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil despite the possible
21629 performance improvements, because some users may be unable to use it,
21630 but you can try it and see if it works for you.
21634 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
21636 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
21640 @defvar spam-use-dig
21642 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
21643 The default setting of t is recommended.
21647 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
21648 ham processor for blackholes.
21651 @subsubsection Bogofilter
21652 @cindex spam filtering
21653 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
21656 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
21658 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
21659 speedy Bogofilter. This has been tested with a locally patched copy
21660 of version 0.4. Make sure to read the installation comments in
21663 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{H} mark for spam
21664 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
21665 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
21666 category, spam or not. The shell command @command{head -1
21667 ~/.bogofilter/*} shows both article counts. The command @kbd{S t} in
21668 summary mode, either for debugging or for curiosity, triggers
21669 Bogofilter into displaying in another buffer the @emph{spamicity}
21670 score of the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0), together with the
21671 article words which most significantly contribute to the score.
21673 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
21674 processing will be turned off.
21679 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
21680 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21681 customizing the group parameters or the
21682 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21683 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
21684 will be added to the bogofilter spam database, and ham-marked articles
21685 will be added to the bogofilter ham database. @strong{Note that the
21686 Bogofilter spam processor is the only spam processor to also do ham
21690 @node ifile spam filtering
21691 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
21692 @cindex spam filtering
21693 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
21696 @defvar spam-use-ifile
21698 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use ifile, a
21699 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
21703 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
21705 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
21706 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
21707 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
21711 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
21713 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
21714 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
21715 the default value of @samp{spam}.
21718 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
21720 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
21721 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
21725 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
21726 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
21727 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
21728 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
21731 @node spam-stat spam filtering
21732 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
21733 @cindex spam filtering
21734 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
21735 @cindex spam-stat.el
21738 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)}.
21740 @defvar spam-use-stat
21742 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
21743 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
21747 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
21748 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21749 customizing the group parameters or the
21750 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21751 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
21752 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
21755 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
21756 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21757 customizing the group parameters or the
21758 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21759 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
21760 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
21761 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
21762 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21765 This enables spam.el to cooperate with spam-stat.el. spam-stat.el
21766 provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database, which unlike ifile or
21767 Bogofilter does not require external programs. A spam and a ham
21768 processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for @code{spam-split}
21771 @node Extending spam.el
21772 @subsubsection Extending spam.el
21773 @cindex spam filtering
21774 @cindex spam.el, extending
21775 @cindex extending spam.el
21777 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
21778 incoming mail, provide the following:
21786 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
21787 "True if blackbox should be used.")
21792 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
21794 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
21799 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
21800 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
21801 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
21804 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
21811 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
21812 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
21815 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
21816 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
21817 Only applicable to spam groups.")
21819 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
21820 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
21821 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
21829 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
21830 (spam-generic-register-routine
21831 ;; the spam function
21833 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
21834 (when (stringp from)
21835 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
21836 ;; the ham function
21839 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
21840 (spam-generic-register-routine
21841 ;; the spam function
21843 ;; the ham function
21845 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
21846 (when (stringp from)
21847 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
21850 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
21851 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
21852 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
21853 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
21854 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
21855 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
21860 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)
21861 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)
21862 @cindex Paul Graham
21863 @cindex Graham, Paul
21864 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
21865 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
21866 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
21868 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
21869 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
21870 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
21871 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
21872 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
21873 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
21874 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
21875 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
21876 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
21879 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
21880 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
21881 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
21882 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
21883 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
21884 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
21885 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
21886 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
21888 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
21889 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
21890 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
21891 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
21892 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
21895 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
21896 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
21897 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
21900 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
21901 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
21903 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
21904 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
21905 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
21906 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
21907 need several hundred emails in both collections.
21909 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
21910 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
21911 per mail. Use the following:
21913 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
21914 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
21915 is treated as one spam mail.
21918 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
21919 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
21920 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
21923 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
21924 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
21925 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
21926 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
21927 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
21928 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
21930 When you are using IMAP, you won't have the mails available locally,
21931 so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent to cache
21932 the articles. Then you can use directories such as
21933 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
21934 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
21937 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics -- the
21938 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
21939 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
21940 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
21943 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
21944 reset the dictionary.
21946 @defun spam-stat-reset
21947 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
21950 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
21951 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
21952 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
21953 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
21954 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
21955 only non-spam mails.
21957 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
21958 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
21959 to update the dictionary incrementally.
21962 @defun spam-stat-save
21963 Save the dictionary.
21966 @defvar spam-stat-file
21967 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
21968 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
21971 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
21972 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
21974 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
21975 following to your @file{~/.gnus} file:
21978 (require 'spam-stat)
21982 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
21985 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
21986 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
21987 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
21988 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
21990 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
21991 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
21992 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
21993 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
21996 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
21997 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22001 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
22002 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
22005 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
22006 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
22007 expression are considered potential spam.
22010 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22011 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22012 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22016 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
22017 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
22018 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
22019 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
22020 mails, when creating the dictionary!
22023 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22024 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22025 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22029 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
22030 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
22031 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
22032 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
22033 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
22037 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22038 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
22039 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22040 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22045 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22046 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22048 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
22050 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
22051 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
22052 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22055 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
22056 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
22057 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22060 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
22061 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
22062 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
22063 already been processed as non-spam.
22066 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
22067 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
22068 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
22069 been processed as spam.
22072 @defun spam-stat-save
22073 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
22074 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22077 @defun spam-stat-load
22078 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
22079 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22082 @defun spam-stat-score-word
22083 Return the spam score for a word.
22086 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
22087 Return the spam score for a buffer.
22090 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
22091 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
22092 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22095 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
22096 following in your @file{~/.gnus} file:
22099 (require 'spam-stat)
22103 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
22106 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22107 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22108 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22109 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22110 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22111 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22112 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22113 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22114 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22115 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22116 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22117 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22118 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22119 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22122 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
22125 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22126 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22127 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22128 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
22129 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22130 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22133 @node Various Various
22134 @section Various Various
22140 @item gnus-home-directory
22141 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
22142 defaults to @file{~/}.
22144 @item gnus-directory
22145 @vindex gnus-directory
22146 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
22147 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
22148 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
22150 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
22151 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
22152 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
22153 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
22155 @item gnus-default-directory
22156 @vindex gnus-default-directory
22157 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
22158 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
22159 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
22160 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
22161 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
22162 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
22165 @vindex gnus-verbose
22166 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
22167 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
22168 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
22169 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
22170 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
22172 @item gnus-verbose-backends
22173 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
22174 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
22175 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
22177 @item nnheader-max-head-length
22178 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
22179 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
22180 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
22181 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
22182 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
22183 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
22184 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
22185 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
22186 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
22188 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
22189 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
22190 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
22191 read when doing the operation described above.
22193 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22194 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22196 @cindex invalid characters in file names
22197 @cindex characters in file names
22198 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
22199 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
22200 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
22203 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22207 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
22208 Windows (phooey) systems.
22210 @item gnus-hidden-properties
22211 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
22212 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
22213 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
22214 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
22216 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
22217 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
22218 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
22219 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
22220 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
22222 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
22223 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
22224 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
22226 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22227 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22229 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
22230 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
22231 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
22232 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
22235 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
22243 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
22244 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
22246 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
22248 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
22254 Not because of victories @*
22257 but for the common sunshine,@*
22259 the largess of the spring.
22263 but for the day's work done@*
22264 as well as I was able;@*
22265 not for a seat upon the dais@*
22266 but at the common table.@*
22271 @chapter Appendices
22274 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
22275 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
22276 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
22277 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
22278 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
22279 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
22280 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
22281 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
22282 * Frequently Asked Questions::
22289 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
22291 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
22292 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
22293 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
22294 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
22295 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
22296 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
22303 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
22304 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
22306 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
22307 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
22308 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
22309 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
22310 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
22312 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
22313 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
22314 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
22315 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
22316 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
22317 appropriate name, don't you think?)
22319 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
22320 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
22321 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
22322 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
22325 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
22326 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
22327 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
22328 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
22329 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
22330 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
22331 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
22332 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
22333 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
22337 @node Gnus Versions
22338 @subsection Gnus Versions
22340 @cindex September Gnus
22342 @cindex Quassia Gnus
22343 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
22347 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
22348 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
22349 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
22351 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
22352 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
22354 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
22355 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
22357 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
22358 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
22360 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
22361 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
22364 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
22366 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
22367 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
22368 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
22369 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
22370 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
22371 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
22374 @node Other Gnus Versions
22375 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
22378 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
22379 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
22380 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
22381 @sc{mime} capabilities.
22383 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
22384 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
22385 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
22386 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
22393 What's the point of Gnus?
22395 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
22396 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
22397 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
22398 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
22399 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
22400 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
22401 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
22402 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
22403 keep track of millions of people who post?
22405 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
22406 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
22407 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
22408 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
22409 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
22410 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
22411 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
22412 every one of you to explore and invent.
22414 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
22415 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
22418 @node Compatibility
22419 @subsection Compatibility
22421 @cindex compatibility
22422 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
22423 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
22424 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
22429 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
22433 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
22436 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
22439 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
22440 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
22441 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
22442 important variables have their values copied into their global
22443 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
22444 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
22446 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
22447 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
22448 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
22449 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
22450 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
22454 @cindex highlighting
22455 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
22456 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
22457 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
22458 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
22459 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
22460 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
22463 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
22464 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
22465 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
22466 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
22468 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
22469 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
22470 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
22471 to stop doing it the old way.
22473 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
22475 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
22477 @cindex reporting bugs
22479 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
22480 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
22481 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
22483 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
22484 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
22485 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
22486 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
22491 @subsection Conformity
22493 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
22494 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
22502 There are no known breaches of this standard.
22506 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
22508 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
22509 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
22510 We do have some breaches to this one.
22516 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
22517 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
22518 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
22519 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
22520 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
22525 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
22526 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
22527 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
22528 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
22530 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
22532 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
22534 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
22535 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
22537 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
22540 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
22541 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
22542 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
22543 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
22544 decoding (verification and decryption).
22546 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
22547 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
22548 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
22549 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
22551 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
22552 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
22554 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
22555 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
22556 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
22557 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
22558 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
22559 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
22560 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
22564 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
22565 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
22570 @subsection Emacsen
22576 Gnus should work on :
22584 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
22588 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
22589 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
22592 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
22593 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
22594 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
22598 @node Gnus Development
22599 @subsection Gnus Development
22601 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
22602 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
22603 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
22604 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
22605 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
22606 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
22607 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
22608 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
22610 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
22611 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
22612 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
22613 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
22614 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
22617 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
22618 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
22619 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
22620 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
22621 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
22623 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
22624 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
22625 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
22626 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
22627 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
22628 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
22629 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
22630 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
22631 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
22632 can't be assumed to do so.
22637 @subsection Contributors
22638 @cindex contributors
22640 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
22641 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
22642 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
22643 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
22644 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
22645 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
22646 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
22647 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
22648 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
22649 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
22651 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
22657 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
22660 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
22661 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
22662 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
22663 functionality and stuff.
22666 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
22667 well as numerous other things).
22670 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
22673 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
22676 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
22679 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
22682 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
22683 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
22686 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
22689 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
22690 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
22693 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
22696 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
22699 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
22702 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
22705 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
22706 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
22709 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
22712 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
22715 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
22718 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
22722 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
22725 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
22728 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
22731 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
22732 well as autoconf support.
22736 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
22737 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
22739 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
22748 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
22752 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
22762 Alexei V. Barantsev,
22777 Massimo Campostrini,
22782 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
22783 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
22787 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
22790 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
22796 Michael Welsh Duggan,
22801 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
22805 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
22813 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
22815 Michelangelo Grigni,
22819 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
22821 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
22823 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
22830 François Felix Ingrand,
22831 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
22832 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
22834 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
22845 Peter Skov Knudsen,
22846 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
22848 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
22849 Thor Kristoffersen,
22852 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
22870 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
22871 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
22878 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
22883 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
22887 John McClary Prevost,
22893 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
22898 Christian von Roques,
22901 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
22908 Philippe Schnoebelen,
22910 Randal L. Schwartz,
22924 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
22929 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
22945 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
22950 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
22951 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
22952 (550kB and counting).
22954 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
22957 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
22958 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
22962 @subsection New Features
22963 @cindex new features
22966 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
22967 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
22968 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
22969 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
22970 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
22973 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
22974 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
22975 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
22978 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
22980 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
22985 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
22986 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
22989 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
22990 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
22993 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
22996 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
22997 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
22998 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
23001 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
23002 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
23003 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
23004 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23007 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
23008 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23011 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
23012 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
23013 (@pxref{The Active File}).
23016 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
23017 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
23020 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
23021 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
23022 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23025 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
23026 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
23027 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
23030 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus.el}) to avoid cluttering up
23031 the @file{.emacs} file.
23034 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
23035 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
23038 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
23039 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
23042 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
23043 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23046 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
23047 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
23050 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
23051 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23054 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
23057 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
23058 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
23061 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
23062 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
23065 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
23066 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
23069 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
23072 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
23073 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23076 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
23080 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
23084 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
23085 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
23088 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
23094 @node September Gnus
23095 @subsubsection September Gnus
23099 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
23103 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
23108 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
23109 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
23113 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
23114 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
23118 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
23122 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
23123 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
23126 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
23130 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23133 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
23136 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
23139 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
23143 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
23144 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
23147 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
23151 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
23155 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
23159 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
23163 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
23166 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
23167 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
23170 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
23174 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
23175 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
23178 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
23181 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
23182 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
23183 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23186 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
23190 The Gnus cache is much faster.
23193 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
23197 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
23198 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
23201 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
23202 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
23205 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
23206 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
23209 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
23210 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
23211 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
23214 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
23215 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
23218 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
23221 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23224 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
23227 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
23230 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
23231 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
23234 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
23238 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
23241 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
23246 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
23249 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
23253 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23256 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
23260 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
23263 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
23266 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
23267 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23270 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
23271 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
23275 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
23276 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
23279 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
23283 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
23284 buffer to allow easier treatment.
23287 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
23290 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
23294 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
23298 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
23299 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
23302 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
23306 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
23307 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23310 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
23311 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23314 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
23318 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23321 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
23324 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
23330 @subsubsection Red Gnus
23332 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
23336 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
23343 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
23346 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
23347 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23350 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
23351 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
23355 Article washing status can be displayed in the
23356 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
23359 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
23362 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
23363 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
23366 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
23370 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
23371 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
23375 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
23376 Server Internals}).
23379 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
23383 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
23386 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
23387 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
23390 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
23391 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
23392 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
23395 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
23396 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
23399 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
23400 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
23403 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
23407 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
23408 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23411 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
23412 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23415 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
23419 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
23422 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
23426 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
23427 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23430 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
23431 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
23434 A new command for reading collections of documents
23435 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
23436 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
23439 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
23443 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
23444 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
23447 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
23448 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
23449 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
23452 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
23453 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
23457 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
23461 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
23465 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
23470 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
23474 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
23478 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
23479 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
23482 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
23488 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
23490 New features in Gnus 5.6:
23495 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
23496 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
23497 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
23500 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
23501 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
23502 group, which is created automatically.
23505 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
23509 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
23512 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
23513 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
23516 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
23520 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
23523 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
23524 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
23527 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
23530 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
23531 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
23534 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
23535 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
23538 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
23539 control over simplification.
23542 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
23545 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
23549 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
23552 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
23555 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
23556 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
23557 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
23560 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
23561 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
23564 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
23568 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
23569 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
23572 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
23573 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
23576 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
23580 A history of where mails have been split is available.
23583 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
23586 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
23587 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
23590 A new function for citing in Message has been
23591 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
23594 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
23597 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
23601 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
23602 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
23605 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
23606 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
23609 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
23612 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
23616 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
23617 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
23619 New features in Gnus 5.8:
23624 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
23625 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
23627 If you used procmail like in
23630 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
23631 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
23632 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
23633 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
23636 this now has changed to
23640 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
23644 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
23645 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
23648 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
23649 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
23652 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
23653 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
23656 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
23657 called to position point.
23660 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
23661 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
23664 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
23665 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
23668 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
23669 subtly different manner.
23672 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
23673 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
23674 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
23677 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
23685 @section The Manual
23689 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
23690 either @code{texi2dvi}
23692 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
23693 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
23695 to get what you hold in your hands now.
23697 The following conventions have been used:
23702 This is a @samp{string}
23705 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
23708 This is a @file{file}
23711 This is a @code{symbol}
23715 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
23719 (setq flargnoze "yes")
23722 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
23725 (setq flumphel 'yes)
23728 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
23729 ever get them confused.
23733 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
23734 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
23735 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
23736 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
23737 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
23738 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
23739 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
23745 @node On Writing Manuals
23746 @section On Writing Manuals
23748 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
23749 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
23750 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
23751 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
23752 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
23753 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
23756 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
23757 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
23758 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
23761 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
23762 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
23767 @section Terminology
23769 @cindex terminology
23774 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
23775 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
23776 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
23777 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
23778 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
23782 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
23783 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
23784 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
23785 not posting, and replying is not following up.
23789 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
23793 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
23798 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
23799 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
23800 commonly fetched via the protocol NNTP, whereas mail messages could be
23801 read from a file on the local disk. The internal architecture of Gnus
23802 thus comprises a `front end' and a number of `back ends'. Internally,
23803 when you enter a group (by hitting @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke
23804 a function in the front end in Gnus. The front end then `talks' to a
23805 back end and says things like ``Give me the list of articles in the foo
23806 group'' or ``Show me article number 4711''.
23808 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back end
23809 accesses news via NNTP, the @code{nnimap} back end accesses mail via
23810 IMAP) or a file format and directory layout (the @code{nnspool} back end
23811 accesses news via the common `spool directory' format, the @code{nnml}
23812 back end access mail via a file format and directory layout that's
23815 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
23816 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
23817 access the articles.
23819 However, sometimes the term `back end' is also used where `server'
23820 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term `select
23821 method' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
23826 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
23827 default, way of getting news.
23831 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
23832 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
23837 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
23838 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
23842 A message that has been posted as news.
23845 @cindex mail message
23846 A message that has been mailed.
23850 A mail message or news article
23854 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
23859 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
23864 A line from the head of an article.
23868 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
23869 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
23873 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
23874 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
23875 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
23876 normal @sc{head} format.
23880 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
23881 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
23882 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
23883 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
23884 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
23885 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
23887 @item killed groups
23888 @cindex killed groups
23889 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
23890 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
23892 @item zombie groups
23893 @cindex zombie groups
23894 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
23897 @cindex active file
23898 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
23899 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
23900 is rather large, as you might surmise.
23903 @cindex bogus groups
23904 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
23905 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
23906 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
23909 @cindex activating groups
23910 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
23911 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
23912 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
23916 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
23918 @item select method
23919 @cindex select method
23920 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
23923 @item virtual server
23924 @cindex virtual server
23925 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
23926 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
23927 whole is a virtual server.
23931 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
23932 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
23935 @item ephemeral groups
23936 @cindex ephemeral groups
23937 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
23938 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
23939 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
23942 @cindex solid groups
23943 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
23944 group buffer are solid groups.
23946 @item sparse articles
23947 @cindex sparse articles
23948 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
23949 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
23953 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
23954 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
23958 @cindex thread root
23959 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
23960 articles in the thread.
23964 An article that has responses.
23968 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
23972 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
23973 specified by RFC 1153.
23979 @node Customization
23980 @section Customization
23981 @cindex general customization
23983 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
23984 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
23985 for some quite common situations.
23988 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
23989 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
23990 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
23991 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
23995 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
23996 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
23998 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
23999 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
24000 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
24004 @item gnus-read-active-file
24005 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
24006 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
24007 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24008 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
24009 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
24011 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
24012 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
24013 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
24014 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
24018 @node Slow Terminal Connection
24019 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
24021 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
24022 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
24023 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
24027 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
24028 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
24029 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
24030 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
24031 horizontal and vertical recentering.
24033 @item gnus-visible-headers
24034 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
24035 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
24036 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
24037 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
24039 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
24041 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
24042 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
24043 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
24046 @item gnus-use-full-window
24047 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
24048 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
24049 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
24050 want to read them anyway.
24052 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
24053 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
24057 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
24058 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
24059 lines, which might save some time.
24063 @node Little Disk Space
24064 @subsection Little Disk Space
24067 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
24068 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
24072 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
24073 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
24074 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24075 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24078 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
24079 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
24080 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24081 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24084 @item gnus-save-killed-list
24085 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
24086 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
24087 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
24088 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
24094 @subsection Slow Machine
24095 @cindex slow machine
24097 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
24098 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
24100 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24101 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
24103 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
24104 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
24105 summary buffer faster.
24109 @node Troubleshooting
24110 @section Troubleshooting
24111 @cindex troubleshooting
24113 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
24121 Make sure your computer is switched on.
24124 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
24125 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
24129 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
24130 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
24131 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
24132 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
24135 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
24139 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
24140 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
24141 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
24142 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
24143 something like that.
24146 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
24149 @cindex reporting bugs
24151 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
24153 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
24154 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
24155 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
24156 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
24158 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
24159 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
24160 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
24161 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
24164 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
24165 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
24166 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
24167 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
24168 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
24169 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
24171 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
24172 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
24173 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
24177 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
24178 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
24181 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
24182 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
24183 edebug. Debugging lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
24184 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
24185 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
24186 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
24187 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
24188 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
24189 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
24190 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
24191 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
24192 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
24193 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
24194 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
24199 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate a elisp error but
24200 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
24201 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press C-j when things are
24202 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
24203 helps isolating the real problem areas). A fancier approach is to use
24204 the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is (or should be) fully
24205 documented elsewhere, but to get you started there are a few steps
24206 that need to be followed. First, instrument the part of Gnus you are
24207 interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET
24208 gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-packagre RET message}. Then perform
24209 the operation that is slow and press @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will
24210 then see which operations that takes time, and can debug them further.
24211 If the entire operation takes much longer than the time spent in the
24212 slowest function in the profiler output, you probably profiled the
24213 wrong part of Gnus. To reset profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x
24214 elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove
24215 profiling, but given the complexities and dynamic code generation in
24216 Gnus, it might not always work perfectly.
24218 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
24219 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
24221 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
24222 @cindex ding mailing list
24223 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
24224 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
24228 @node Gnus Reference Guide
24229 @section Gnus Reference Guide
24231 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
24232 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
24233 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
24234 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
24237 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
24238 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
24239 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
24240 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
24241 and general methods of operation.
24244 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
24245 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
24246 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
24247 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
24248 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
24249 * Group Info:: The group info format.
24250 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
24251 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
24252 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
24256 @node Gnus Utility Functions
24257 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
24258 @cindex Gnus utility functions
24259 @cindex utility functions
24261 @cindex internal variables
24263 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
24264 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
24265 Below is a list of the most common ones.
24269 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
24270 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
24271 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
24273 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
24274 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
24275 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
24277 @item gnus-group-real-name
24278 @findex gnus-group-real-name
24279 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
24282 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
24283 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
24284 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
24285 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
24287 @item gnus-get-info
24288 @findex gnus-get-info
24289 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
24291 @item gnus-group-unread
24292 @findex gnus-group-unread
24293 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
24297 @findex gnus-active
24298 The active entry for @var{group}.
24300 @item gnus-set-active
24301 @findex gnus-set-active
24302 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
24304 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
24305 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
24306 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
24309 @item gnus-continuum-version
24310 @findex gnus-continuum-version
24311 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
24312 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
24315 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
24316 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
24317 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
24319 @item gnus-news-group-p
24320 @findex gnus-news-group-p
24321 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
24323 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24324 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24325 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
24327 @item gnus-server-to-method
24328 @findex gnus-server-to-method
24329 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
24331 @item gnus-server-equal
24332 @findex gnus-server-equal
24333 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
24335 @item gnus-group-native-p
24336 @findex gnus-group-native-p
24337 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
24339 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
24340 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
24341 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
24343 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
24344 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
24345 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
24347 @item group-group-find-parameter
24348 @findex group-group-find-parameter
24349 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
24350 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
24352 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
24353 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
24354 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
24356 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
24357 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
24358 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
24360 @item gnus-check-backend-function
24361 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
24362 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
24363 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
24366 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
24370 @item gnus-read-method
24371 @findex gnus-read-method
24372 Prompts the user for a select method.
24377 @node Back End Interface
24378 @subsection Back End Interface
24380 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
24381 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
24382 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
24383 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
24384 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
24385 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
24387 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
24388 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
24389 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
24390 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
24391 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
24392 been opened, the function should fail.
24394 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
24395 name. Take this example:
24399 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
24400 (nntp-port-number 4324))
24403 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
24404 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
24406 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
24407 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
24408 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
24410 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
24411 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
24412 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
24414 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
24415 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
24416 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
24417 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
24418 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
24419 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
24422 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
24423 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
24424 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
24425 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
24428 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
24429 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
24430 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
24431 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
24432 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
24433 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
24434 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
24435 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
24436 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
24437 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
24439 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
24440 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
24441 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
24442 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
24443 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
24444 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
24445 of numbers as long as possible.
24447 Note that by convention, backends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
24448 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
24449 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
24451 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
24454 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
24457 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
24458 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
24459 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
24460 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
24461 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
24462 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
24466 @node Required Back End Functions
24467 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
24471 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
24473 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
24474 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
24475 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
24476 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
24478 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
24479 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
24480 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
24481 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
24483 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
24484 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
24485 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
24486 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
24487 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
24488 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
24489 number, do maximum fetches.
24491 Here's an example HEAD:
24494 221 1056 Article retrieved.
24495 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
24496 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
24497 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
24498 Subject: Re: Something very droll
24499 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
24500 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
24502 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
24503 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
24504 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
24508 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
24509 these in the data buffer.
24511 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
24515 head = error / valid-head
24516 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
24517 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
24518 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
24519 header = <text> eol
24522 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
24523 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
24527 nov-buffer = *nov-line
24528 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
24529 field = <text except TAB>
24532 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
24536 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
24538 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
24539 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
24541 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
24542 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
24543 server. In fact, it should do so.
24545 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
24546 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
24549 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
24551 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
24552 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
24555 There should be no data returned.
24558 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
24560 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
24561 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
24562 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
24563 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
24565 There should be no data returned.
24568 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
24570 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
24571 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
24572 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
24573 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
24575 There should be no data returned.
24578 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
24580 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
24582 There should be no data returned.
24585 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
24587 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
24588 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
24589 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
24590 it would be nice if that were possible.
24592 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
24593 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
24594 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
24595 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
24596 into its article buffer.
24598 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
24599 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
24600 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
24601 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
24602 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
24603 on successful article retrieval.
24606 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
24608 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
24609 making @var{group} the current group.
24611 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
24614 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
24617 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
24620 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
24621 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
24622 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
24623 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
24624 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
24625 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
24626 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
24627 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
24628 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
24632 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
24633 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
24634 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
24638 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
24640 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
24641 a no-op on most back ends.
24643 There should be no data returned.
24646 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
24648 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
24651 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
24654 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
24655 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
24658 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
24659 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
24660 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
24661 and the highest as 0.
24664 active-file = *active-line
24665 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
24667 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
24670 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
24671 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
24672 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
24675 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
24677 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
24678 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
24679 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
24680 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
24681 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
24682 clear if the posting could not be completed.
24684 There should be no result data from this function.
24689 @node Optional Back End Functions
24690 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
24694 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
24696 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
24697 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
24698 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
24700 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
24701 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
24702 former is in the same format as the data from
24703 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
24704 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
24707 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
24711 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
24713 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
24714 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
24715 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
24716 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
24717 should return a non-nil value.
24719 There should be no result data from this function.
24722 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
24724 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
24725 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
24726 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
24727 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
24728 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
24729 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
24730 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
24731 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
24733 There should be no result data from this function.
24736 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
24738 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
24739 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
24740 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
24741 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
24742 propagate the mark information to the server.
24744 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
24747 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
24750 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
24751 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
24752 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
24753 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
24754 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
24755 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
24756 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
24757 possible, not limit itself to these.
24759 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
24760 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
24761 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
24762 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
24764 An example action list:
24767 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
24768 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
24769 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
24772 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
24773 mark on (currently not used for anything).
24775 There should be no result data from this function.
24777 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
24779 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
24780 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
24781 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
24782 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
24783 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
24785 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
24786 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
24787 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
24790 There should be no result data from this function.
24793 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
24795 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
24796 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
24797 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
24798 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
24799 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
24800 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
24801 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
24803 There should be no result data from this function.
24806 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
24808 The result data from this function should be a description of
24812 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
24814 description = <text>
24817 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
24819 The result data from this function should be the description of all
24820 groups available on the server.
24823 description-buffer = *description-line
24827 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
24829 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
24830 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
24831 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
24832 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
24833 in the active buffer format.
24835 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
24836 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
24837 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
24838 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
24839 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
24840 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
24841 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
24844 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
24846 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
24848 There should be no return data.
24851 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
24853 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
24854 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
24855 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
24856 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
24857 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
24860 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
24863 There should be no result data returned.
24866 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
24869 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
24870 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
24872 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
24873 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
24874 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
24875 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
24876 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
24877 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
24879 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
24880 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
24883 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
24884 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
24886 There should be no data returned.
24889 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
24891 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
24892 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
24893 this function in short order.
24895 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
24896 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
24898 The group should exist before the backend is asked to accept the
24899 article for that group.
24901 There should be no data returned.
24904 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
24906 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
24907 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
24909 There should be no data returned.
24912 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
24914 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
24915 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
24916 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
24918 There should be no data returned.
24921 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
24923 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
24924 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
24926 There should be no data returned.
24931 @node Error Messaging
24932 @subsubsection Error Messaging
24934 @findex nnheader-report
24935 @findex nnheader-get-report
24936 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
24937 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
24938 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
24939 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
24940 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
24941 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
24944 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
24946 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
24949 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
24950 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
24951 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
24952 takes one argument---the server symbol.
24954 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
24955 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
24956 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
24959 @node Writing New Back Ends
24960 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
24962 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
24963 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
24964 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
24965 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
24966 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
24969 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
24970 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
24971 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
24973 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
24974 package called @code{nnoo}.
24976 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
24977 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
24983 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
24984 parameters. For instance:
24987 (nnoo-declare nndir
24991 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
24992 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
24995 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
24996 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
24997 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
24999 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
25000 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
25001 a function in those back ends.
25004 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25005 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25006 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25009 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
25010 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
25011 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
25013 @item nnoo-define-basics
25014 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
25018 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25022 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
25023 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
25024 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
25026 @item nnoo-map-functions
25027 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
25028 functions from the parent back ends.
25031 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25032 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25033 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
25036 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
25037 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
25038 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
25039 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
25042 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
25043 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
25044 haven't already been defined.
25050 nnmh-request-newgroups)
25054 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
25055 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
25056 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
25061 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
25064 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
25065 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
25069 (require 'nnheader)
25073 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
25075 (nnoo-declare nndir
25078 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25079 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25080 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25082 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
25083 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
25086 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
25088 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
25089 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
25090 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
25092 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
25093 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
25095 ;;; Interface functions.
25097 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25099 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
25100 (setq nndir-directory
25101 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
25103 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
25104 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
25105 (push `(nndir-current-group
25106 ,(file-name-nondirectory
25107 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25109 (push `(nndir-top-directory
25110 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25112 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
25114 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25115 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25116 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25117 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
25118 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
25122 nnmh-status-message
25124 nnmh-request-newgroups))
25130 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25131 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25133 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
25134 @findex gnus-declare-backend
25135 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
25136 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
25137 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
25139 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
25140 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
25145 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
25148 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
25150 The abilities can be:
25154 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
25156 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
25158 This back end supports both mail and news.
25160 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
25163 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
25164 articles and groups.
25166 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
25167 true for almost all back ends.
25168 @item prompt-address
25169 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
25170 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
25171 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
25175 @node Mail-like Back Ends
25176 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
25178 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
25179 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
25180 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
25181 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
25184 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
25185 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
25186 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
25189 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
25190 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
25193 This function takes four parameters.
25197 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
25200 @item exit-function
25201 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
25203 @item temp-directory
25204 Where the temporary files should be stored.
25207 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
25208 performed for one group only.
25211 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
25212 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
25213 find the article number assigned to this article.
25215 The function also uses the following variables:
25216 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
25217 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
25218 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
25219 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
25223 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
25224 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
25228 @node Score File Syntax
25229 @subsection Score File Syntax
25231 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
25232 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
25233 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
25235 Here's a typical score file:
25239 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
25246 BNF definition of a score file:
25249 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
25250 element = rule / atom
25251 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
25252 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
25253 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
25254 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
25256 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
25257 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
25258 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
25259 date-header = "date"
25260 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25261 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25262 score = "nil" / <integer>
25263 date = "nil" / <natural number>
25264 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
25265 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
25266 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
25267 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
25268 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25269 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25270 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
25271 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25272 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
25273 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
25274 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
25275 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
25276 exclude-files / read-only / touched
25277 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
25278 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
25279 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
25280 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
25281 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
25282 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
25283 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
25284 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
25285 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
25286 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
25287 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
25288 eval = "eval" space <form>
25289 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
25292 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
25295 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
25296 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
25297 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
25298 one looong line, then that's ok.
25300 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
25301 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25305 @subsection Headers
25307 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
25308 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
25309 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
25310 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
25312 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
25313 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
25314 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
25315 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
25316 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
25317 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
25318 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
25320 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
25321 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
25322 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
25323 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
25324 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
25326 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
25327 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
25333 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
25334 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
25336 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
25337 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
25338 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
25339 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
25341 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
25345 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
25348 is transformed into
25351 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
25354 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
25355 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
25358 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
25361 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
25362 is slightly tricky:
25365 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
25371 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
25374 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
25380 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
25387 and is equal to the previous range.
25389 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
25390 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
25391 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
25395 range = simple-range / normal-range
25396 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
25397 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
25398 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
25399 number *[ " " contents ]
25402 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
25403 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
25404 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
25405 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
25406 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
25411 @subsection Group Info
25413 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
25414 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
25415 describes the group.
25417 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
25418 second is a more complex one:
25421 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
25423 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
25424 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
25426 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
25429 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
25430 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
25431 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
25432 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
25433 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
25434 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
25435 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
25436 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
25437 this section is about.
25439 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
25440 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
25441 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
25443 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
25446 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
25447 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
25448 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25449 group = quote <string> quote
25450 ralevel = rank / level
25451 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
25452 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
25453 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
25455 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
25456 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
25457 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
25458 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
25461 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
25462 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
25465 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
25466 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
25469 @item gnus-info-group
25470 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
25471 @findex gnus-info-group
25472 @findex gnus-info-set-group
25473 Get/set the group name.
25475 @item gnus-info-rank
25476 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
25477 @findex gnus-info-rank
25478 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
25479 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
25481 @item gnus-info-level
25482 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
25483 @findex gnus-info-level
25484 @findex gnus-info-set-level
25485 Get/set the group level.
25487 @item gnus-info-score
25488 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
25489 @findex gnus-info-score
25490 @findex gnus-info-set-score
25491 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
25493 @item gnus-info-read
25494 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
25495 @findex gnus-info-read
25496 @findex gnus-info-set-read
25497 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
25499 @item gnus-info-marks
25500 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
25501 @findex gnus-info-marks
25502 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
25503 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
25505 @item gnus-info-method
25506 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
25507 @findex gnus-info-method
25508 @findex gnus-info-set-method
25509 Get/set the group select method.
25511 @item gnus-info-params
25512 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
25513 @findex gnus-info-params
25514 @findex gnus-info-set-params
25515 Get/set the group parameters.
25518 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
25519 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
25521 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
25522 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
25523 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
25524 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
25527 @node Extended Interactive
25528 @subsection Extended Interactive
25529 @cindex interactive
25530 @findex gnus-interactive
25532 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
25533 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
25534 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
25537 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
25538 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
25543 The best thing to do would have been to implement
25544 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
25545 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
25546 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
25547 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
25548 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
25549 @code{interactive}.
25551 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
25556 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
25557 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
25561 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
25562 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
25563 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
25566 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
25570 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
25574 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
25580 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
25581 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
25585 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
25586 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
25587 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
25589 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
25590 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
25591 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
25592 Gnus, that's very useful.
25594 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
25595 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
25596 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
25597 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
25598 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
25599 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
25600 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
25601 following function:
25604 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
25608 (,function ,@@args))
25612 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
25613 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
25614 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
25617 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
25618 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
25619 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
25621 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
25622 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
25623 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
25626 @node Various File Formats
25627 @subsection Various File Formats
25630 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
25631 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
25635 @node Active File Format
25636 @subsubsection Active File Format
25638 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
25639 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
25642 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
25645 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
25646 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
25647 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
25648 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
25649 no.general 1000 900 y
25652 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
25655 active = *group-line
25656 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
25657 group = <non-white-space string>
25659 high-number = <non-negative integer>
25660 low-number = <positive integer>
25661 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
25664 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
25665 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
25668 @node Newsgroups File Format
25669 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
25671 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
25672 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
25673 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
25676 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
25677 Here's the definition:
25681 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
25682 group = <non-white-space string>
25684 description = <string>
25689 @node Emacs for Heathens
25690 @section Emacs for Heathens
25692 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
25693 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
25694 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
25695 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
25696 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
25697 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
25698 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
25702 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
25703 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
25708 @subsection Keystrokes
25712 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
25715 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
25718 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
25719 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
25720 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
25721 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
25722 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
25723 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
25725 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
25726 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
25727 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
25728 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
25729 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
25730 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
25731 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
25733 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
25734 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
25735 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
25736 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
25737 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
25738 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
25739 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
25741 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
25742 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
25743 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
25744 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
25745 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
25751 @subsection Emacs Lisp
25753 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
25754 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
25755 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
25756 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
25758 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
25759 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
25760 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
25761 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
25762 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
25763 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
25764 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
25767 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
25768 write the following:
25771 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
25774 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
25775 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
25776 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
25779 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
25780 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
25781 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
25782 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
25783 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
25785 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
25786 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
25787 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
25791 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
25795 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
25798 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
25799 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
25802 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
25805 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
25806 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
25809 @include gnus-faq.texi
25829 @c Local Variables:
25831 @c coding: iso-8859-1
25833 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
25834 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
25835 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
25836 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
25837 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref