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4 @settitle Gnus 5.4 Manual
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233 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
240 \thispagestyle{empty}
242 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
244 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
245 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
246 are preserved on all copies.
248 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
249 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
250 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
251 permission notice identical to this one.
253 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
254 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
263 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
265 Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
267 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
268 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
269 are preserved on all copies.
272 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
273 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
274 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
275 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
278 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
279 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
280 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
281 permission notice identical to this one.
283 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
284 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
290 @title Gnus 5.4 Manual
292 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
295 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
296 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
298 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
299 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
300 are preserved on all copies.
302 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
303 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
304 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
305 permission notice identical to this one.
307 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
308 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
317 @top The Gnus Newsreader
321 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
322 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
323 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
326 This manual corresponds to Gnus 5.4.
337 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
338 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
340 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
341 being accused of plagiarism:
343 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
344 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
345 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
346 even read news with it!
348 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
349 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
350 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
351 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
352 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
359 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
360 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
361 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
362 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
363 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
364 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
365 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
366 * Various:: General purpose settings.
367 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
368 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
369 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
370 * Key Index:: Key Index.
374 @chapter Starting Gnus
379 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
380 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
383 @findex gnus-other-frame
384 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
385 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
386 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
388 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
392 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
393 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
394 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
395 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
396 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
397 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
398 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
399 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
400 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
401 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
402 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
406 @node Finding the News
407 @section Finding the News
410 @vindex gnus-select-method
412 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
413 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
414 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
415 native method. All groups that are not fetched with this method are
418 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
419 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
422 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
425 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
428 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
431 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
432 certainly be much faster.
434 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
436 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
437 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
438 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
439 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
440 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
441 that fails as well, Gnus will will try to use the machine that is
442 running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
444 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
445 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
446 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
447 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
449 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
450 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
451 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
452 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
453 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
454 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
456 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
458 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
459 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
460 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
461 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
462 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
463 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
465 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
467 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
468 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
469 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
470 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
471 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
472 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
475 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
476 would typically set this variable to
479 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
484 @section The First Time
485 @cindex first time usage
487 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
488 be subscribed by default.
490 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
491 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
492 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
493 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
496 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
497 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is here
498 defined as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
500 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
501 help you with most common problems.
503 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
504 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
508 @node The Server is Down
509 @section The Server is Down
510 @cindex server errors
512 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
513 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
514 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
516 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
517 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
518 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
519 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
520 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
521 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
522 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
524 @findex gnus-no-server
525 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
527 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
528 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
529 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
530 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
531 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
532 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
537 @section Slave Gnusae
540 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
541 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
542 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
543 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
545 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
548 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
549 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
550 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
551 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
552 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
553 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
554 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
556 Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
557 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
558 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
559 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
560 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
561 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
562 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
563 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
565 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
566 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
569 @node Fetching a Group
570 @section Fetching a Group
571 @cindex fetching a group
573 @findex gnus-fetch-group
574 It it sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
575 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
576 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
577 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
578 It takes the group name as a parameter.
586 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
587 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
588 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
589 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
590 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
591 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
592 is @code{t} by default. If you set this variable to @code{always}, then
593 Gnus will query the backends for new groups even when you do the @kbd{g}
594 command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
597 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
598 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
599 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
603 @node Checking New Groups
604 @subsection Checking New Groups
606 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
607 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
608 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
609 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
610 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
611 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
612 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
613 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
614 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
615 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
617 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
618 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
619 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
620 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
621 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
622 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
623 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
624 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
625 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
626 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
627 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
629 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
630 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
631 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
632 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
633 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
634 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
637 @node Subscription Methods
638 @subsection Subscription Methods
640 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
641 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
642 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
644 This variable should contain a function. Some handy pre-fab values
649 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
650 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
651 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
652 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
653 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
655 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
656 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
657 Subscribe all new groups randomly.
659 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
660 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
661 Subscribe all new groups alphabetically.
663 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
664 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
665 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
666 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
667 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
668 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
669 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
670 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
671 up. Or something like that.
673 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
674 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
675 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
676 you about @strong{all} new groups.
678 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
679 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
684 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
685 A closely related variable is
686 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
687 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
688 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
689 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
692 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above to
693 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
694 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
697 @node Filtering New Groups
698 @subsection Filtering New Groups
700 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
701 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
702 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
705 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
708 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
709 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
710 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
711 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
712 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
713 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
714 subscribing these groups.
715 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
716 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
718 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
719 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
720 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
721 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
722 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
723 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
724 and if the the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
725 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
727 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
728 Yet another variable that meddles here is
729 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
730 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
731 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
732 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
733 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
734 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
735 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
736 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
738 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
739 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
742 @node Changing Servers
743 @section Changing Servers
744 @cindex changing servers
746 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
747 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
748 very flaky and you want to use another.
750 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
751 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
755 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
756 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
757 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
758 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
761 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
762 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
763 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
764 functions more than absolutely necessary.
766 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
767 @findex gnus-change-server
768 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
769 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
770 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
771 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
772 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
774 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
775 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
776 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
777 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
778 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
780 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
781 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
782 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
783 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
784 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
785 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
789 @section Startup Files
790 @cindex startup files
795 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
796 information is traditionally stored in this file.
798 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
799 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
800 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
801 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
802 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
803 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
804 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
806 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
807 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
808 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
809 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file.
811 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
812 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
813 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
814 the file and save some space, as well as making exit from Gnus faster.
815 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
816 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
818 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
819 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
820 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
821 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
822 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
823 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
824 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
825 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
826 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
827 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
828 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
829 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
831 @vindex gnus-startup-file
832 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
833 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
834 file being whatever that one is with a @samp{.eld} appended.
836 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
837 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
838 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
839 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
840 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
841 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
842 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
843 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
844 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
845 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
848 (defun turn-off-backup ()
849 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
851 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
852 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
855 @vindex gnus-init-file
856 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
857 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus.el} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
858 (@file{~/.gnus.el} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
859 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{.emacs} and
860 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff.
868 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
869 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
870 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
871 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
872 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
875 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
876 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
879 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
880 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
881 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
883 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
884 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
885 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
886 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
887 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
888 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
891 @node The Active File
892 @section The Active File
894 @cindex ignored groups
896 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
897 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
898 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
900 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
901 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
902 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
903 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
904 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
905 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
906 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
909 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
910 @c if you set it to anything else.
912 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
914 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
915 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
916 reading the active file. This variable is @code{t} by default.
918 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
919 you actually subscribe to.
921 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
922 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
923 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
924 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
926 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
927 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
928 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
929 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
930 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
931 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
933 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
934 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
935 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
936 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
937 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
938 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
940 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
941 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
943 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
944 secondary select methods.
947 @node Startup Variables
948 @section Startup Variables
953 @vindex gnus-load-hook
954 A hook that is run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
955 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
956 times you start Gnus.
958 @item gnus-startup-hook
959 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
960 A hook that is run after starting up Gnus successfully.
962 @item gnus-started-hook
963 @vindex gnus-started-hook
964 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
967 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
968 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
969 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
970 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
971 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
972 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
973 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
974 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
976 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
977 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
978 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
979 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
980 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
981 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
983 @item gnus-no-groups-message
984 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
985 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
987 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
988 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
989 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
991 @item gnus-startup-jingle
992 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
993 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
994 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
999 @node The Group Buffer
1000 @chapter The Group Buffer
1001 @cindex group buffer
1003 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1004 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1005 long as Gnus is active.
1008 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1009 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1010 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1011 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1012 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1013 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1014 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1015 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1016 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1017 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1018 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1019 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1020 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1021 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1022 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1023 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1024 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1028 @node Group Buffer Format
1029 @section Group Buffer Format
1032 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1033 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1034 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1038 @node Group Line Specification
1039 @subsection Group Line Specification
1040 @cindex group buffer format
1042 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1043 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1045 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1048 25: news.announce.newusers
1049 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1054 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1055 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1056 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1057 asterisk at the beginning of the line?)
1059 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1060 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1061 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1062 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1063 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1064 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1066 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1068 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1069 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1070 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1071 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1074 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1075 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1076 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1078 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1083 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1086 Whether the group is subscribed.
1089 Level of subscribedness.
1092 Number of unread articles.
1095 Number of dormant articles.
1098 Number of ticked articles.
1101 Number of read articles.
1104 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1105 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1108 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1111 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1120 Newsgroup description.
1123 @samp{m} if moderated.
1126 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1135 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1139 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1142 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1143 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1144 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1145 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1146 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.emacs.gnus}.
1149 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1151 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1155 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1159 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1160 be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
1161 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1162 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1163 paratere as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1164 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1169 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1170 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1171 group, or a bogus native group.
1174 @node Group Modeline Specification
1175 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1176 @cindex group modeline
1178 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1179 The mode line can be changed by setting
1180 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). It
1181 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1185 The native news server.
1187 The native select method.
1191 @node Group Highlighting
1192 @subsection Group Highlighting
1193 @cindex highlighting
1194 @cindex group highlighting
1196 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1197 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1198 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1199 that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1200 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1202 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1206 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1208 ,(custom-face-lookup "Red" nil nil t nil nil))
1209 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) .
1210 ,(custom-face-lookup "SeaGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1212 ,(custom-face-lookup "SpringGreen" nil nil t nil nil))
1214 ,(custom-face-lookup "SteelBlue" nil nil t nil nil))
1216 ,(custom-face-lookup "SkyBlue" nil nil t nil nil))))
1219 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1226 The number of unread articles in the group.
1230 Whether the group is a mail group.
1232 The level of the group.
1234 The score of the group.
1236 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1238 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1241 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1242 topic being inserted.
1245 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1246 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1247 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1249 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1250 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1251 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1252 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1253 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1256 @node Group Maneuvering
1257 @section Group Maneuvering
1258 @cindex group movement
1260 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1261 expected, hopefully.
1267 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1268 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1269 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1275 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1276 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1277 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1281 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1282 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1286 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1287 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1291 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1292 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1293 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1297 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1298 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1299 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1302 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1308 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1309 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1310 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1315 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1316 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1317 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1321 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1322 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1323 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1326 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1327 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1328 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1329 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1333 @node Selecting a Group
1334 @section Selecting a Group
1335 @cindex group selection
1340 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1341 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1342 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1343 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1344 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1345 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1346 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1347 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1348 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1349 negative, Gnus fetches the @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
1353 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1354 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1355 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1356 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1357 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1361 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1362 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1363 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1364 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1365 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1366 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1367 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1368 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer.
1369 This might be useful if you want to toggle threading before entering the
1373 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1374 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1375 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1376 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1377 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1380 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1381 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1382 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1383 doing any processing of its contents
1384 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1385 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1386 manner will have no permanent effects.
1390 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1391 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1392 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1393 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
1394 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1395 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1396 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1397 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1400 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1401 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1402 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1403 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1408 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1409 full summary buffer.
1412 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1415 Select the most high-scored article in the group when entering the
1419 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1420 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1421 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1425 @node Subscription Commands
1426 @section Subscription Commands
1427 @cindex subscription
1435 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1436 Toggle subscription to the current group
1437 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1443 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1444 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1445 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1446 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1452 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1453 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1459 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1460 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1463 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1464 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1465 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1466 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1467 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1473 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1474 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1478 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1479 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1482 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1483 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1484 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1485 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1486 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
1487 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1488 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
1489 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1490 @file{.newsrc} file.
1494 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1504 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1505 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1506 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1507 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1508 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
1513 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1514 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1515 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1519 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1520 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
1521 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1523 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1524 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1525 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1526 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
1527 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
1528 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
1535 @section Group Levels
1539 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1540 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1541 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1542 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1543 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1545 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1551 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1552 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1553 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1554 prompted for a level.
1557 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1558 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1559 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1560 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1561 Gnus considers groups on between levels 1 and
1562 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1563 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1564 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1565 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1566 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (default 9),
1567 completely dead. Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly
1568 the same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what
1569 articles you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and
1570 living groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely
1571 for reasons of efficiency.
1573 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1574 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
1576 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1577 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1578 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1580 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1581 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1582 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1583 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1584 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1585 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1586 relevant legal ranges.
1588 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1589 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1590 will only move to groups that are of the same level (or lower). In
1591 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1592 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1593 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1596 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1597 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1598 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1601 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1602 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1603 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1604 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1607 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1608 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1609 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1610 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1612 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1613 Gnus will normally just activate groups that are on level
1614 @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to activate
1615 unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable to
1616 5. The default is 6.
1620 @section Group Score
1623 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1624 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1625 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1628 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
1629 group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
1630 Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
1631 the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
1632 that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
1633 on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
1634 part and the score is the least significant part.))
1636 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1637 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1638 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1639 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1640 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1641 action after each summary exit, you can add
1642 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1643 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1644 slow things down somewhat.
1647 @node Marking Groups
1648 @section Marking Groups
1649 @cindex marking groups
1651 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1652 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1653 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1654 bidding on those groups.
1656 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1657 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1658 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1666 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1667 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1673 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1674 Remove the mark from the current group
1675 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1679 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1680 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1684 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1685 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1689 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1690 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1694 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1695 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1696 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1699 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1701 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1702 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1703 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1704 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1705 the command to be executed.
1708 @node Foreign Groups
1709 @section Foreign Groups
1710 @cindex foreign groups
1712 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1713 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1714 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
1715 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
1722 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1723 @cindex making groups
1724 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1725 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1726 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1730 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1731 @cindex renaming groups
1732 Rename the current group to something else
1733 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is legal only on some
1734 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1740 @findex gnus-group-customize
1741 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
1745 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1746 @cindex renaming groups
1747 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1748 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1752 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1753 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1754 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1758 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1759 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1760 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1764 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1766 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
1767 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1772 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1773 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1777 @cindex (ding) archive
1778 @cindex archive group
1779 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1780 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1781 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1782 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1783 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1784 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1785 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1789 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1791 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1792 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1793 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1794 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
1798 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1800 Read an arbitrary directory as if with were a newsgroup with the
1801 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1802 @xref{Anything Groups}.
1806 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1807 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1809 Make a group based on some file or other
1810 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1811 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1812 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1813 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
1814 @code{rfc934} and @code{forward}. If you run this command without a
1815 prefix, Gnus will guess at the file type. @xref{Document Groups}.
1819 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
1824 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
1825 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1826 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
1827 search engine type and the search string. Legal search engine types
1828 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
1829 @xref{Web Searches}.
1832 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1833 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1834 This function will delete the current group
1835 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1836 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1837 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1838 absolutely sure of what you are doing.
1842 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
1843 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
1844 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
1848 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
1849 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
1850 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
1853 @xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
1856 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
1857 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
1858 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
1859 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
1860 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers.
1863 @node Group Parameters
1864 @section Group Parameters
1865 @cindex group parameters
1867 The group parameters store information local to a particular group:
1872 If the group parameter list contains an element that looks like
1873 @code{(to-address . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used by
1874 the backend when doing followups and posts. This is primarily useful in
1875 mail groups that represent closed mailing lists---mailing lists where
1876 it's expected that everybody that writes to the mailing list is
1877 subscribed to it. Since using this parameter ensures that the mail only
1878 goes to the mailing list itself, it means that members won't receive two
1879 copies of your followups.
1881 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
1882 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
1883 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
1884 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
1885 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
1886 list address instead.
1890 If the group parameter list has an element that looks like
1891 @code{(to-list . "some@@where.com")}, that address will be used when
1892 doing a @kbd{a} in any group. It is totally ignored when doing a
1893 followup---except that if it is present in a news group, you'll get mail
1894 group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
1896 @item broken-reply-to
1897 @cindex broken-reply-to
1898 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
1899 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
1900 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
1901 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
1902 broken behavior. So there!
1906 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
1907 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
1911 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list, Gnus will treat
1912 all responses as if they were responses to news articles. This can be
1913 useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a news group.
1917 If this symbol is present in the group parameter list and set to
1918 @code{t}, new composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current
1919 group. If it is present and set to @code{none}, no @code{Gcc:} header
1920 will be generated, if it is present and a string, this string will be
1921 inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header (this symbol takes precedence over
1922 any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later).
1926 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
1927 . t)}, , all articles that are read will be marked as expirable. For an
1928 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
1931 @cindex total-expire
1932 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
1933 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
1934 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
1939 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
1940 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
1941 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
1942 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
1943 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
1944 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
1947 @cindex score file group parameter
1948 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
1949 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. This
1950 means that all score commands you issue will end up in that file.
1953 @cindex adapt file group parameter
1954 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
1955 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
1956 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
1959 When unsubscribing to a mailing list you should never send the
1960 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
1961 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
1962 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
1965 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} says which articles to
1966 display on entering the group. Legal values are:
1970 Display all articles, both read and unread.
1973 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
1978 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
1979 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
1980 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
1983 @item @var{(variable form)}
1984 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
1985 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
1986 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
1987 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
1988 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
1989 @code{eval}ed there.
1991 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
1992 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
1993 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
1994 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
1995 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
1999 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group.
2001 Also @pxref{Topic Parameters}.
2004 @node Listing Groups
2005 @section Listing Groups
2006 @cindex group listing
2008 These commands all list various slices of the groups that are available.
2016 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2017 List all groups that have unread articles
2018 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2019 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2020 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2021 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2028 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2029 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2030 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2031 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2032 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2033 unsubscribed groups).
2037 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2038 List all unread groups on a specific level
2039 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2040 with no unread articles.
2044 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2045 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2046 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2047 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2052 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2053 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2057 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2058 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2059 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2063 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2064 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2068 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2069 List absolutely all groups that are in the active file(s) of the
2070 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2071 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2072 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2073 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list group that
2074 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they are killed groups.
2075 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2079 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2080 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2081 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2085 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2086 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2087 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2091 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2092 @cindex visible group parameter
2093 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2094 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2095 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2096 get the same effect.
2098 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2099 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2100 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2101 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2102 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2105 @node Sorting Groups
2106 @section Sorting Groups
2107 @cindex sorting groups
2109 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2110 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2111 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2112 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2113 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2114 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2119 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2120 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2121 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2123 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2124 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2125 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2127 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2128 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2129 Sort by group level.
2131 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2132 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2133 Sort by group score.
2135 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2136 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2137 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2138 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}.
2140 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2141 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2142 Sort by number of unread articles.
2144 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2145 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2146 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2151 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2152 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2156 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2157 some sorting criteria:
2161 @kindex G S a (Group)
2162 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2163 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2164 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2167 @kindex G S u (Group)
2168 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2169 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2170 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2173 @kindex G S l (Group)
2174 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2175 Sort the group buffer by group level
2176 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2179 @kindex G S v (Group)
2180 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2181 Sort the group buffer by group score
2182 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}).
2185 @kindex G S r (Group)
2186 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2187 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2188 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}).
2191 @kindex G S m (Group)
2192 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2193 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2194 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2198 When given a prefix, all these commands will sort in reverse order.
2200 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2204 @kindex G P a (Group)
2205 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2206 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2207 group name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2210 @kindex G P u (Group)
2211 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2212 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by the number of
2213 unread articles (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2216 @kindex G P l (Group)
2217 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2218 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group level
2219 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2222 @kindex G P v (Group)
2223 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2224 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group score
2225 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}).
2228 @kindex G P r (Group)
2229 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2230 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group rank
2231 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}).
2234 @kindex G P m (Group)
2235 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2236 Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
2237 backend name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2243 @node Group Maintenance
2244 @section Group Maintenance
2245 @cindex bogus groups
2250 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2251 Find bogus groups and delete them
2252 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2256 @findex gnus-find-new-newsgroups
2257 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-find-new-newsgroups}). If
2258 given a prefix, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server for
2262 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2263 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2264 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2265 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2268 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2269 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2270 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2271 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2276 @node Browse Foreign Server
2277 @section Browse Foreign Server
2278 @cindex foreign servers
2279 @cindex browsing servers
2284 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2285 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2286 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2287 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2290 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2291 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2292 will be use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
2293 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
2295 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2300 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2301 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2305 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2306 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2309 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2310 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2311 Enter the current group and display the first article
2312 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2315 @kindex RET (Browse)
2316 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2317 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2321 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2322 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2323 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2329 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2330 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2334 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2335 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2336 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2341 @section Exiting Gnus
2342 @cindex exiting Gnus
2344 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
2349 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2350 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
2351 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2352 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2356 @findex gnus-group-exit
2357 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2361 @findex gnus-group-quit
2362 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2363 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
2366 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2367 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2368 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
2369 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
2370 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2375 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2376 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2377 trying to customize meta-variables.
2382 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
2383 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2384 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2390 @section Group Topics
2393 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2394 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2395 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2396 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2397 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2398 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2406 2: alt.religion.emacs
2409 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2411 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2412 13: comp.sources.unix
2415 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2417 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2418 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2419 is a toggling command.)
2421 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2422 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2423 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2424 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2427 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2428 the hook for the group mode:
2431 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2435 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2436 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2437 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
2438 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2439 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2443 @node Topic Variables
2444 @subsection Topic Variables
2445 @cindex topic variables
2447 Now, if you select a topic, if will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2448 really neat, I think.
2450 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2451 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2452 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2465 Number of groups in the topic.
2467 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2469 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2472 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2473 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2474 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2477 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2478 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2480 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
2481 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
2482 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
2485 @node Topic Commands
2486 @subsection Topic Commands
2487 @cindex topic commands
2489 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2490 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2491 definitions slightly.
2497 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2498 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2499 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2503 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2504 Move the current group to some other topic
2505 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2506 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2510 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2511 Copy the current group to some other topic
2512 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2513 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2517 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2518 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2519 This command uses the process/prefix convention
2520 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2524 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2525 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2526 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2530 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2531 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2532 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2536 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2537 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2538 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2541 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2542 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2543 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2544 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2548 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2550 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2551 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2552 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2553 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2554 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2555 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2558 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2559 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2560 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2561 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2562 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2566 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2567 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
2568 topic will be removed along with the topic.
2572 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2573 Yank the previously killed group or topic
2574 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
2579 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2580 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2583 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2584 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2585 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2589 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2590 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2591 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2595 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2596 @cindex group parameters
2597 @cindex topic parameters
2599 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2600 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2606 @subsection Topic Sorting
2607 @cindex topic sorting
2609 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
2615 @kindex T S a (Topic)
2616 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2617 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
2618 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2621 @kindex T S u (Topic)
2622 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
2623 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
2624 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2627 @kindex T S l (Topic)
2628 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
2629 Sort the current topic by group level
2630 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
2633 @kindex T S v (Topic)
2634 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
2635 Sort the current topic by group score
2636 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}).
2639 @kindex T S r (Topic)
2640 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
2641 Sort the current topic by group rank
2642 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}).
2645 @kindex T S m (Topic)
2646 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
2647 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
2648 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
2652 @xref{Sorting Groups} for more information about group sorting.
2655 @node Topic Topology
2656 @subsection Topic Topology
2657 @cindex topic topology
2660 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2666 2: alt.religion.emacs
2669 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2671 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2672 13: comp.sources.unix
2675 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
2676 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
2677 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
2682 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2683 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2687 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2688 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2689 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2690 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2691 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2692 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2694 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2695 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2696 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2699 @node Topic Parameters
2700 @subsection Topic Parameters
2701 @cindex topic parameters
2703 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2704 ancestor) topic parameters. All legal group parameters are legal topic
2705 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2707 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2708 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2709 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2710 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2716 2: alt.religion.emacs
2720 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2722 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2723 13: comp.sources.unix
2727 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
2728 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
2729 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
2730 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
2731 @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
2732 . "religion.SCORE")}.
2734 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
2735 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
2736 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
2737 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
2738 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
2740 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
2741 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
2742 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
2743 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
2744 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
2745 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
2746 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
2747 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
2750 @node Misc Group Stuff
2751 @section Misc Group Stuff
2754 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
2755 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
2756 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
2757 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
2764 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
2765 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
2766 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
2770 @findex gnus-group-post-news
2771 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). The current
2772 group name will be used as the default.
2776 @findex gnus-group-mail
2777 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
2781 Variables for the group buffer:
2785 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
2786 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
2787 @code{gnus-group-mode-hook} is called after the group buffer has been
2790 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
2791 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
2792 @code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} is called after the group buffer is
2793 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
2796 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2797 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2798 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
2799 whether they are empty or not.
2804 @node Scanning New Messages
2805 @subsection Scanning New Messages
2806 @cindex new messages
2807 @cindex scanning new news
2813 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
2814 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
2815 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
2816 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
2817 command will force a total rereading of the active file(s) from the
2822 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
2823 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
2824 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
2825 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
2826 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
2827 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
2829 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
2830 @cindex activating groups
2832 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
2833 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
2838 @findex gnus-group-restart
2839 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
2840 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
2841 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
2845 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
2846 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
2848 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
2849 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
2853 @node Group Information
2854 @subsection Group Information
2855 @cindex group information
2856 @cindex information on groups
2863 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
2864 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
2867 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
2868 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
2869 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
2870 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
2871 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
2872 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
2873 for fetching the file.
2875 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
2876 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
2881 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
2882 @cindex describing groups
2883 @cindex group description
2884 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
2885 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
2886 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
2890 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
2891 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
2892 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
2897 @findex gnus-version
2898 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
2902 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
2903 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
2906 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
2909 @findex gnus-info-find-node
2910 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
2914 @node Group Timestamp
2915 @subsection Group Timestamp
2917 @cindex group timestamps
2919 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
2920 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
2921 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
2924 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
2927 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
2929 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
2930 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
2933 (setq gnus-group-line-format
2934 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
2937 This will result in lines looking like:
2940 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
2941 0: custom 19961002T012713
2944 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
2945 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
2949 (setq gnus-group-line-format
2950 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
2955 @subsection File Commands
2956 @cindex file commands
2962 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
2963 @vindex gnus-init-file
2964 @cindex reading init file
2965 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
2966 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
2970 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
2971 @cindex saving .newsrc
2972 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
2973 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
2974 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
2977 @c @kindex Z (Group)
2978 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
2979 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
2984 @node The Summary Buffer
2985 @chapter The Summary Buffer
2986 @cindex summary buffer
2988 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
2989 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
2991 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
2992 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
2994 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
2997 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
2998 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
2999 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3000 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3001 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3002 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
3003 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3004 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3005 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3006 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3007 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3008 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3009 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3010 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3011 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3012 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3013 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3014 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3015 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3016 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3017 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3018 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3019 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3020 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3021 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
3022 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3023 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3027 @node Summary Buffer Format
3028 @section Summary Buffer Format
3029 @cindex summary buffer format
3032 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3033 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3034 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3037 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3038 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3039 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3040 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3041 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3042 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined function exist:
3043 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3044 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
3045 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
3046 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
3047 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead.
3049 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3050 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3051 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3052 with those specs that require it. The default is @samp{}.
3055 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3056 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3058 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3059 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3060 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3061 lines a a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3062 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3064 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3066 The following format specification characters are understood:
3074 Subject if the article is the root or the previous article had a
3075 different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3076 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @samp{}.)
3078 Full @code{From} header.
3080 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3082 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3083 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3084 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3085 may be more thorough.
3087 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3090 Number of lines in the article.
3092 Number of characters in the article.
3094 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3096 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3097 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3099 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3100 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3102 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3103 for adopted articles.
3105 One space for each thread level.
3107 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3115 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3116 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3117 default level. If the difference between
3118 @code{gnus-summary-default-level} and the score is less than
3119 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3127 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
3129 The @code{Date} in @code{YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS} format.
3135 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3136 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3138 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3139 article has any children.
3143 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
3144 be a letter. @sc{gnus} will call the function
3145 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
3146 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
3147 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
3148 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3151 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3152 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
3153 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3154 that. This means that it is illegal to have these specs after a
3155 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3156 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3158 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3159 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3161 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
3164 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
3165 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
3167 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
3168 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar. Set
3169 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you like. The default
3170 is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
3172 Here are the elements you can play with:
3178 Unprefixed group name.
3180 Current article number.
3184 Number of unread articles in this group.
3186 Number of unselected articles in this group.
3188 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
3189 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
3190 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
3191 and no unselected ones.
3193 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
3194 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
3196 Subject of the current article.
3200 Name of the current score file.
3202 Number of dormant articles.
3204 Number of ticked articles.
3206 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
3208 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
3212 @node Summary Highlighting
3213 @subsection Summary Highlighting
3217 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3218 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3219 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
3220 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
3221 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3223 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
3224 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
3225 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
3226 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3228 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
3229 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
3230 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) that is used to
3231 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
3233 @item gnus-summary-highlight
3234 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
3235 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
3236 list where the elements are on the format @var{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
3237 would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
3238 articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
3240 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
3241 ((> score default) . bold))
3243 As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3244 @var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
3248 @node Summary Maneuvering
3249 @section Summary Maneuvering
3250 @cindex summary movement
3252 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
3253 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
3255 None of these commands select articles.
3260 @kindex M-n (Summary)
3261 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
3262 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
3263 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
3264 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
3268 @kindex M-p (Summary)
3269 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
3270 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
3271 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
3272 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
3277 @kindex G j (Summary)
3278 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
3279 Ask for an article number and then go to that article
3280 (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
3283 @kindex G g (Summary)
3284 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
3285 Ask for an article number and then go the summary line of that article
3286 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
3289 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
3290 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
3291 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
3292 to the group buffer.
3294 Variables related to summary movement:
3298 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
3299 @item gnus-auto-select-next
3300 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
3301 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
3302 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
3303 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
3304 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
3305 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
3306 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
3307 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
3308 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
3309 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
3310 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
3311 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
3313 @item gnus-auto-select-same
3314 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
3315 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
3316 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
3317 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
3318 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) This variable is not
3319 particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
3321 @item gnus-summary-check-current
3322 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
3323 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
3324 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
3325 Instead, they will choose the current article.
3327 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
3328 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
3329 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
3330 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
3331 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
3332 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
3333 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
3334 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
3340 @node Choosing Articles
3341 @section Choosing Articles
3342 @cindex selecting articles
3345 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
3346 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
3350 @node Choosing Commands
3351 @subsection Choosing Commands
3353 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
3354 and they all select and display an article.
3358 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3359 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3360 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
3361 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3366 @kindex G n (Summary)
3367 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
3368 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
3373 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
3374 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
3379 @kindex G N (Summary)
3380 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
3381 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
3386 @kindex G P (Summary)
3387 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
3388 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
3391 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
3392 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
3393 Go to the next article with the same subject
3394 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
3397 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
3398 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
3399 Go to the previous article with the same subject
3400 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
3404 @kindex G f (Summary)
3406 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
3407 Go to the first unread article
3408 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
3412 @kindex G b (Summary)
3414 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
3415 Go to the article with the highest score
3416 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
3421 @kindex G l (Summary)
3422 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
3423 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
3426 @kindex G p (Summary)
3427 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
3428 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
3429 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
3430 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
3431 history as you like.
3435 @node Choosing Variables
3436 @subsection Choosing Variables
3438 Some variables that are relevant for moving and selecting articles:
3441 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3442 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3443 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
3444 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
3445 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
3446 the server and display it in the article buffer.
3448 @item gnus-select-article-hook
3449 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
3450 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
3451 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
3453 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
3454 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
3455 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
3456 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
3457 @findex gnus-unread-mark
3458 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
3459 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
3460 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
3461 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
3462 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
3463 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
3464 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
3465 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
3466 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
3471 @node Paging the Article
3472 @section Scrolling the Article
3473 @cindex article scrolling
3478 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3479 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3480 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
3481 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
3482 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3485 @kindex DEL (Summary)
3486 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
3487 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
3490 @kindex RET (Summary)
3491 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
3492 Scroll the current article one line forward
3493 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
3497 @kindex A g (Summary)
3499 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
3500 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
3501 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
3502 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
3503 the way it came from the server.
3508 @kindex A < (Summary)
3509 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
3510 Scroll to the beginning of the article
3511 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
3516 @kindex A > (Summary)
3517 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
3518 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
3522 @kindex A s (Summary)
3524 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
3525 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
3526 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
3531 @node Reply Followup and Post
3532 @section Reply, Followup and Post
3535 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
3536 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
3540 @node Summary Mail Commands
3541 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
3543 @cindex composing mail
3545 Commands for composing a mail message:
3551 @kindex S r (Summary)
3553 @findex gnus-summary-reply
3554 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
3555 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
3560 @kindex S R (Summary)
3561 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
3562 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
3563 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
3564 command uses the process/prefix convention.
3567 @kindex S w (Summary)
3568 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
3569 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
3570 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}).
3573 @kindex S W (Summary)
3574 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
3575 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
3576 message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This command uses
3577 the process/prefix convention.
3580 @kindex S o m (Summary)
3581 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
3582 Forward the current article to some other person
3583 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3584 headers of the forwarded article.
3589 @kindex S m (Summary)
3590 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
3591 Send a mail to some other person
3592 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
3595 @kindex S D b (Summary)
3596 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
3597 @cindex bouncing mail
3598 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
3599 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
3600 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
3601 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
3602 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
3603 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
3604 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
3605 very well fail, though.
3608 @kindex S D r (Summary)
3609 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
3610 Not to be confused with the previous command,
3611 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
3612 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
3613 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
3614 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
3615 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
3616 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
3617 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
3619 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
3620 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
3621 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
3622 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
3623 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
3625 This command understands the process/prefix convention
3626 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3629 @kindex S O m (Summary)
3630 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
3631 Digest the current series and forward the result using mail
3632 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
3633 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3636 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
3637 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
3638 @cindex crossposting
3639 @cindex excessive crossposting
3640 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
3641 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
3643 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
3644 This command is provided as a way to fight back agains the current
3645 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
3646 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
3647 command understands the process/prefix convention
3648 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
3653 @node Summary Post Commands
3654 @subsection Summary Post Commands
3656 @cindex composing news
3658 Commands for posting a news article:
3664 @kindex S p (Summary)
3665 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
3666 Post an article to the current group
3667 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
3672 @kindex S f (Summary)
3673 @findex gnus-summary-followup
3674 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
3678 @kindex S F (Summary)
3680 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
3681 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
3682 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
3683 process/prefix convention.
3686 @kindex S n (Summary)
3687 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
3688 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3689 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
3692 @kindex S n (Summary)
3693 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
3694 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
3695 message through mail and include the original message
3696 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
3697 the process/prefix convention.
3700 @kindex S o p (Summary)
3701 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
3702 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
3703 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
3704 headers of the forwarded article.
3707 @kindex S O p (Summary)
3708 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
3709 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
3710 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}).
3713 @kindex S u (Summary)
3714 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
3715 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
3716 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
3720 @node Canceling and Superseding
3721 @section Canceling Articles
3722 @cindex canceling articles
3723 @cindex superseding articles
3725 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
3726 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
3728 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
3730 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
3732 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
3733 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
3734 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
3735 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
3737 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
3738 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
3741 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
3742 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
3743 your original article.
3745 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
3747 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
3748 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
3749 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
3752 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
3753 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
3754 have posted almost the same article twice.
3756 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
3757 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
3758 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
3759 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
3760 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
3761 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
3762 header by substituting one of those words for the word
3763 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
3764 you would do normally. The previous article will be
3765 canceled/superseded.
3767 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
3770 @node Marking Articles
3771 @section Marking Articles
3772 @cindex article marking
3773 @cindex article ticking
3776 There are several marks you can set on an article.
3778 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
3779 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
3780 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
3782 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
3785 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
3786 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
3787 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
3791 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
3795 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
3796 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
3800 @node Unread Articles
3801 @subsection Unread Articles
3803 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
3808 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
3809 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
3811 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
3812 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
3813 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
3814 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
3815 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
3819 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
3820 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
3822 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
3823 are followups to it.
3826 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
3827 Markes as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
3829 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
3834 @subsection Read Articles
3835 @cindex expirable mark
3837 All the following marks mark articles as read.
3842 @vindex gnus-del-mark
3843 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
3844 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
3847 @vindex gnus-read-mark
3848 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
3851 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
3852 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
3853 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
3856 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
3857 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
3860 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
3861 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
3864 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
3865 Marked as read by having a too low score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
3868 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
3869 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
3872 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
3873 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
3876 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
3877 @sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
3880 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
3881 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
3885 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
3886 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
3887 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
3891 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
3892 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
3894 One more special mark, though:
3898 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
3899 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
3901 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
3902 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
3903 control the expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
3904 articles that are marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
3910 @subsection Other Marks
3911 @cindex process mark
3914 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
3920 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
3921 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
3922 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
3923 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
3924 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}
3927 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
3928 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
3929 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
3930 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
3933 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
3934 Articles that are stored in the article cache will be marked with an
3935 @samp{*} in the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}).
3938 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
3939 Articles that are ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
3940 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
3941 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}.
3944 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
3945 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
3946 It the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
3947 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
3948 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
3951 @vindex gnus-process-mark
3952 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}. A
3953 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
3954 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
3955 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
3956 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
3960 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
3961 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
3962 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
3964 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
3965 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
3966 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
3970 @subsection Setting Marks
3971 @cindex setting marks
3973 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
3979 @kindex M t (Summary)
3980 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
3981 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
3986 @kindex M ? (Summary)
3987 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
3988 Mark the current article as dormant
3989 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}).
3993 @kindex M d (Summary)
3995 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
3996 Mark the current article as read
3997 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
4001 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
4002 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
4003 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
4008 @kindex M k (Summary)
4009 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
4010 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
4011 and then select the next unread article
4012 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
4016 @kindex M K (Summary)
4017 @kindex C-k (Summary)
4018 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
4019 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
4020 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
4023 @kindex M C (Summary)
4024 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
4025 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
4028 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
4029 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
4030 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
4031 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
4034 @kindex M H (Summary)
4035 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
4036 Catchup the current group to point
4037 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
4040 @kindex C-w (Summary)
4041 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
4042 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
4043 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
4046 @kindex M V k (Summary)
4047 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
4048 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
4049 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
4053 @kindex M c (Summary)
4054 @kindex M-u (Summary)
4055 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
4056 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
4057 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}).
4061 @kindex M e (Summary)
4063 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
4064 Mark the current article as expirable
4065 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
4068 @kindex M b (Summary)
4069 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
4070 Set a bookmark in the current article
4071 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
4074 @kindex M B (Summary)
4075 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
4076 Remove the bookmark from the current article
4077 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
4080 @kindex M V c (Summary)
4081 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
4082 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
4083 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4086 @kindex M V u (Summary)
4087 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
4088 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
4089 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
4092 @kindex M V m (Summary)
4093 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
4094 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
4095 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
4096 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4099 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
4100 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
4101 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
4102 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
4103 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
4104 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
4105 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
4106 The default is @code{t}.
4109 @node Setting Process Marks
4110 @subsection Setting Process Marks
4111 @cindex setting process marks
4118 @kindex M P p (Summary)
4119 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
4120 Mark the current article with the process mark
4121 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
4122 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
4126 @kindex M P u (Summary)
4127 @kindex M-# (Summary)
4128 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
4129 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
4132 @kindex M P U (Summary)
4133 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
4134 Remove the process mark from all articles
4135 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
4138 @kindex M P i (Summary)
4139 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
4140 Invert the list of process marked articles
4141 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
4144 @kindex M P R (Summary)
4145 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
4146 Mark articles by a regular expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
4149 @kindex M P r (Summary)
4150 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
4151 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
4154 @kindex M P t (Summary)
4155 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4156 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4157 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4160 @kindex M P T (Summary)
4161 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4162 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4163 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4166 @kindex M P v (Summary)
4167 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
4168 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
4169 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
4172 @kindex M P s (Summary)
4173 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
4174 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4177 @kindex M P S (Summary)
4178 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
4179 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
4180 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
4183 @kindex M P a (Summary)
4184 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
4185 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4188 @kindex M P b (Summary)
4189 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
4190 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
4191 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
4194 @kindex M P k (Summary)
4195 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
4196 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
4197 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
4200 @kindex M P y (Summary)
4201 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
4202 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
4203 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
4206 @kindex M P w (Summary)
4207 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
4208 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
4209 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
4218 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
4219 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
4220 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
4227 @kindex / / (Summary)
4228 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
4229 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
4230 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
4233 @kindex / a (Summary)
4234 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
4235 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
4236 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4240 @kindex / u (Summary)
4242 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
4243 Limit the summary buffer to articles that are not marked as read
4244 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
4245 buffer to articles that are strictly unread. This means that ticked and
4246 dormant articles will also be excluded.
4249 @kindex / m (Summary)
4250 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
4251 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have not been marked
4252 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
4255 @kindex / t (Summary)
4256 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
4257 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles that are
4258 older than (or equal to) that number of days
4259 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
4260 articles that are younger than that number of days.
4263 @kindex / n (Summary)
4264 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
4265 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
4266 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
4267 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4270 @kindex / w (Summary)
4271 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
4272 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
4273 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
4277 @kindex / v (Summary)
4278 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
4279 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
4280 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
4284 @kindex M S (Summary)
4285 @kindex / E (Summary)
4286 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
4287 Display all expunged articles
4288 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
4291 @kindex / D (Summary)
4292 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
4293 Display all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
4296 @kindex / d (Summary)
4297 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
4298 Hide all dormant articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
4301 @kindex / c (Summary)
4302 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
4303 Hide all dormant articles that have no children
4304 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
4307 @kindex / C (Summary)
4308 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
4309 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
4310 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
4311 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
4319 @cindex article threading
4321 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
4322 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
4323 hierarchical fashion.
4326 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
4327 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
4331 @node Customizing Threading
4332 @subsection Customizing Threading
4333 @cindex customizing threading
4339 @item gnus-show-threads
4340 @vindex gnus-show-threads
4341 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
4342 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
4343 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
4344 slower and more awkward.
4346 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
4347 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
4348 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
4349 more old headers---headers to articles that are marked as read. If you
4350 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
4351 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
4352 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
4353 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
4354 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
4355 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
4356 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
4357 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
4359 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
4360 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
4361 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
4362 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
4363 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
4364 articles that belong in the same thread together. This will leave
4365 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
4366 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
4367 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
4368 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
4369 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
4370 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
4371 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
4372 @code{nil} by default.
4374 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4375 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4376 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
4377 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
4378 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
4379 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
4380 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subjects lines. If
4381 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
4382 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
4383 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
4384 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
4386 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
4387 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
4388 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
4391 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4392 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
4393 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
4394 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
4395 simplification is used.
4397 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4398 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4399 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
4400 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
4402 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
4404 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
4410 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
4411 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
4412 "answer" "reference" "announce"
4413 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
4418 (mapconcat 'identity
4419 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
4421 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
4424 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
4427 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4428 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
4429 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
4430 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
4431 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
4432 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
4433 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process. The
4434 default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
4436 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4437 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4438 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
4439 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
4440 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
4441 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
4442 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever includes unrelated
4443 articles, but it's also means that people who have posted with broken
4444 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
4448 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4449 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
4450 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
4451 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
4453 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4454 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
4455 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
4458 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
4462 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
4463 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
4466 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
4467 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
4468 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
4469 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
4470 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
4471 read or killed the root in a previous session.
4473 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
4474 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
4475 There are four possible values:
4477 @cindex adopting articles
4482 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
4483 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
4484 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
4485 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
4488 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
4489 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
4490 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
4491 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
4492 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
4493 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
4494 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
4497 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
4498 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
4499 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
4503 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
4504 display them after one another.
4507 Don't gather loose threads.
4510 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4511 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
4512 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
4515 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
4516 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
4517 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
4518 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
4519 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
4520 threads are expunged.
4522 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
4523 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
4524 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
4527 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4528 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
4529 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
4530 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
4531 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
4534 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
4535 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
4536 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
4539 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
4540 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
4541 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
4542 @code{(gnus-decode-rfc1522)}, which means that QPized headers will be
4543 slightly decoded in a hackish way. This is likely to change in the
4544 future when Gnus becomes @sc{MIME}ified.
4549 @node Thread Commands
4550 @subsection Thread Commands
4551 @cindex thread commands
4557 @kindex T k (Summary)
4558 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
4559 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
4560 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
4561 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
4562 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
4567 @kindex T l (Summary)
4568 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
4569 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
4570 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
4571 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
4574 @kindex T i (Summary)
4575 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
4576 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
4577 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
4580 @kindex T # (Summary)
4581 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4582 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
4583 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4586 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
4587 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4588 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
4589 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4592 @kindex T T (Summary)
4593 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
4594 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
4597 @kindex T s (Summary)
4598 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
4599 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
4600 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
4603 @kindex T h (Summary)
4604 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
4605 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
4608 @kindex T S (Summary)
4609 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
4610 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
4613 @kindex T H (Summary)
4614 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
4615 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
4618 @kindex T t (Summary)
4619 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
4620 Re-thread the thread the current article is part of
4621 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
4622 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
4625 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
4626 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
4627 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
4628 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}.
4632 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
4633 understand the numeric prefix.
4638 @kindex T n (Summary)
4639 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
4640 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
4643 @kindex T p (Summary)
4644 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
4645 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
4648 @kindex T d (Summary)
4649 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
4650 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
4653 @kindex T u (Summary)
4654 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
4655 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
4658 @kindex T o (Summary)
4659 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
4660 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
4663 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
4664 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
4665 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
4666 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
4667 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
4668 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
4669 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If is
4670 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
4671 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
4672 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
4673 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
4674 that have subjects that are fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
4681 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
4682 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
4683 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
4684 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4685 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
4686 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4687 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
4688 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
4689 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which is a list of functions.
4690 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
4691 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
4692 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
4693 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
4694 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
4696 Each function takes two threads and return non-@code{nil} if the first
4697 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
4698 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. If you use
4699 more than one function, the primary sort key should be the last function
4700 in the list. You should probably always include
4701 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
4702 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
4703 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
4704 ascending article order.
4706 If you would like to sort by score, then by subject, and finally by
4707 number, you could do something like:
4710 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4711 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
4712 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
4713 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
4716 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
4717 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
4718 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
4719 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
4720 which the articles arrived.
4722 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
4726 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
4728 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
4729 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
4732 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
4733 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
4734 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
4735 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
4738 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
4739 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
4740 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
4741 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
4742 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
4743 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
4744 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
4745 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
4746 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
4747 is uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
4748 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
4749 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
4750 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
4752 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
4756 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
4757 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
4758 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
4763 @node Asynchronous Fetching
4764 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
4765 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
4766 @cindex article pre-fetch
4769 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
4770 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
4771 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
4772 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
4773 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
4775 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
4776 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
4778 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
4779 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
4780 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
4781 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
4782 connection is blocked.
4784 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
4785 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
4786 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
4787 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
4789 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
4790 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
4791 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
4792 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
4795 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
4798 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
4799 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
4800 happen automatically.
4802 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
4803 You can control how many articles that are to be pre-fetched by setting
4804 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
4805 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
4806 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
4807 pre-fetch all the articles that it can without bound. If it is
4808 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be made.
4810 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
4811 @findex gnus-async-read-p
4812 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
4813 articles, for instance. Which articles to pre-fetch is controlled by
4814 the @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable. This function should
4815 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
4816 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
4817 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
4818 data structure as the only parameter.
4820 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles that are
4821 shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
4824 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
4825 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
4826 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
4827 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
4830 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
4833 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
4834 preferrably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
4835 It's also probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
4837 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
4838 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
4839 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
4840 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
4844 Remove articles when they are read.
4847 Remove articles when exiting the group.
4850 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
4852 @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
4853 If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
4854 from the next group.
4857 @node Article Caching
4858 @section Article Caching
4859 @cindex article caching
4862 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
4863 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
4864 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
4865 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
4866 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
4868 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
4870 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
4871 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
4872 @vindex gnus-use-cache
4873 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
4874 all articles that are ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
4875 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
4876 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
4877 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
4879 When re-select a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
4880 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
4881 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
4882 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
4883 as dormant, and don't worry.
4885 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
4887 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
4888 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
4889 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
4890 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
4891 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
4892 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
4893 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
4894 articles that are marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
4895 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
4896 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
4898 @findex gnus-jog-cache
4899 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
4900 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
4901 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, and store them in
4902 the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this command if 1)
4903 your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really, really slow
4904 and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk. Seriously.
4906 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
4907 It is likely that you do not want caching on some groups. For instance,
4908 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
4909 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
4910 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space. To limit the caching,
4911 you could set the @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to
4912 @samp{^nnml}, for instance. This variable is @code{nil} by
4915 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
4916 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
4917 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
4918 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
4919 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
4920 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
4921 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
4922 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
4923 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
4927 @node Persistent Articles
4928 @section Persistent Articles
4929 @cindex persistent articles
4931 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
4932 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
4933 useful in my opinion.
4935 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
4936 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
4937 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
4938 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
4939 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
4940 the expiry going on at the news server.
4942 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
4943 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
4944 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
4950 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
4951 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
4954 @kindex M-* (Summary)
4955 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
4956 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
4957 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
4961 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
4963 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
4964 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
4965 interested in persistent articles:
4968 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
4972 @node Article Backlog
4973 @section Article Backlog
4975 @cindex article backlog
4977 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
4978 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
4979 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
4980 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
4981 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
4982 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
4983 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
4984 increase memory usage some.
4986 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
4987 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
4988 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
4989 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
4990 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
4991 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
4992 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
4994 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
4997 @node Saving Articles
4998 @section Saving Articles
4999 @cindex saving articles
5001 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
5002 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
5003 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
5004 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
5005 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
5007 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
5008 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
5009 unwanted headers before saving the article.
5011 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
5012 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
5013 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
5014 deleted before saving.
5020 @kindex O o (Summary)
5022 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
5023 Save the current article using the default article saver
5024 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
5027 @kindex O m (Summary)
5028 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
5029 Save the current article in mail format
5030 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
5033 @kindex O r (Summary)
5034 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
5035 Save the current article in rmail format
5036 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
5039 @kindex O f (Summary)
5040 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
5041 Save the current article in plain file format
5042 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
5045 @kindex O F (Summary)
5046 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
5047 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
5048 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
5051 @kindex O b (Summary)
5052 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
5053 Save the current article body in plain file format
5054 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
5057 @kindex O h (Summary)
5058 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
5059 Save the current article in mh folder format
5060 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
5063 @kindex O v (Summary)
5064 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
5065 Save the current article in a VM folder
5066 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
5069 @kindex O p (Summary)
5070 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
5071 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
5072 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
5075 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
5076 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
5077 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
5078 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
5079 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
5080 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
5081 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
5082 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
5083 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
5084 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
5085 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
5086 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
5090 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
5091 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
5092 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
5093 functions below, or you can create your own.
5097 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5098 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5099 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
5100 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5101 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
5102 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5103 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5105 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5106 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5107 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
5108 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
5109 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5110 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5112 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
5113 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
5114 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
5115 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5116 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
5117 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5118 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5120 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5121 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5122 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
5123 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5124 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5126 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5127 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5128 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
5129 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
5130 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
5133 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
5134 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
5135 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
5136 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
5137 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}. The former creates capitalized names, and
5138 the latter does not.
5140 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5141 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5142 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
5143 reader to use this setting.
5146 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
5147 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
5148 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
5149 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
5152 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
5153 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
5154 available functions that generate names:
5158 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
5159 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
5160 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5162 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
5163 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5164 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5166 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
5167 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
5168 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5170 @item gnus-plain-save-name
5171 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5172 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5175 @vindex gnus-split-methods
5176 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
5177 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
5178 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
5179 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
5183 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
5184 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
5185 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
5186 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
5189 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
5190 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
5191 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
5192 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
5193 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
5194 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
5195 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
5196 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
5197 called returns a string or a list of strings.
5199 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
5200 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
5201 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
5202 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
5204 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
5205 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
5206 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
5209 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5210 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
5211 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
5212 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
5213 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
5214 all the files in the toplevel directory
5215 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
5216 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
5217 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
5218 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
5220 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
5221 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
5222 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
5223 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
5224 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
5227 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
5231 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
5232 (setq gnus-default-article-save 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
5235 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
5236 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
5237 the toplevel directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
5238 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
5241 @node Decoding Articles
5242 @section Decoding Articles
5243 @cindex decoding articles
5245 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
5246 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
5249 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
5250 * Shared Articles:: Unshar articles.
5251 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
5252 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
5253 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
5256 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
5257 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
5258 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
5259 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
5260 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
5262 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
5263 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
5264 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
5266 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
5267 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
5268 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
5270 Subjects that are nonstandard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
5271 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
5272 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
5275 @node Uuencoded Articles
5276 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
5278 @cindex uuencoded articles
5283 @kindex X u (Summary)
5284 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
5285 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
5288 @kindex X U (Summary)
5289 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
5290 Uudecodes and saves the current series
5291 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5294 @kindex X v u (Summary)
5295 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
5296 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
5299 @kindex X v U (Summary)
5300 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
5301 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
5302 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
5305 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
5306 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
5307 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
5308 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
5309 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
5311 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
5312 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
5313 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
5314 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
5317 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
5318 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
5319 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
5320 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
5321 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
5322 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
5326 @node Shared Articles
5327 @subsection Shared Articles
5329 @cindex shared articles
5334 @kindex X s (Summary)
5335 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
5336 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
5339 @kindex X S (Summary)
5340 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
5341 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
5344 @kindex X v s (Summary)
5345 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
5346 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
5349 @kindex X v S (Summary)
5350 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
5351 Unshars, views and saves the current series
5352 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
5356 @node PostScript Files
5357 @subsection PostScript Files
5363 @kindex X p (Summary)
5364 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
5365 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
5368 @kindex X P (Summary)
5369 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
5370 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
5371 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
5374 @kindex X v p (Summary)
5375 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
5376 View the current PostScript series
5377 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
5380 @kindex X v P (Summary)
5381 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
5382 View and save the current PostScript series
5383 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
5387 @node Decoding Variables
5388 @subsection Decoding Variables
5390 Adjective, not verb.
5393 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
5394 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
5395 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
5399 @node Rule Variables
5400 @subsubsection Rule Variables
5401 @cindex rule variables
5403 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
5404 variables are on the form
5407 (list '(regexp1 command2)
5414 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5415 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5417 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
5418 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
5421 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
5422 (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
5425 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5426 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
5427 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
5428 user and default view rules.
5430 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5431 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
5432 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
5437 @node Other Decode Variables
5438 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
5441 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5443 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
5444 All functions in this list will be called right each file has been
5445 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
5446 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
5447 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
5451 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
5452 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
5455 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
5456 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
5457 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
5460 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5461 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
5462 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
5463 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
5464 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
5467 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5468 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
5469 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
5471 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5472 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
5473 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
5474 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
5475 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
5478 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5479 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
5480 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
5482 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5483 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
5484 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
5485 looking for files to display.
5487 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
5488 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
5489 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
5492 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5493 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
5494 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
5497 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5498 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
5499 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
5502 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5503 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
5504 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
5507 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5508 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
5509 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark articles that were
5510 unsuccessfully decoded as unread.
5512 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5513 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
5514 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
5515 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
5517 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5518 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
5520 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
5521 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
5522 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
5523 @code{metamail} for viewing.
5525 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5526 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
5527 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
5528 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
5529 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
5530 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
5531 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
5532 simply dropped them.
5537 @node Uuencoding and Posting
5538 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
5542 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5543 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
5544 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
5545 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
5546 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
5547 for you when you post the article.
5549 @item gnus-uu-post-length
5550 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
5551 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
5552 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
5554 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
5555 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
5556 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
5557 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen are able
5558 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
5559 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
5560 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
5562 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5563 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
5564 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
5565 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
5566 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
5567 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
5568 Default is @code{t}.
5574 @subsection Viewing Files
5575 @cindex viewing files
5576 @cindex pseudo-articles
5578 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
5579 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
5580 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
5581 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
5582 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
5583 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
5584 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
5586 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
5587 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
5588 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
5589 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
5591 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
5592 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
5593 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
5595 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
5596 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
5597 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
5598 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
5599 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
5601 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
5602 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
5603 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
5604 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
5605 a list of parameters to that command.
5607 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
5608 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
5609 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
5611 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
5612 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
5613 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
5616 @node Article Treatment
5617 @section Article Treatment
5619 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
5620 object of newsreaders are to actually, like, read what people have
5621 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
5622 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
5623 these articles easier.
5626 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
5627 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look niced.
5628 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
5629 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
5630 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
5631 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
5632 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
5636 @node Article Highlighting
5637 @subsection Article Highlighting
5640 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
5641 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
5646 @kindex W H a (Summary)
5647 @findex gnus-article-highlight
5648 Highlight the current article (@code{gnus-article-highlight}).
5651 @kindex W H h (Summary)
5652 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
5653 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
5654 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
5655 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
5656 variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
5657 name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
5658 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name and
5659 @var{content} is the face for highlighting the header value. The first
5660 match made will be used. Note that @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^}
5661 prepended---Gnus will add one.
5664 @kindex W H c (Summary)
5665 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
5666 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
5668 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
5671 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5673 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
5674 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
5675 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
5677 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5678 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
5679 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
5681 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
5682 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
5683 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
5685 @item gnus-cite-face-list
5686 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
5687 List of faces used for highlighting citations. When there are citations
5688 from multiple articles in the same message, Gnus will try to give each
5689 citation from each article its own face. This should make it easier to
5692 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
5693 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
5694 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
5696 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5697 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
5698 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
5700 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5701 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
5702 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
5703 that it's a citation.
5705 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5706 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
5707 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
5709 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5710 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
5711 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
5713 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
5714 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
5715 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
5716 cited text belonging to the attribution.
5722 @kindex W H s (Summary)
5723 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
5724 @vindex gnus-signature-face
5725 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
5726 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
5727 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
5728 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
5729 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
5735 @node Article Fontisizing
5736 @subsection Article Fontisizing
5738 @cindex article emphasis
5740 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
5741 @kindex W e (Summary)
5742 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
5743 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*}. Gnus can make this look nicer by
5744 running the article through the @kbd{W e}
5745 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
5747 @vindex gnus-article-emphasis
5748 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
5749 @code{gnus-article-emphasis} variable. This is an alist where the first
5750 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
5751 that says what regular expression grouping used to find the entire
5752 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
5753 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
5754 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
5758 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
5759 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
5760 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
5763 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
5764 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
5765 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
5766 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
5767 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
5768 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
5769 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
5770 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
5771 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
5772 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
5773 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
5774 @code{gnus-emphasis-undeline-bold}, and
5775 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
5777 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
5778 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
5779 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
5783 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
5787 @node Article Hiding
5788 @subsection Article Hiding
5789 @cindex article hiding
5791 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
5792 too much cruft in most articles.
5797 @kindex W W a (Summary)
5798 @findex gnus-article-hide
5799 Do maximum hiding on the summary buffer (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}).
5802 @kindex W W h (Summary)
5803 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
5804 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
5808 @kindex W W b (Summary)
5809 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
5810 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
5811 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
5814 @kindex W W s (Summary)
5815 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
5816 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
5820 @kindex W W p (Summary)
5821 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
5822 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}).
5825 @kindex W W P (Summary)
5826 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
5827 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) gruft
5828 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
5831 @kindex W W c (Summary)
5832 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
5833 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
5834 customizing the hiding:
5838 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
5839 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
5840 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
5841 50), hide the cited text.
5843 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
5844 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
5845 The cited text must be have at least this length (default 10) before it
5848 @item gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
5849 @vindex gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
5850 Gnus adds buttons show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
5851 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
5852 by this format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
5857 Start point of the hidden text.
5859 End point of the hidden text.
5861 Length of the hidden text.
5864 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
5865 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
5866 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
5871 @kindex W W C (Summary)
5872 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
5873 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
5874 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
5875 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
5876 in @code{gnus-article-display-hook} (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
5880 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
5881 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
5882 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
5884 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
5885 citation customization.
5888 @node Article Washing
5889 @subsection Article Washing
5891 @cindex article washing
5893 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
5894 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
5896 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
5897 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
5903 @kindex W l (Summary)
5904 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
5905 Remove page breaks from the current article
5906 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}).
5909 @kindex W r (Summary)
5910 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
5911 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
5912 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
5915 @kindex W t (Summary)
5916 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
5917 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
5918 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
5921 @kindex W v (Summary)
5922 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
5923 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
5924 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
5927 @kindex W m (Summary)
5928 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
5929 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
5930 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
5933 @kindex W o (Summary)
5934 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
5935 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
5938 @kindex W w (Summary)
5939 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
5940 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}). If you use this
5941 function in @code{gnus-article-display-hook}, it should be run fairly
5942 late and certainly after any highlighting.
5944 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
5948 @kindex W c (Summary)
5949 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
5950 Remove CR (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
5953 @kindex W q (Summary)
5954 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
5955 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
5958 @kindex W f (Summary)
5960 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
5961 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
5962 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
5963 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
5964 Look for and display any X-Face headers
5965 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
5966 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
5967 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
5968 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
5969 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
5970 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
5971 The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
5972 face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
5973 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
5974 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
5975 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
5976 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
5977 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
5981 @kindex W b (Summary)
5982 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
5983 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
5986 @kindex W B (Summary)
5987 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
5988 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
5989 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
5992 @kindex W E l (Summary)
5993 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
5994 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
5995 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
5998 @kindex W E m (Summary)
5999 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
6000 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
6001 lines with a single empty line.
6002 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
6005 @kindex W E t (Summary)
6006 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
6007 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
6008 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
6011 @kindex W E a (Summary)
6012 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
6013 Do all the three commands above
6014 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
6019 @node Article Buttons
6020 @subsection Article Buttons
6023 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
6024 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
6025 with the minimum of fuzz.
6027 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
6028 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
6029 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
6034 @item gnus-button-alist
6035 @vindex gnus-button-alist
6036 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
6039 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6045 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
6046 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that match embedded URLs:
6047 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
6050 Gnus has to know which parts of the match is to be highlighted. This is
6051 a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp that is to be
6052 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
6055 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
6056 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
6057 avoid false matches.
6060 This function will be called when you click on this button.
6063 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
6064 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
6068 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
6071 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
6074 @item gnus-header-button-alist
6075 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
6076 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
6077 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
6078 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
6081 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6084 @var{header} is a regular expression.
6086 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
6087 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
6088 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
6089 default values of the variables above.
6091 @item gnus-article-button-face
6092 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
6093 Face used on buttons.
6095 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
6096 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
6097 Face is used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
6103 @subsection Article Date
6105 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
6106 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
6107 when the article was sent.
6112 @kindex W T u (Summary)
6113 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
6114 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
6115 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
6118 @kindex W T l (Summary)
6119 @findex gnus-article-date-local
6120 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
6123 @kindex W T s (Summary)
6124 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
6125 @findex gnus-article-date-user
6126 @findex format-time-string
6127 Display the date using a user-defined format
6128 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
6129 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
6130 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
6131 for a list possible format specs.
6134 @kindex W T e (Summary)
6135 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
6136 Say how much time has (e)lapsed between the article was posted and now
6137 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}).
6140 @kindex W T o (Summary)
6141 @findex gnus-article-date-original
6142 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
6143 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and is
6144 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
6145 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
6146 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
6151 @node Article Signature
6152 @subsection Article Signature
6154 @cindex article signature
6156 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6157 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
6158 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
6159 that says what is to be considered a signature is
6160 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
6161 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
6162 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
6163 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
6164 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
6167 (setq gnus-signature-separator
6168 '("^-- $" ; The standard
6169 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
6170 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
6171 ; line of dashes. Shame!
6172 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
6173 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
6174 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
6177 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
6180 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
6181 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
6186 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
6189 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
6192 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
6193 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
6195 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
6196 in question is not a signature.
6199 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
6203 @node Article Commands
6204 @section Article Commands
6211 @kindex A P (Summary)
6212 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
6213 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
6214 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
6215 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
6216 run just before printing the buffer.
6221 @node Summary Sorting
6222 @section Summary Sorting
6223 @cindex summary sorting
6225 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
6226 can't really see why you'd want that.
6231 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
6232 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
6233 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
6236 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
6237 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
6238 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
6241 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
6242 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
6243 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
6246 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
6247 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
6248 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
6251 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
6252 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
6253 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
6256 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
6257 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
6258 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
6261 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
6262 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
6263 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
6264 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
6265 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
6269 @node Finding the Parent
6270 @section Finding the Parent
6271 @cindex parent articles
6272 @cindex referring articles
6274 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
6276 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
6277 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
6278 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
6279 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
6280 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
6281 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
6282 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
6283 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
6285 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
6286 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
6287 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
6288 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
6289 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
6292 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
6293 @kindex A R (Summary)
6294 You can have Gnus fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References}
6295 header of the article by pushing @kbd{A R}
6296 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
6298 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
6299 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
6301 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
6302 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
6303 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
6304 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
6305 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
6306 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
6307 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
6309 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
6310 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
6311 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
6312 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
6313 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the same
6314 as the one that keeps the spool you are reading from updated, but that's
6315 not really necessary.
6317 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
6318 not do a particularly excellent job of it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
6319 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
6320 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
6321 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
6322 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
6325 @node Alternative Approaches
6326 @section Alternative Approaches
6328 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
6329 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
6332 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
6333 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
6338 @subsection Pick and Read
6339 @cindex pick and read
6341 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{nn}) use a two-phased
6342 reading interface. The user first marks the articles she wants to read
6343 from a summary buffer. Then she starts reading the articles with just
6344 an article buffer displayed.
6346 @findex gnus-pick-mode
6347 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
6348 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
6349 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
6350 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
6351 it makes one additional command for switching to the summary buffer
6354 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
6359 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6360 Pick the article on the current line
6361 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}). If given a numerical prefix,
6362 go to the article on that line and pick that article. (The line number
6363 is normally displayed on the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
6366 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
6367 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
6368 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
6369 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
6373 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6374 Unpick the article (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6378 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6379 Unpick all articles (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6383 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6384 Pick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6388 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6389 Unpick the thread (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6393 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6394 Pick the region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6398 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6399 Unpick the region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6403 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6404 Pick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6408 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6409 Unpick articles that match a regexp (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6413 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6414 Pick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6418 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-buffer
6419 Unpick the buffer (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-buffer}).
6423 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
6424 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
6425 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
6426 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
6427 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
6428 will still be visible when you are reading.
6432 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
6435 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
6438 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
6439 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
6441 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
6442 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
6443 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
6445 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
6446 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different than the
6447 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
6448 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
6449 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
6450 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
6451 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
6455 @subsection Binary Groups
6456 @cindex binary groups
6458 @findex gnus-binary-mode
6459 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
6460 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
6461 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
6462 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
6463 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
6464 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
6467 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
6468 In fact, the only way to see the actual articles if you have turned this
6469 mode on is the @kbd{g} command (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
6471 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
6472 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
6476 @section Tree Display
6479 @vindex gnus-use-trees
6480 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
6481 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
6482 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
6485 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
6488 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
6489 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
6490 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
6492 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6493 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
6494 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers. The default
6495 is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}. For a list of legal specs, @pxref{Summary
6498 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
6499 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
6500 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
6501 default is @code{modeline}.
6503 @item gnus-tree-line-format
6504 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
6505 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
6506 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
6507 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
6508 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
6509 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
6515 The name of the poster.
6517 The @code{From} header.
6519 The number of the article.
6521 The opening bracket.
6523 The closing bracket.
6528 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6530 Variables related to the display are:
6533 @item gnus-tree-brackets
6534 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
6535 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
6536 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
6537 (sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
6538 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}))}.
6540 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
6541 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
6542 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
6543 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
6547 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
6548 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
6549 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
6550 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
6551 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
6552 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}.
6554 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
6555 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
6556 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
6557 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
6558 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
6559 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
6560 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
6564 Here's and example from a horizontal tree buffer:
6567 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
6577 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
6581 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
6582 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
6584 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
6586 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
6592 @node Mail Group Commands
6593 @section Mail Group Commands
6594 @cindex mail group commands
6596 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
6597 illegal in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
6599 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
6600 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6605 @kindex B e (Summary)
6606 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
6607 Expire all expirable articles in the group
6608 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
6611 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
6612 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
6613 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
6614 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
6615 articles that are eligible for expiry in the current group will
6616 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
6619 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
6620 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
6621 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
6622 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
6623 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
6626 @kindex B m (Summary)
6628 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
6629 Move the article from one mail group to another
6630 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6633 @kindex B c (Summary)
6635 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
6636 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
6637 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
6640 @kindex B C (Summary)
6641 @cindex crosspost mail
6642 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
6643 Crosspost the current article to some other group
6644 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
6645 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
6646 be properly updated.
6649 @kindex B i (Summary)
6650 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
6651 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
6652 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
6653 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
6656 @kindex B r (Summary)
6657 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
6658 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
6659 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
6660 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
6661 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
6665 @kindex B w (Summary)
6667 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
6668 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
6669 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
6670 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
6671 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}).
6674 @kindex B q (Summary)
6675 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
6676 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
6677 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
6678 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
6681 @kindex B p (Summary)
6682 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
6683 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
6684 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
6685 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
6686 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
6687 article from your news server (or rather, from
6688 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
6689 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
6690 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
6691 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
6692 just not have arrived yet.
6696 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
6697 @cindex moving articles
6698 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
6699 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
6700 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
6701 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
6702 suggestions you find reasonable.
6705 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
6706 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
6707 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
6708 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
6712 @node Various Summary Stuff
6713 @section Various Summary Stuff
6716 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
6717 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
6718 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
6719 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
6723 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
6724 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
6725 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
6727 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
6728 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
6729 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
6730 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
6731 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
6732 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
6735 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6736 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
6737 Is is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
6738 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
6739 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
6744 @node Summary Group Information
6745 @subsection Summary Group Information
6750 @kindex H f (Summary)
6751 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
6752 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
6753 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
6754 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
6755 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
6756 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
6757 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
6758 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} probably will be used for
6762 @kindex H d (Summary)
6763 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
6764 Give a brief description of the current group
6765 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
6766 rereading the description from the server.
6769 @kindex H h (Summary)
6770 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
6771 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
6772 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
6775 @kindex H i (Summary)
6776 @findex gnus-info-find-node
6777 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
6781 @node Searching for Articles
6782 @subsection Searching for Articles
6787 @kindex M-s (Summary)
6788 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
6789 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
6790 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
6793 @kindex M-r (Summary)
6794 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
6795 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
6796 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
6800 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
6801 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
6802 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
6803 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}).
6806 @kindex M-& (Summary)
6807 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
6808 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
6809 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
6812 @node Summary Generation Commands
6813 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
6818 @kindex Y g (Summary)
6819 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
6820 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
6823 @kindex Y c (Summary)
6824 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
6825 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
6826 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
6831 @node Really Various Summary Commands
6832 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
6837 @kindex C-d (Summary)
6838 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
6839 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
6840 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
6841 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
6842 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
6843 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
6844 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages on
6845 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
6849 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
6850 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
6851 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
6852 several documents into one biiig group
6853 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
6854 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
6855 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
6856 command understands the process/prefix convention
6857 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6860 @kindex C-t (Summary)
6861 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
6862 Toggle truncation of summary lines
6863 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
6864 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
6865 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
6869 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
6870 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
6871 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
6876 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
6877 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
6878 @cindex summary exit
6879 @cindex exiting groups
6881 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
6882 group and return you to the group buffer.
6888 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
6890 @findex gnus-summary-exit
6891 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
6892 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
6893 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
6894 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
6895 called before doing much of the exiting, and calls
6896 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
6897 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exiting
6898 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
6899 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
6903 @kindex Z E (Summary)
6905 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
6906 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
6907 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
6911 @kindex Z c (Summary)
6913 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
6914 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
6915 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
6918 @kindex Z C (Summary)
6919 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
6920 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
6921 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
6924 @kindex Z n (Summary)
6925 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
6926 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
6927 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
6930 @kindex Z R (Summary)
6931 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
6932 Exit this group, and then enter it again
6933 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
6934 all articles, both read and unread.
6938 @kindex Z G (Summary)
6939 @kindex M-g (Summary)
6940 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
6941 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
6942 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
6943 articles, both read and unread.
6946 @kindex Z N (Summary)
6947 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
6948 Exit the group and go to the next group
6949 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
6952 @kindex Z P (Summary)
6953 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
6954 Exit the group and go to the previous group
6955 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
6958 @kindex Z s (Summary)
6959 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
6960 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
6961 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
6962 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
6963 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
6966 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
6967 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
6970 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
6971 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
6972 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
6973 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
6974 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
6975 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
6976 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
6977 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
6978 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
6979 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
6980 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
6981 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
6983 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
6985 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
6986 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
6987 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
6988 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
6989 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
6990 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
6991 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
6992 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
6993 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
6996 @node Crosspost Handling
6997 @section Crosspost Handling
7001 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
7002 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
7003 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
7004 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
7005 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
7006 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
7009 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
7010 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
7011 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
7012 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
7013 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
7015 @cindex cross-posting
7018 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
7019 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
7020 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
7021 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
7022 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
7023 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
7024 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
7025 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
7026 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
7027 the cross reference mechanism.
7029 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
7030 @cindex overview.fmt
7031 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
7032 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
7033 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
7034 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
7035 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
7036 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
7039 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
7040 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
7041 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
7046 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
7049 @node Duplicate Suppression
7050 @section Duplicate Suppression
7052 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
7053 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
7054 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
7055 approach may not work satisfactorily for some users for various
7060 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
7061 is evil and not very common.
7064 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
7065 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
7068 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
7069 different @sc{nntp} servers.
7072 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
7075 I'm sure there are other situations that @code{Xref} handling fails as
7076 well, but these four are the most common situations.
7078 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
7079 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
7080 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
7081 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
7082 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
7083 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
7084 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
7087 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
7088 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
7089 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
7090 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
7091 article as read the the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
7095 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
7096 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
7097 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
7099 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
7100 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
7101 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
7102 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
7103 However, this means that only duplicate articles that is read in a
7104 single Gnus session are suppressed.
7106 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
7107 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
7108 This variables says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
7109 suppression list. The default is 10000.
7111 @item gnus-duplicate-file
7112 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
7113 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list. The
7114 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
7117 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
7118 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
7119 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
7120 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
7121 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
7122 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
7123 to you to figure out, I think.
7126 @node The Article Buffer
7127 @chapter The Article Buffer
7128 @cindex article buffer
7130 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
7131 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
7132 tell Gnus otherwise.
7135 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
7136 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
7137 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
7138 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
7139 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
7143 @node Hiding Headers
7144 @section Hiding Headers
7145 @cindex hiding headers
7146 @cindex deleting headers
7148 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
7149 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
7151 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
7152 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
7153 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
7154 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
7155 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
7156 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
7157 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
7158 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
7159 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
7161 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
7165 @item gnus-visible-headers
7166 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
7167 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
7168 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
7169 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
7171 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
7172 the article and the subject, you'd say:
7175 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
7178 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers that are to
7181 @item gnus-ignored-headers
7182 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
7183 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
7184 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
7185 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
7186 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
7188 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
7189 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
7192 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
7195 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers that are to
7198 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
7199 variable will have no effect.
7203 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
7204 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
7205 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
7206 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
7207 the headers are to be displayed.
7209 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
7210 and then the subject, you might say something like:
7213 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
7216 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
7217 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers that
7218 are listed in this variable.
7220 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7221 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7222 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
7223 You can hide further boring headers by entering
7224 @code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers} into
7225 @code{gnus-article-display-hook}. What this function does depends on
7226 the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a list, but this
7227 list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is lists various
7228 @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove from sight.
7230 These conditions are:
7233 Remove all empty headers.
7235 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
7238 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
7239 @code{Newsgroups} header.
7241 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
7244 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
7248 To include the four first elements, you could say something like;
7251 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
7252 '(empty newsgroups followup-to reply-to))
7255 This is also the default value for this variable.
7259 @section Using @sc{mime}
7262 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
7263 while people stand around yawning.
7265 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
7266 while all newsreaders die of fear.
7268 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
7269 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
7270 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
7272 @vindex gnus-show-mime
7273 @vindex gnus-show-mime-method
7274 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
7275 @findex metamail-buffer
7276 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
7277 @code{gnus-show-mime-method}, which is @code{metamail-buffer} by
7278 default. Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
7279 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
7280 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
7281 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
7282 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
7283 buffer. These can't be avoided.
7285 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the summary
7286 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
7287 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
7288 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
7289 comes streaming out out your speakers, and you can't find the volume
7290 button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you,
7291 and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the
7292 program to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly
7293 decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
7295 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
7298 @node Customizing Articles
7299 @section Customizing Articles
7300 @cindex article customization
7302 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7303 The @code{gnus-article-display-hook} is called after the article has
7304 been inserted into the article buffer. It is meant to handle all
7305 treatment of the article before it is displayed.
7307 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7308 By default this hook just contains @code{gnus-article-hide-headers},
7309 @code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}, and
7310 @code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight}, but there are thousands, nay
7311 millions, of functions you can put in this hook. For an overview of
7312 functions @pxref{Article Highlighting}, @pxref{Article Hiding},
7313 @pxref{Article Washing}, @pxref{Article Buttons} and @pxref{Article
7314 Date}. Note that the order of functions in this hook might affect
7315 things, so you may have to fiddle a bit to get the desired results.
7317 You can, of course, write your own functions. The functions are called
7318 from the article buffer, and you can do anything you like, pretty much.
7319 There is no information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can
7320 change everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead
7321 make them invisible if you want to make them go away.
7324 @node Article Keymap
7325 @section Article Keymap
7327 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
7328 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
7329 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
7330 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
7333 A few additional keystrokes are available:
7338 @kindex SPACE (Article)
7339 @findex gnus-article-next-page
7340 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
7343 @kindex DEL (Article)
7344 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
7345 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
7348 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
7349 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
7350 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
7351 @kbd{r}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
7352 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
7355 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
7356 @findex gnus-article-mail
7357 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
7358 given a prefix, include the mail.
7362 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
7363 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
7364 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
7368 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
7369 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
7370 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
7373 @kindex TAB (Article)
7374 @findex gnus-article-next-button
7375 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}. This
7376 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
7379 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
7380 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
7381 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}.
7387 @section Misc Article
7391 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
7392 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
7393 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
7394 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
7397 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
7398 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
7399 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
7400 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
7401 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
7402 the contents of the article buffer.
7404 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
7405 @item gnus-article-display-hook
7406 This hook is called as the last thing when displaying an article, and is
7407 intended for modifying the contents of the buffer, doing highlights,
7408 hiding headers, and the like.
7410 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
7411 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
7412 Hook called in article mode buffers.
7414 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7415 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
7416 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
7417 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
7419 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
7420 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
7421 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
7422 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. It accepts the same
7423 format specifications as that variable, with one extension:
7427 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
7428 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
7432 @vindex gnus-break-pages
7434 @item gnus-break-pages
7435 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
7436 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
7437 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
7438 paging will not be done.
7440 @item gnus-page-delimiter
7441 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
7442 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
7447 @node Composing Messages
7448 @chapter Composing Messages
7453 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
7454 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
7455 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
7456 by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
7457 Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
7458 article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
7459 to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
7462 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
7463 * Post:: Posting and following up.
7464 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
7465 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
7466 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
7467 @c * Posting Styles:: An easier way to configure some key elements.
7468 @c * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
7469 @c * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
7472 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
7473 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
7479 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
7482 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
7483 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
7484 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
7485 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
7493 Variables for composing news articles:
7496 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
7497 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
7498 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
7499 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
7500 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
7501 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to sent the
7502 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
7503 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
7504 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
7507 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
7508 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
7509 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
7510 file. It is 1000 by default.
7515 @node Posting Server
7516 @section Posting Server
7518 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
7519 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
7521 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
7523 @vindex gnus-post-method
7525 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
7526 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
7527 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
7528 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
7529 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
7532 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
7535 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
7536 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
7537 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
7538 the ``current'' server for posting.
7540 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
7541 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
7543 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
7544 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
7549 @section Mail and Post
7551 Here's a list of variables that are relevant to both mailing and
7555 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
7556 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
7557 @cindex mailing lists
7559 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists that are
7560 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
7561 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
7562 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
7563 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
7564 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that match the groups that
7565 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
7566 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
7567 still a pain, though.
7571 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
7572 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
7573 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
7576 @findex ispell-message
7578 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
7582 @node Archived Messages
7583 @section Archived Messages
7584 @cindex archived messages
7585 @cindex sent messages
7587 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
7588 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
7589 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
7590 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
7593 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
7594 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
7595 use to store sent messages. The default is:
7599 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive/"))
7602 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
7603 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
7604 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
7605 directory chosen, you could say something like:
7608 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
7609 '(nnfolder "archive"
7610 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
7611 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
7612 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
7615 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
7617 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
7618 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
7619 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
7621 This variable can be:
7625 Messages will be saved in that group.
7626 @item a list of strings
7627 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
7628 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
7629 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
7631 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
7636 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
7638 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
7641 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
7643 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
7646 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
7648 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7649 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
7650 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
7651 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
7656 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7657 '((if (message-news-p)
7662 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
7663 messages in one file per month:
7666 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
7667 '((if (message-news-p)
7669 (concat "mail." (format-time-string
7670 "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
7673 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
7674 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
7675 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
7676 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
7677 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
7678 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
7679 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
7680 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
7681 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
7682 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
7684 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus also a
7685 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
7686 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
7687 this will disable archiving.
7689 XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
7690 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.
7693 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
7694 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
7695 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
7696 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
7697 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
7700 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
7701 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
7702 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
7705 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
7706 but the latter is the preferred method.
7710 @c @node Posting Styles
7711 @c @section Posting Styles
7712 @c @cindex posting styles
7715 @c All them variables, they make my head swim.
7717 @c So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
7718 @c on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
7719 @c and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
7722 @c @vindex gnus-posting-styles
7723 @c One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
7724 @c variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
7725 @c came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
7726 @c a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
7731 @c (signature . "Peace and happiness")
7732 @c (organization . "What me?"))
7734 @c (signature . "Death to everybody"))
7735 @c ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
7736 @c (organization . "Emacs is it")))
7739 @c As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
7740 @c @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
7741 @c ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
7742 @c over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
7743 @c applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
7744 @c the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
7745 @c @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
7746 @c signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
7748 @c The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
7749 @c string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
7750 @c If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
7751 @c arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
7752 @c referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
7753 @c any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
7756 @c Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
7757 @c attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name
7758 @c can be one of @code{signature}, @code{organization} or @code{from}. The
7759 @c attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
7760 @c a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
7763 @c The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
7764 @c return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
7765 @c list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
7767 @c So here's a new example:
7770 @c (setq gnus-posting-styles
7772 @c (signature . "~/.signature")
7773 @c (from . "user@@foo (user)")
7774 @c ("X-Home-Page" . (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
7775 @c (organization . "People's Front Against MWM"))
7777 @c (signature . my-funny-signature-randomizer))
7778 @c ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
7779 @c (signature . my-quote-randomizer))
7780 @c (posting-from-work-p
7781 @c (signature . "~/.work-signature")
7782 @c (from . "user@@bar.foo (user)")
7783 @c (organization . "Important Work, Inc"))
7785 @c (signature . "~/.mail-signature"))))
7792 @c If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
7793 @c you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
7794 @c craazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save the
7795 @c message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some other
7796 @c day, and send it when you feel its finished.
7798 @c Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
7799 @c some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
7800 @c automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
7801 @c If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
7802 @c article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
7806 @c @vindex gnus-draft-group-directory
7807 @c The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
7808 @c @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
7809 @c @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{gnus-draft-group-directory}
7810 @c controls both the name of the group and the location---the leaf element
7811 @c in the path will be used as the name of the group. What makes this
7812 @c group special is that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any
7813 @c articles as read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
7815 @c If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
7818 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
7819 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
7820 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
7821 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
7822 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
7823 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
7824 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
7825 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
7826 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
7827 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
7828 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
7829 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
7830 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
7831 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
7833 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
7834 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
7835 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
7837 @c @findex gnus-summary-send-draft
7838 @c @kindex S D c (Summary)
7839 @c When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
7840 @c draft group and push @kbd{S D c} (@code{gnus-summary-send-draft}) to do
7841 @c that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
7843 @c Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
7846 @c @findex gnus-summary-send-all-drafts
7847 @c If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
7848 @c doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{S D a} command
7849 @c (@code{gnus-summary-send-all-drafts}). This command understands the
7850 @c process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7853 @c @node Rejected Articles
7854 @c @section Rejected Articles
7855 @c @cindex rejected articles
7857 @c Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
7858 @c doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
7859 @c @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
7860 @c Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
7862 @c These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
7863 @c (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
7864 @c fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
7865 @c you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
7866 @c articles until some later time when the server feels better.
7868 @c The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
7869 @c (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
7870 @c typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
7873 @node Select Methods
7874 @chapter Select Methods
7875 @cindex foreign groups
7876 @cindex select methods
7878 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group that is not read by the usual (or
7879 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
7880 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
7881 personal mail group.
7883 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
7884 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
7885 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
7886 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
7887 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
7888 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
7890 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
7891 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
7893 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
7896 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
7897 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
7898 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
7899 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
7900 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
7902 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
7905 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
7906 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
7907 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
7908 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
7909 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
7913 @node The Server Buffer
7914 @section The Server Buffer
7916 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
7917 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
7918 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
7919 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
7920 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
7921 backend represents a virtual server.
7923 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
7924 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
7925 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
7926 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
7928 These select methods specifications can sometimes become quite
7929 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
7930 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
7931 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
7932 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
7933 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
7934 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
7936 To enter the server buffer, user the @kbd{^}
7937 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
7940 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
7941 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
7942 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
7943 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
7944 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
7945 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
7946 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
7949 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
7950 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
7953 @node Server Buffer Format
7954 @subsection Server Buffer Format
7955 @cindex server buffer format
7957 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
7958 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
7959 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
7960 variable, with some simple extensions:
7965 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
7968 The name of this server.
7971 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
7974 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
7977 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
7978 The mode line can also be customized by using the
7979 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable. The following specs are
7990 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
7993 @node Server Commands
7994 @subsection Server Commands
7995 @cindex server commands
8001 @findex gnus-server-add-server
8002 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
8006 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
8007 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
8010 @kindex SPACE (Server)
8011 @findex gnus-server-read-server
8012 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
8016 @findex gnus-server-exit
8017 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
8021 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
8022 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
8026 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
8027 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
8031 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
8032 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
8036 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
8037 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
8041 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
8042 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
8043 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
8048 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
8049 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
8050 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
8051 a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
8056 @node Example Methods
8057 @subsection Example Methods
8059 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
8062 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
8065 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
8071 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
8072 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
8075 After these two elements, there may be a arbitrary number of
8076 @var{(variable form)} pairs.
8078 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
8079 port 15 from that machine. This is what the select method should
8083 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
8086 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
8087 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example.
8089 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
8090 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
8091 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
8095 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
8098 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
8101 Here's the method for a public spool:
8105 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
8106 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
8109 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
8110 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
8111 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
8112 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
8113 should probably look something like this:
8117 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
8118 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
8119 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
8120 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
8121 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
8126 @node Creating a Virtual Server
8127 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
8129 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
8130 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
8132 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
8133 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
8134 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
8136 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
8138 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
8139 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
8140 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
8141 will contain the following:
8151 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
8152 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
8153 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
8156 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
8157 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
8158 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
8161 @node Server Variables
8162 @subsection Server Variables
8164 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
8165 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
8166 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
8167 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
8168 won't change the "derived" variables.
8170 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
8171 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
8172 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
8173 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
8174 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
8175 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
8176 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
8177 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
8178 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
8182 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
8183 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
8184 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
8188 @node Servers and Methods
8189 @subsection Servers and Methods
8191 Wherever you would normally use a select method
8192 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
8193 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
8194 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
8198 @node Unavailable Servers
8199 @subsection Unavailable Servers
8201 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
8202 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
8203 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
8204 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
8205 actually the case or not.
8207 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
8208 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to the server
8209 @samp{nepholococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
8210 away from you, the machine is quite, so it takes 1 minute just to find
8211 out that it refuses connection from you today. If Gnus were to attempt
8212 to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't attempt to do
8213 that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'', it will
8214 regard that server as ``down''.
8216 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
8217 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
8219 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
8220 with the following commands:
8226 @findex gnus-server-open-server
8227 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
8228 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
8232 @findex gnus-server-close-server
8233 Close the connection (if any) to the server
8234 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
8238 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
8239 Mark the current server as unreachable
8240 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
8243 @kindex M-o (Server)
8244 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
8245 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
8246 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
8249 @kindex M-c (Server)
8250 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
8251 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
8252 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
8256 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
8257 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from all servers
8258 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
8264 @section Getting News
8265 @cindex reading news
8266 @cindex news backends
8268 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
8269 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
8270 or it can read from a local spool.
8273 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
8274 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
8279 @subsection @sc{nntp}
8282 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
8283 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
8284 server as the, uhm, address.
8286 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
8287 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
8288 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
8289 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
8291 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
8292 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
8293 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
8295 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
8300 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
8301 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
8302 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
8304 @cindex authentification
8305 @cindex nntp authentification
8306 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8307 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
8308 @code{nntp-server-opened-hook} is run after a connection has been made.
8309 It can be used to send commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has
8310 been contacted. By default is sends the command @code{MODE READER} to
8311 the server with the @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function.
8313 @item nntp-authinfo-function
8314 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
8315 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
8316 server. Available functions include:
8319 @item nntp-send-authinfo
8320 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
8321 This function will used you current login name as the user name and will
8322 prompt you for the password. This is the default.
8324 @item nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
8325 @findex nntp-send-nosy-authinfo
8326 This function will prompt you for both user name and password.
8328 @item nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
8329 @findex nntp-send-authinfo-from-file
8330 This function will use your current login name as the user name and will
8331 read the @sc{nntp} password from @file{~/.nntp-authinfo}.
8334 @item nntp-server-action-alist
8335 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
8336 This is an list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
8337 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
8338 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
8341 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
8345 You probably don't want to do that, though.
8347 The default value is
8350 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
8351 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook nntp-send-mode-reader)))
8354 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
8355 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
8357 @item nntp-maximum-request
8358 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
8359 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
8360 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
8361 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
8362 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
8363 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
8364 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
8366 @item nntp-connection-timeout
8367 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
8368 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
8369 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
8370 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
8371 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
8372 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
8373 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
8374 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
8375 no timeouts are done.
8377 @item nntp-command-timeout
8378 @vindex nntp-command-timeout
8379 @cindex PPP connections
8380 @cindex dynamic IP addresses
8381 If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
8382 address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
8383 changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
8384 waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
8385 unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
8386 then, if it sits waiting longer than that number of seconds for a reply
8387 from the server, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
8388 the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
8389 likely number is 30 seconds.
8391 @item nntp-retry-on-break
8392 @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
8393 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
8394 hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
8397 @item nntp-server-hook
8398 @vindex nntp-server-hook
8399 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
8402 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
8403 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
8404 @item nntp-open-connection-function
8405 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
8406 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Two pre-made
8407 functions are @code{nntp-open-network-stream}, which is the default, and
8408 simply connects to some port or other on the remote system. The other
8409 is @code{nntp-open-rlogin}, which does an rlogin on the remote system,
8410 and then does a telnet to the @sc{nntp} server available there.
8412 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
8413 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
8414 If you use @code{nntp-open-rlogin} as the
8415 @code{nntp-open-connection-function}, this list will be used as the
8416 parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
8418 @item nntp-end-of-line
8419 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
8420 String to use as end-of-line markers when talking to the @sc{nntp}
8421 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
8422 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
8424 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
8425 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
8426 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
8430 @vindex nntp-address
8431 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
8433 @item nntp-port-number
8434 @vindex nntp-port-number
8435 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
8438 @item nntp-buggy-select
8439 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
8440 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
8442 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
8443 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
8444 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
8445 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks whether @sc{nov}
8446 can be used automatically.
8448 @item nntp-xover-commands
8449 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
8452 List of strings that are used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
8453 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
8457 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
8458 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
8459 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
8460 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
8461 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
8462 lines that you do not want, and will not use. This variable says how
8463 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
8464 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
8465 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
8466 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
8467 @code{nntp} will never split requests.
8469 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
8470 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
8471 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
8473 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
8474 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
8475 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
8476 server closes connection.
8482 @subsection News Spool
8486 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
8487 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
8488 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
8491 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @samp{} (or
8492 anything else) as the address.
8494 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
8495 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
8496 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
8497 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
8501 @item nnspool-inews-program
8502 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
8503 Program used to post an article.
8505 @item nnspool-inews-switches
8506 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
8507 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
8509 @item nnspool-spool-directory
8510 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
8511 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
8512 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
8514 @item nnspool-nov-directory
8515 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
8516 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
8517 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
8519 @item nnspool-lib-dir
8520 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
8521 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
8523 @item nnspool-active-file
8524 @vindex nnspool-active-file
8525 The path of the active file.
8527 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
8528 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
8529 The path of the group descriptions file.
8531 @item nnspool-history-file
8532 @vindex nnspool-history-file
8533 The path of the news history file.
8535 @item nnspool-active-times-file
8536 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
8537 The path of the active date file.
8539 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
8540 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
8541 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
8544 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
8545 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
8547 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
8548 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
8549 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
8555 @section Getting Mail
8556 @cindex reading mail
8559 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
8563 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
8564 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
8565 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
8566 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
8567 * Mail and Procmail:: Reading mail groups that procmail create.
8568 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
8569 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
8570 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
8571 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
8572 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
8573 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
8577 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
8578 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
8580 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
8581 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
8582 and things will happen automatically.
8584 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a one file per
8585 mail backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
8588 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
8589 '((nnml "private")))
8592 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
8593 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
8594 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
8595 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
8596 like any other group.
8598 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
8601 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8602 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
8603 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
8607 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
8608 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
8609 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
8612 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
8613 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though,
8614 especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
8617 @node Splitting Mail
8618 @subsection Splitting Mail
8619 @cindex splitting mail
8620 @cindex mail splitting
8622 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
8623 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
8624 to be split into groups.
8627 (setq nnmail-split-methods
8628 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
8629 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
8633 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
8634 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
8635 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
8636 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
8637 determine if it belongs in this mail group.
8639 If the first element is the special symbol @code{junk}, then messages
8640 that match the regexp will disappear into the aether. Use with
8643 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
8644 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
8645 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
8646 mail belongs in that group.
8648 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
8649 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
8650 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
8651 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
8652 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
8653 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
8655 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
8656 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
8657 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
8658 message. The function should return a list of groups names that it
8659 thinks should carry this mail message.
8661 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent
8662 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
8663 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
8664 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
8666 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
8667 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
8668 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
8669 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
8670 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
8672 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
8675 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
8676 the crossposted articles. However, not all files systems support hard
8677 links. If that's the case for you, set
8678 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
8679 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
8681 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
8682 @kindex nnmail-split-history
8683 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
8684 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
8686 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
8687 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
8688 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
8689 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
8690 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
8691 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
8692 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
8693 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
8697 @node Mail Backend Variables
8698 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
8700 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
8704 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
8705 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
8706 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
8707 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
8709 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
8710 @item nnmail-spool-file
8714 @vindex nnmail-pop-password
8715 @vindex nnmail-pop-password-required
8716 The backends will look for new mail in this file. If this variable is
8717 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
8718 themselves. If you are using a POP mail server and your name is
8719 @samp{larsi}, you should set this variable to @samp{po:larsi}. If
8720 your name is not @samp{larsi}, you should probably modify that
8721 slightly, but you may have guessed that already, you smart & handsome
8722 devil! You can also set this variable to @code{pop}, and Gnus will try
8723 to figure out the POP mail string by itself. In any case, Gnus will
8724 call @code{movemail} which will contact the POP server named in the
8725 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable. If the POP server needs a
8726 password, you can either set @code{nnmail-pop-password-required} to
8727 @code{t} and be prompted for the password, or set
8728 @code{nnmail-pop-password} to the password itself.
8730 @code{nnmail-spool-file} can also be a list of mailboxes.
8732 Your Emacs has to have been configured with @samp{--with-pop} before
8733 compilation. This is the default, but some installations have it
8736 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
8737 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
8738 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
8739 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
8740 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
8741 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
8743 @vindex nnmail-use-procmail
8744 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
8745 @item nnmail-use-procmail
8746 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will look in
8747 @code{nnmail-procmail-directory} for incoming mail. All the files in
8748 that directory that have names ending in @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix}
8749 will be considered incoming mailboxes, and will be searched for new
8752 @vindex nnmail-crash-box
8753 @item nnmail-crash-box
8754 When the mail backends read a spool file, it is first moved to this
8755 file, which is @file{~/.gnus-crash-box} by default. If this file
8756 already exists, it will always be read (and incorporated) before any
8759 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
8760 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
8761 This is run in a buffer that holds all the new incoming mail, and can be
8762 used for, well, anything, really.
8764 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
8765 @item nnmail-split-hook
8766 @findex article-decode-rfc1522
8767 @findex RFC1522 decoding
8768 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
8769 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
8770 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
8771 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
8772 in the buffer will show up in any files. @code{gnus-article-decode-rfc1522}
8773 is one likely function to add to this hook.
8775 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
8776 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
8777 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
8778 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
8779 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
8780 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
8781 starting to handle the new mail) and
8782 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
8783 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
8784 default file modes the new mail files get:
8787 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
8788 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
8790 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
8791 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
8794 @item nnmail-tmp-directory
8795 @vindex nnmail-tmp-directory
8796 This variable says where to move the incoming mail to while processing
8797 it. This is usually done in the same directory that the mail backend
8798 inhabits (i.e., @file{~/Mail/}), but if this variable is non-@code{nil},
8799 it will be used instead.
8801 @item nnmail-movemail-program
8802 @vindex nnmail-movemail-program
8803 This program is executed to move mail from the user's inbox to her home
8804 directory. The default is @samp{movemail}.
8806 This can also be a function. In that case, the function will be called
8807 with two parameters -- the name of the inbox, and the file to be moved
8810 @item nnmail-delete-incoming
8811 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
8812 @cindex incoming mail files
8813 @cindex deleting incoming files
8814 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will delete the temporary incoming
8815 file after splitting mail into the proper groups. This is @code{t} by
8818 @c This is @code{nil} by
8819 @c default for reasons of security.
8821 @c Since Red Gnus is an alpha release, it is to be expected to lose mail.
8822 (No Gnus release since (ding) Gnus 0.10 (or something like that) have
8823 lost mail, I think, but that's not the point. (Except certain versions
8824 of Red Gnus.)) By not deleting the Incoming* files, one can be sure to
8825 not lose mail -- if Gnus totally whacks out, one can always recover what
8828 Delete the @file{Incoming*} files at will.
8830 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
8831 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
8832 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
8833 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories like
8834 @file{mail.misc/}. If it is @code{nil}, the same group will end up in
8837 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
8838 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
8840 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
8845 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
8846 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
8847 @cindex mail splitting
8848 @cindex fancy mail splitting
8850 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
8851 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
8852 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
8853 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
8854 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
8855 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
8857 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
8860 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
8861 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
8862 ;; from real errors.
8863 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
8865 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
8866 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
8867 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
8868 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
8869 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
8870 ;; Other mailing lists...
8871 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
8872 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
8874 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen"))
8875 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
8879 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
8880 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
8881 the five possible split syntaxes:
8886 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name.
8889 @var{(FIELD VALUE SPLIT)}: If the split is a list, and the first
8890 element is a string, then that means that if header FIELD (a regexp)
8891 contains VALUE (also a regexp), then store the message as specified by
8895 @var{(| SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
8896 @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them
8897 matches. A SPLIT is said to match if it will cause the mail message to
8898 be stored in one or more groups.
8901 @var{(& SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
8902 @code{&}, then process all SPLITs in the list.
8905 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
8906 this message anywhere.
8909 @var{(: function arg1 arg2 ...)}: If the split is a list, and the first
8910 element is @code{:}, then the second element will be called as a
8911 function with @var{args} given as arguments. The function should return
8916 In these splits, @var{FIELD} must match a complete field name.
8917 @var{VALUE} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
8918 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
8919 field names or words. In other words, all @var{VALUE}'s are wrapped in
8920 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
8922 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
8923 @var{FIELD} and @var{VALUE} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
8924 are expanded as specified by the variable
8925 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
8926 the car of the cells contains the key, and the cdr contains a string.
8928 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
8929 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
8930 when all this splitting is performed.
8932 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
8933 information in the headers, you can say things like:
8936 (any "debian-\(\\w*\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
8939 That is, do @code{replace-match}-like substitions in the group names.
8942 @node Mail and Procmail
8943 @subsection Mail and Procmail
8948 Many people use @code{procmail} (or some other mail filter program or
8949 external delivery agent---@code{slocal}, @code{elm}, etc) to split
8950 incoming mail into groups. If you do that, you should set
8951 @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{procmail} to ensure that the mail
8952 backends never ever try to fetch mail by themselves.
8954 This also means that you probably don't want to set
8955 @code{nnmail-split-methods} either, which has some, perhaps, unexpected
8958 When a mail backend is queried for what groups it carries, it replies
8959 with the contents of that variable, along with any groups it has figured
8960 out that it carries by other means. None of the backends (except
8961 @code{nnmh}) actually go out to the disk and check what groups actually
8962 exist. (It's not trivial to distinguish between what the user thinks is
8963 a basis for a newsgroup and what is just a plain old file or directory.)
8965 This means that you have to tell Gnus (and the backends) what groups
8968 Let's take the @code{nnmh} backend as an example.
8970 The folders are located in @code{nnmh-directory}, say, @file{~/Mail/}.
8971 There are three folders, @file{foo}, @file{bar} and @file{mail.baz}.
8973 Go to the group buffer and type @kbd{G m}. When prompted, answer
8974 @samp{foo} for the name and @samp{nnmh} for the method. Repeat
8975 twice for the two other groups, @samp{bar} and @samp{mail.baz}. Be sure
8976 to include all your mail groups.
8978 That's it. You are now set to read your mail. An active file for this
8979 method will be created automatically.
8981 @vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
8982 @vindex nnmail-procmail-directory
8983 If you use @code{nnfolder} or any other backend that store more than a
8984 single article in each file, you should never have procmail add mails to
8985 the file that Gnus sees. Instead, procmail should put all incoming mail
8986 in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory}. To arrive at the file name to put
8987 the incoming mail in, append @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix} to the group
8988 name. The mail backends will read the mail from these files.
8990 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
8991 When Gnus reads a file called @file{mail.misc.spool}, this mail will be
8992 put in the @code{mail.misc}, as one would expect. However, if you want
8993 Gnus to split the mail the normal way, you could set
8994 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to @code{t}.
8996 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
8997 If you use @code{procmail} to split things directory into an @code{nnmh}
8998 directory (which you shouldn't do), you should set
8999 @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} to non-@code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
9000 ever expiring the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is quite,
9003 Here's an example setup: The incoming spools are located in
9004 @file{~/incoming/} and have @samp{""} as suffixes (i. e., the incoming
9005 spool files have the same names as the equivalent groups). The
9006 @code{nnfolder} backend is to be used as the mail interface, and the
9007 @code{nnfolder} directory is @file{~/fMail/}.
9010 (setq nnfolder-directory "~/fMail/")
9011 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
9012 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/incoming/")
9013 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnfolder "")))
9014 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "")
9018 @node Incorporating Old Mail
9019 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
9021 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
9022 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
9023 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
9026 Doing so can be quite easy.
9028 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
9029 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
9030 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
9031 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
9032 your @code{nnml} groups.
9038 Go to the group buffer.
9041 Type `G f' and give the path of the mbox file when prompted to create an
9042 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
9045 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
9048 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group (@pxref{Setting
9052 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
9053 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
9056 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
9057 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
9058 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
9059 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
9060 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
9062 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
9063 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
9064 using the new mail backend.
9068 @subsection Expiring Mail
9069 @cindex article expiry
9071 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
9072 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
9073 different approach to mail reading.
9075 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
9076 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
9077 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
9078 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
9079 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
9080 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
9083 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
9084 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
9085 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
9086 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
9087 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
9088 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
9089 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
9090 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
9092 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9093 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
9094 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
9095 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
9096 articles that are marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
9097 column in the summary buffer.
9099 Note that making a group auto-expirable don't mean that all read
9100 articles are expired---only the articles that are marked as expirable
9101 will be expired. Also note the using the @kbd{d} command won't make
9102 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
9103 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
9105 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
9106 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
9109 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
9110 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
9113 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
9114 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
9116 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
9117 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
9118 doesn't really mix very well.
9120 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
9121 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
9122 expirable article has to live. The default is seven days.
9124 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
9125 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
9126 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
9127 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
9130 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9132 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
9134 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
9136 ((string= group "mail.junk")
9138 ((string= group "important")
9144 The group names that this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
9145 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
9147 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
9148 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can be either a number (not
9149 necessarily an integer) or the symbols @code{immediate} or
9152 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
9153 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9155 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
9156 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
9157 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
9158 easier for procmail users.
9160 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
9161 By the way, that line up there about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
9162 articles is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
9163 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
9164 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
9165 caution. Even more dangerous is the
9166 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
9167 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
9168 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
9169 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
9170 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
9171 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
9172 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
9175 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
9179 @subsection Washing Mail
9180 @cindex mail washing
9181 @cindex list server brain damage
9182 @cindex incoming mail treatment
9184 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
9185 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
9186 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
9187 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
9188 Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
9189 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
9191 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
9192 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
9193 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
9196 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
9197 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
9198 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
9199 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
9202 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9203 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
9204 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
9205 grand, sweeping gestures. Functions to be used include:
9208 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9209 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
9210 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
9211 Emacs running on MS machines.
9215 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9216 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
9217 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
9218 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
9221 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9222 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
9223 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
9224 headers too make them look nice. Aaah.
9226 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
9227 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
9228 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
9229 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
9230 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
9231 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
9232 also be a list of regexp.
9234 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
9235 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
9238 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
9239 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
9242 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
9243 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
9244 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
9248 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
9249 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
9250 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
9254 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
9255 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
9256 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
9263 @subsection Duplicates
9265 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
9266 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
9267 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
9268 @cindex duplicate mails
9269 If you are a member of a couple of mailing list, you will sometime
9270 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
9271 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
9272 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
9273 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
9274 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
9275 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
9276 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
9277 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
9278 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
9279 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
9280 will generate a brand new @code{Message-ID} for the mail and insert a
9281 warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks that this is a
9282 duplicate of a different message.
9284 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
9285 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
9286 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
9287 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
9289 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
9292 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
9293 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
9297 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
9298 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
9299 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
9300 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
9301 (any mail "mail.misc")
9308 (setq nnmail-split-methods
9309 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
9314 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
9315 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
9316 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
9317 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
9318 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
9321 @node Not Reading Mail
9322 @subsection Not Reading Mail
9324 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
9325 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
9326 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
9328 If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
9329 will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
9331 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9332 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
9333 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
9334 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
9335 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
9336 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
9337 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
9338 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
9339 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
9340 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
9341 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
9343 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
9344 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
9348 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
9349 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
9351 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
9352 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
9353 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
9356 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
9357 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
9358 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
9359 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
9360 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
9365 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
9367 @cindex unix mail box
9369 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
9370 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
9371 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
9372 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
9373 which group it belongs in.
9375 Virtual server settings:
9378 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
9379 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
9380 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
9382 @item nnmbox-active-file
9383 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
9384 The name of the active file for the mail box.
9386 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
9387 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
9388 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
9394 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
9398 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
9399 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
9400 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
9401 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
9402 article to say which group it belongs in.
9404 Virtual server settings:
9407 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
9408 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
9409 The name of the rmail mbox file.
9411 @item nnbabyl-active-file
9412 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
9413 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
9415 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9416 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
9417 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
9422 @subsubsection Mail Spool
9424 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
9426 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
9427 format. It should be used with some caution.
9429 @vindex nnml-directory
9430 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files;
9431 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the correct
9432 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
9433 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
9435 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
9438 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
9439 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
9440 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
9441 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
9442 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
9443 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
9444 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
9445 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
9447 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
9448 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
9449 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes is the fastest
9450 backend when it comes to reading mail.
9452 Virtual server settings:
9455 @item nnml-directory
9456 @vindex nnml-directory
9457 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
9459 @item nnml-active-file
9460 @vindex nnml-active-file
9461 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
9463 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
9464 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
9465 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
9468 @item nnml-get-new-mail
9469 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
9470 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
9472 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
9473 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
9474 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
9476 @item nnml-nov-file-name
9477 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
9478 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
9480 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
9481 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
9482 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
9486 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
9487 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
9488 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
9489 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
9490 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
9491 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
9492 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
9497 @subsubsection MH Spool
9499 @cindex mh-e mail spool
9501 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
9502 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
9503 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
9504 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
9506 Virtual server settings:
9509 @item nnmh-directory
9510 @vindex nnmh-directory
9511 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
9513 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
9514 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
9515 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
9518 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
9519 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
9520 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
9521 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
9522 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
9523 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
9524 to set this variable to @code{t}.
9529 @subsubsection Mail Folders
9531 @cindex mbox folders
9532 @cindex mail folders
9534 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
9535 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
9536 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
9539 Virtual server settings:
9542 @item nnfolder-directory
9543 @vindex nnfolder-directory
9544 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
9546 @item nnfolder-active-file
9547 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
9548 The name of the active file.
9550 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
9551 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
9552 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
9554 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
9555 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
9556 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
9559 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
9560 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
9561 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
9562 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
9563 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
9564 @code{nnfolder-directory}.
9568 @section Other Sources
9570 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
9571 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
9575 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
9576 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
9577 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
9578 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
9579 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
9580 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
9584 @node Directory Groups
9585 @subsection Directory Groups
9587 @cindex directory groups
9589 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
9590 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
9593 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp}, that most
9594 wonderful of all wonderful Emacs packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I
9595 didn't think much about it---a backend to read directories. Big deal.
9597 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
9598 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
9599 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the the directory name,
9600 @code{ange-ftp} will actually allow you to read this directory over at
9601 @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
9603 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
9605 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
9606 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
9607 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
9608 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
9611 @node Anything Groups
9612 @subsection Anything Groups
9615 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
9616 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
9617 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
9620 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
9621 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
9622 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
9623 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
9624 forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
9625 snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
9626 the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
9627 If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source
9628 file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
9629 will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
9632 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
9633 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
9634 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
9635 in the article buffer, just as usual.
9637 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
9638 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
9639 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
9640 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
9642 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
9643 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
9644 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
9645 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
9646 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
9647 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
9648 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
9649 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
9654 @item nneething-map-file-directory
9655 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
9656 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
9657 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
9659 @item nneething-exclude-files
9660 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
9661 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
9662 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
9664 @item nneething-map-file
9665 @vindex nneething-map-file
9666 Name of the map files.
9670 @node Document Groups
9671 @subsection Document Groups
9673 @cindex documentation group
9676 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
9677 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
9684 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
9689 The standard Unix mbox file.
9691 @cindex MMDF mail box
9693 The MMDF mail box format.
9696 Several news articles appended into a file.
9699 @cindex rnews batch files
9700 The rnews batch transport format.
9701 @cindex forwarded messages
9710 @cindex RFC 1153 digest
9711 @cindex RFC 341 digest
9712 MIME (RFC 1341) digest format.
9714 @item standard-digest
9715 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
9718 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
9721 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
9722 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
9723 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
9726 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
9727 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
9728 group. And that's it.
9730 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
9731 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
9732 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
9733 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
9734 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
9735 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
9736 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
9737 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
9738 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
9739 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
9741 Virtual server variables:
9744 @item nndoc-article-type
9745 @vindex nndoc-article-type
9746 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
9747 @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934}, @code{news}, @code{rnews},
9748 @code{mime-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, or @code{guess}.
9750 @item nndoc-post-type
9751 @vindex nndoc-post-type
9752 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
9753 a mail group. There are two legal values: @code{mail} (the default)
9758 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
9762 @node Document Server Internals
9763 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
9765 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
9766 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
9767 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
9768 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
9770 First, here's an example document type definition:
9774 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
9775 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
9778 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
9779 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
9780 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
9781 types can be defined with very few settings:
9785 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
9786 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
9790 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
9791 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
9793 @item head-begin-function
9794 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
9797 @item nndoc-head-begin
9798 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
9801 @item nndoc-head-end
9802 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
9803 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
9805 @item body-begin-function
9806 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
9810 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
9813 @item body-end-function
9814 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
9818 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
9820 @item nndoc-file-end
9821 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
9822 regexp will be totally ignored.
9826 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
9827 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
9828 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
9829 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
9830 something that's palatable for Gnus:
9833 @item prepare-body-function
9834 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
9835 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
9836 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
9838 @item article-transform-function
9839 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
9840 meant to be used how more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
9841 body of the article.
9843 @item generate-head-function
9844 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
9845 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
9846 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
9847 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
9851 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
9856 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
9857 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
9858 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
9859 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
9861 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
9862 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
9863 (subtype digest guess))
9866 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
9867 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
9868 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
9869 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
9870 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
9872 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
9873 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
9874 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
9875 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
9876 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for each
9877 type. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
9878 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
9879 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
9880 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
9881 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
9882 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest legal number.
9890 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
9891 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
9892 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
9894 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
9895 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
9896 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
9899 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a that's a bit
9900 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
9901 that interested in doing things properly.
9903 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
9904 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
9907 First some terminology:
9912 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
9913 get news and/or mail from.
9916 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
9917 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
9920 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
9924 @item message packets
9925 These are packets made at the server, and typically contains lots of
9926 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
9927 default, where @var{X} is a number.
9929 @item response packets
9930 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
9931 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
9932 default, where @var{X} is a number.
9942 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
9943 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
9944 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
9945 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
9948 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
9951 You put the packet in your home directory.
9954 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
9955 the native or secondary server.
9958 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
9959 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
9962 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
9966 You transfer this packet to the server.
9969 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
9972 You then repeat until you die.
9976 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
9977 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
9980 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
9981 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
9982 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
9987 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
9989 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
9993 @kindex G s b (Group)
9994 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
9995 Pack all unread articles in the current group
9996 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
9997 process/prefix convention.
10000 @kindex G s w (Group)
10001 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
10002 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
10005 @kindex G s s (Group)
10006 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
10007 Send all replies from the replies packet
10008 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
10011 @kindex G s p (Group)
10012 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
10013 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
10016 @kindex G s r (Group)
10017 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
10018 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
10021 @kindex O s (Summary)
10022 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
10023 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
10024 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
10025 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10030 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
10035 @item gnus-soup-directory
10036 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
10037 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
10038 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
10040 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
10041 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
10042 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
10043 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
10045 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
10046 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
10047 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
10048 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
10050 @item gnus-soup-packer
10051 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
10052 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
10053 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
10055 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
10056 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
10057 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
10058 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10060 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
10061 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
10062 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
10064 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
10065 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
10066 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
10067 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
10073 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
10076 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
10077 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
10078 you can read them at leisure.
10080 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
10084 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
10085 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
10086 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
10087 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
10089 @item nnsoup-directory
10090 @vindex nnsoup-directory
10091 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
10092 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
10094 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
10095 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
10096 All replies will stored in this directory before being packed into a
10097 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
10099 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
10100 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
10101 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
10102 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
10103 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
10105 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
10106 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
10107 The index type of the replies packet. The is @samp{?n}, which means
10108 ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
10110 @item nnsoup-active-file
10111 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
10112 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
10113 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
10114 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
10115 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
10117 @item nnsoup-packer
10118 @vindex nnsoup-packer
10119 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
10120 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
10122 @item nnsoup-unpacker
10123 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
10124 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
10125 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
10127 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
10128 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
10129 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
10132 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
10133 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
10134 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
10141 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
10143 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
10144 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
10145 more for that to happen.
10147 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
10148 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
10149 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
10152 In specific, this is what it does:
10155 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
10156 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
10159 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
10160 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
10161 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
10165 @subsection Web Searches
10169 @cindex InReference
10170 @cindex Usenet searches
10171 @cindex searching the Usenet
10173 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
10174 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
10175 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
10176 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
10177 searches without having to use a browser.
10179 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
10180 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
10181 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
10182 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
10183 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
10185 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
10186 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
10187 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
10188 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
10189 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@code{Duplicate
10190 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
10191 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
10192 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
10193 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
10194 header---mark all articles that were posted before the last date you
10195 read the group as read.
10197 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
10198 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
10199 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
10200 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
10201 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
10202 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
10204 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
10205 to use @code{nnweb}.
10207 Virtual server variables:
10212 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
10213 are @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
10216 @vindex nnweb-search
10217 The search string to feed to the search engine.
10219 @item nnweb-max-hits
10220 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
10221 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
10224 @item nnweb-type-definition
10225 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
10226 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
10227 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
10232 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
10236 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
10239 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
10242 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
10246 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
10253 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
10254 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
10255 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
10258 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
10259 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
10260 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
10262 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
10268 @item nngateway-address
10269 @vindex nngateway-address
10270 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
10272 @item nngateway-header-transformation
10273 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
10274 News headers have often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
10275 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
10276 transformation should be called, and defaults to
10277 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
10278 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
10281 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
10282 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address---an article with this
10283 @code{Newsgroups} header:
10286 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
10289 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
10292 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
10297 So, to use this, simply say something like:
10300 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
10304 @node Combined Groups
10305 @section Combined Groups
10307 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
10311 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
10312 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
10316 @node Virtual Groups
10317 @subsection Virtual Groups
10319 @cindex virtual groups
10321 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
10324 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small group, you can
10325 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
10326 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
10328 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
10329 regexp to match component groups.
10331 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
10332 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
10333 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
10334 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
10335 the virtual group.)
10337 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
10338 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
10341 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
10344 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
10345 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
10347 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
10348 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
10349 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
10350 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
10353 "^nntp+some.server.jp:soc.motss$\\|^nntp+some.server.no:soc.motss$"
10356 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
10357 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
10358 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
10359 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
10360 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}.
10362 One limitation, however---all groups that are included in a virtual
10363 group has to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
10364 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
10366 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
10367 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
10368 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
10369 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
10370 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
10371 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
10372 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
10373 effect if you have two virtual groups that contain the same component
10374 group. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
10375 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
10376 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
10379 @node Kibozed Groups
10380 @subsection Kibozed Groups
10384 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
10385 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
10386 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
10387 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
10389 @kindex G k (Group)
10390 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
10393 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
10394 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
10395 @code{nnkiboze} group. There most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
10396 and @code{nnvirtual} ends.
10398 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
10399 must have a score file to say what articles that are to be included in
10400 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
10402 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
10403 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
10404 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
10405 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
10406 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
10407 all the articles in all the components groups and run them through the
10408 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
10409 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
10411 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
10412 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
10413 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
10414 Stranger things have happened.
10416 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
10417 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
10419 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
10420 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
10421 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
10422 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
10423 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
10424 on what groups that have been searched through to find component
10427 Articles that are marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have their
10428 @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
10435 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
10436 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
10437 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
10440 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
10441 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
10442 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
10443 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
10444 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
10446 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
10447 before generating the summary buffer.
10449 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
10450 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
10451 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
10453 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
10454 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
10455 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
10456 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
10459 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
10460 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
10461 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
10462 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
10463 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
10464 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
10465 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
10466 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
10467 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
10468 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
10469 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
10470 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
10471 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
10472 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
10473 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
10474 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
10478 @node Summary Score Commands
10479 @section Summary Score Commands
10480 @cindex score commands
10482 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
10483 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
10484 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
10485 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
10486 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
10488 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
10489 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
10490 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
10491 score file the current one.
10493 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
10498 @kindex V s (Summary)
10499 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
10500 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
10503 @kindex V S (Summary)
10504 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
10505 Display the score of the current article
10506 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
10509 @kindex V t (Summary)
10510 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
10511 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
10512 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
10515 @kindex V R (Summary)
10516 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
10517 Run the current summary through the scoring process
10518 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
10519 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
10520 effect you're having.
10523 @kindex V a (Summary)
10524 @findex gnus-summary-score-entry
10525 Add a new score entry, and allow specifying all elements
10526 (@code{gnus-summary-score-entry}).
10529 @kindex V c (Summary)
10530 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
10531 Make a different score file the current
10532 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
10535 @kindex V e (Summary)
10536 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
10537 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
10538 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
10542 @kindex V f (Summary)
10543 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
10544 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
10545 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
10548 @kindex V F (Summary)
10549 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
10550 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
10551 after editing score files.
10554 @kindex V C (Summary)
10555 @findex gnus-score-customize
10556 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
10557 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
10560 @kindex I C-i (Summary)
10561 @findex gnus-summary-raise-score
10562 Increase the score of the current article
10563 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-score}).
10566 @kindex L C-l (Summary)
10567 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
10568 Lower the score of the current article
10569 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-score}).
10572 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
10577 @kindex V m (Summary)
10578 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
10579 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
10580 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
10583 @kindex V x (Summary)
10584 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
10585 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
10586 expunge all articles below this score
10587 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
10590 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
10591 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
10596 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
10597 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
10599 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
10600 keys are available:
10604 Score on the author name.
10607 Score on the subject line.
10610 Score on the Xref line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
10613 Score on thread---the References line.
10619 Score on the number of lines.
10622 Score on the Message-ID.
10625 Score on followups.
10635 The third key is the match type. Which match types are legal depends on
10636 what headers you are scoring on.
10648 Substring matching.
10651 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
10680 Greater than number.
10685 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
10686 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
10687 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
10691 Temporary score entry.
10694 Permanent score entry.
10697 Immediately scoring.
10702 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
10703 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
10704 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
10705 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
10707 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
10708 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
10709 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
10710 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
10711 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
10713 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
10714 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
10715 pretend they are keymaps or not.
10718 @node Group Score Commands
10719 @section Group Score Commands
10720 @cindex group score commands
10722 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
10727 @kindex W f (Group)
10728 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
10729 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
10730 all the time. This command will flush the cache
10731 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
10736 @node Score Variables
10737 @section Score Variables
10738 @cindex score variables
10742 @item gnus-use-scoring
10743 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
10744 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
10745 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
10747 @item gnus-kill-killed
10748 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
10749 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
10750 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
10751 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
10752 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
10753 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
10754 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
10756 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
10757 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
10758 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
10759 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
10760 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
10762 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
10763 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
10764 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
10765 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
10767 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
10768 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
10769 @cindex score cache
10770 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
10771 score files. However, if this might make you Emacs grow big and
10772 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files that are
10773 unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
10774 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
10775 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
10776 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
10779 @item gnus-save-score
10780 @vindex gnus-save-score
10781 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
10782 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
10783 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
10785 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
10786 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
10787 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
10788 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
10789 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
10790 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
10791 manually entered data.
10793 @item gnus-summary-default-score
10794 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
10795 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
10797 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
10798 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
10799 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
10800 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
10801 articles will be hidden.
10803 @item gnus-score-over-mark
10804 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
10805 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
10806 default. Default is @samp{+}.
10808 @item gnus-score-below-mark
10809 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
10810 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
10811 default. Default is @samp{-}.
10813 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
10814 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
10815 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
10816 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
10818 Predefined functions available are:
10821 @item gnus-score-find-single
10822 @findex gnus-score-find-single
10823 Only apply the group's own score file.
10825 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
10826 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
10827 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
10828 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
10829 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
10830 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
10831 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
10832 then a regexp match is done.
10834 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
10835 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
10837 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
10838 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
10839 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
10840 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
10842 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
10843 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
10844 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
10845 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
10846 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
10849 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
10850 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
10851 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
10852 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
10853 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
10854 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
10857 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
10858 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
10859 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
10860 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
10861 are expired. It's 7 by default.
10863 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
10864 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
10865 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
10866 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
10867 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
10868 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
10869 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
10872 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
10873 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
10874 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
10879 @node Score File Format
10880 @section Score File Format
10881 @cindex score file format
10883 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
10884 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
10885 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
10887 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
10891 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
10893 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
10895 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
10897 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
10902 (mark-and-expunge -10)
10906 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
10907 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
10908 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
10909 (gnus-summary-make-false-root 'empty))
10913 This example demonstrates absolutely everything about a score file.
10915 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
10916 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
10917 has to be legal syntactically, if not semantically.
10919 Six keys are supported by this alist:
10924 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
10925 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
10926 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
10927 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
10928 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
10929 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
10930 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
10931 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
10932 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
10933 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
10934 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
10935 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
10936 to articles that matches these score entries.
10938 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
10939 score entry has one to four elements.
10943 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
10944 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
10948 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
10949 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
10950 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
10951 is successful. If this element is not present, the
10952 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
10953 instead. This is 1000 by default.
10956 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
10957 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
10958 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
10959 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
10960 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 ce.
10963 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
10964 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
10965 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
10966 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
10969 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
10970 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
10971 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
10972 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
10973 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
10974 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
10975 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
10976 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
10977 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
10978 instead, if you feel like.
10981 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
10982 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}. When matching on @code{Lines}, be
10983 careful because some backends (like @code{nndir}) do not generate
10984 @code{Lines} header, so every article ends up being marked as having 0
10985 lines. This can lead to strange results if you happen to lower score of
10986 the articles with few lines.
10989 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
10990 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
10991 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
10992 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
10993 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
10994 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
10995 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
10999 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
11000 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
11001 ISO8601 compact format first---@samp{YYYYMMDDTHHMMSS}. If you want to
11002 match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in every year, you
11003 could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string, for instance.
11004 (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so this will
11005 match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where the article
11006 was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the whole
11009 @item Head, Body, All
11010 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
11014 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
11015 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
11016 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
11017 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
11018 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
11019 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
11023 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
11024 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread that is
11025 started by an article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{X}, then you add a
11026 @samp{thread} match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each
11027 article that has @var{X} in its @code{References} header. (These new
11028 @samp{thread} matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching
11029 articles.) This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an
11030 entire thread, even though some articles in the thread may not have
11031 complete @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
11032 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread.
11037 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
11038 lower than this number will be marked as read.
11041 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
11042 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
11044 @item mark-and-expunge
11045 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
11046 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
11049 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
11050 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
11051 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
11052 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
11053 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
11056 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
11057 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
11060 @item exclude-files
11061 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
11062 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
11066 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
11067 ignored when handling global score files.
11070 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
11071 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}).
11074 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
11075 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
11076 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
11077 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
11079 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
11083 (mark-and-expunge -100)
11086 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
11087 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
11088 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
11089 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
11090 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
11092 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
11093 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
11094 ordinary scoring rules.
11097 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
11098 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
11099 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
11100 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
11101 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
11102 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
11103 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
11104 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
11105 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
11106 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
11107 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
11111 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
11112 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
11113 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
11114 file for a number of groups.
11117 @cindex local variables
11118 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
11119 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
11120 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
11121 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
11126 @node Score File Editing
11127 @section Score File Editing
11129 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
11130 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
11131 with a mode for that.
11133 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
11134 additional commands:
11139 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
11140 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
11141 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
11142 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
11145 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
11146 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
11147 Insert the current date in numerical format
11148 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
11149 you were wondering.
11152 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
11153 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
11154 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
11155 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
11156 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
11161 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
11163 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
11164 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
11166 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
11167 e} to begin editing score files.
11170 @node Adaptive Scoring
11171 @section Adaptive Scoring
11172 @cindex adaptive scoring
11174 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
11175 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
11176 stupidity, to be precise.
11178 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
11179 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
11180 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
11181 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
11182 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
11183 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
11184 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
11185 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
11186 variable to @code{(word line)}.
11188 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
11189 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
11190 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
11191 might look something like this:
11194 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
11195 '((gnus-unread-mark)
11196 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
11197 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
11198 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
11199 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
11200 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
11201 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
11202 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
11203 (gnus-ancient-mark)
11204 (gnus-low-score-mark)
11205 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
11208 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
11209 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
11210 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
11211 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
11212 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
11213 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
11216 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
11217 will be applied to each article.
11219 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
11220 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
11221 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
11222 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
11224 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
11225 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
11226 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
11227 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
11229 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
11230 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
11231 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
11232 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
11234 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
11235 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
11236 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
11237 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
11238 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
11239 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
11241 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
11242 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
11243 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
11244 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
11245 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
11246 aspirins afterwards.)
11248 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
11249 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
11250 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
11252 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
11253 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
11254 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
11256 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
11257 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
11258 let you use different rules in different groups.
11260 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
11261 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
11262 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
11265 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
11266 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
11267 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
11268 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
11269 the length of the match is less than
11270 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
11271 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
11274 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
11275 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
11276 headers. If you adapt on words, the
11277 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
11278 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
11281 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
11282 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
11283 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
11284 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
11285 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
11288 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
11289 word that appears in subjects of articles that are marked with
11290 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
11291 score with 30 points.
11293 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
11294 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
11295 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
11296 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
11297 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
11299 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
11300 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
11301 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
11302 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
11304 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
11305 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
11306 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
11308 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
11309 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
11310 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
11311 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
11314 @node Home Score File
11315 @section Home Score File
11317 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
11318 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
11319 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
11320 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
11322 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
11323 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
11324 could perhaps use the same home score file.
11326 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
11327 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
11332 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
11336 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
11337 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
11341 A list. The elements in this list can be:
11345 @var{(regexp file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
11346 the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
11349 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
11350 the home score file.
11353 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
11356 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
11361 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
11364 (setq gnus-home-score-file
11365 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
11368 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
11369 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
11372 (setq gnus-home-score-file
11373 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
11376 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
11378 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
11379 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
11380 their own home score files:
11383 (setq gnus-home-score-file
11384 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
11385 '("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
11386 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
11387 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE"))
11390 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
11391 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
11392 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
11393 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
11394 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
11396 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
11397 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
11398 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
11399 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
11400 precedence over this variable.
11403 @node Followups To Yourself
11404 @section Followups To Yourself
11406 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
11407 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
11408 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
11409 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
11410 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
11411 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
11415 @item gnus-score-followup-article
11416 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
11417 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
11420 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
11421 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
11422 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
11426 @vindex message-sent-hook
11427 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
11428 @code{message-sent-hook}.
11430 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
11431 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
11435 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
11436 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
11439 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
11440 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
11445 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf@@.*eyesore.no>" 1000 nil r))
11448 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
11449 is system-dependent.
11453 @section Scoring Tips
11454 @cindex scoring tips
11460 @cindex scoring crossposts
11461 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
11462 the @code{Xref} header.
11464 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
11467 @item Multiple crossposts
11468 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
11469 more than, say, 3 groups:
11471 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
11474 @item Matching on the body
11475 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
11476 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
11477 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
11478 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
11479 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
11480 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
11481 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
11484 @item Marking as read
11485 You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
11486 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
11487 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
11491 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
11493 @item Negated character classes
11494 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
11495 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
11496 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
11500 @node Reverse Scoring
11501 @section Reverse Scoring
11502 @cindex reverse scoring
11504 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
11505 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
11506 like this in your score file:
11510 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
11515 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
11516 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
11519 @node Global Score Files
11520 @section Global Score Files
11521 @cindex global score files
11523 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
11524 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
11525 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
11527 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
11528 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
11529 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
11531 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
11532 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
11533 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
11534 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
11535 files are applicable to which group.
11537 Say you want to use the score file
11538 @file{/ftp@@ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
11539 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
11542 (setq gnus-global-score-files
11543 '("/ftp@@ftp.ifi.uio.no:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
11544 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
11547 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
11548 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
11549 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
11550 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
11551 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
11553 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
11554 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
11556 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
11557 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
11558 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
11559 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
11560 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
11561 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
11563 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
11569 Articles that are heavily crossposted are probably junk.
11571 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
11573 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
11575 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
11576 lowered out of existence.
11578 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
11579 articles completely.
11582 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
11583 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
11584 old articles for a long time.
11587 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
11588 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
11589 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
11590 holding our breath yet?
11594 @section Kill Files
11597 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
11598 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
11599 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
11601 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
11602 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
11603 files into score files.
11605 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
11606 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
11607 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
11608 that isn't a very good idea.
11610 Normal kill files look like this:
11613 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11614 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
11618 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove them from
11619 the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
11621 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
11622 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
11625 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
11630 @kindex M-k (Summary)
11631 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
11632 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
11635 @kindex M-K (Summary)
11636 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
11637 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
11640 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
11645 @kindex M-k (Group)
11646 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
11647 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
11650 @kindex M-K (Group)
11651 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
11652 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
11655 Kill file variables:
11658 @item gnus-kill-file-name
11659 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
11660 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
11661 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
11662 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
11663 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
11664 course) is called just @file{KILL}.
11666 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
11667 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
11668 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
11669 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
11672 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
11673 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
11674 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
11675 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
11676 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
11677 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
11678 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
11679 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
11680 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
11682 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
11683 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
11684 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
11689 @node Converting Kill Files
11690 @section Converting Kill Files
11692 @cindex converting kill files
11694 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
11695 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
11696 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
11699 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
11700 You can fetch it from
11701 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
11703 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
11704 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
11705 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
11713 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
11714 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
11715 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
11717 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
11718 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
11719 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
11720 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
11721 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
11722 Once it has found for you some people you agree with it tells you, in
11723 the form of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use
11724 this prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
11728 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
11729 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
11730 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
11731 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
11735 @node Using GroupLens
11736 @subsection Using GroupLens
11738 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
11740 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
11741 better bit in town is at the moment.
11743 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
11747 @item gnus-use-grouplens
11748 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
11749 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
11750 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
11752 @item grouplens-pseudonym
11753 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
11754 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
11755 with the Better Bit Bureau.
11757 @item grouplens-newsgroups
11758 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
11759 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
11763 Thats the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
11764 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
11765 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
11766 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
11767 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
11768 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
11771 @node Rating Articles
11772 @subsection Rating Articles
11774 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
11775 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
11776 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
11777 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
11780 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
11785 @kindex r (GroupLens)
11786 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
11787 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
11790 @kindex k (GroupLens)
11791 @findex grouplens-score-thread
11792 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
11793 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
11794 threads in rec.humor.
11798 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
11799 the score of the article you're reading.
11804 @kindex n (GroupLens)
11805 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
11806 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
11809 @kindex , (GroupLens)
11810 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
11811 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
11815 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
11816 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
11819 @node Displaying Predictions
11820 @subsection Displaying Predictions
11822 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
11823 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
11824 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
11825 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
11826 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
11828 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
11829 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
11830 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
11831 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
11832 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
11833 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
11834 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
11835 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
11836 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
11837 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
11838 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
11839 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
11840 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
11842 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
11843 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
11844 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
11845 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
11847 The following are legal values for that variable.
11850 @item prediction-spot
11851 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
11854 @item confidence-interval
11855 A numeric confidence interval.
11857 @item prediction-bar
11858 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
11860 @item confidence-bar
11861 Numerical confidence.
11863 @item confidence-spot
11864 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
11866 @item prediction-num
11867 Plain-old numeric value.
11869 @item confidence-plus-minus
11870 Prediction +/i confidence.
11875 @node GroupLens Variables
11876 @subsection GroupLens Variables
11880 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
11881 The summary line format used in summary buffers that are GroupLens
11882 enhanced. It accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format
11883 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). The default is
11884 @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
11886 @item grouplens-bbb-host
11887 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
11890 @item grouplens-bbb-port
11891 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
11893 @item grouplens-score-offset
11894 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
11895 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
11898 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
11899 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
11900 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
11905 @node Advanced Scoring
11906 @section Advanced Scoring
11908 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
11909 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
11910 about a particular subject? Or what about if you really don't want to
11911 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
11912 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
11914 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
11918 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
11919 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
11920 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
11924 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
11925 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
11927 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
11928 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
11929 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
11930 non-@code{nil} value.
11932 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
11933 operator, and various match operators.
11940 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
11941 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
11942 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
11947 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
11948 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
11949 then this operator will return @code{false}.
11954 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
11955 inverse of the value of its argument.
11959 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
11960 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
11961 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
11962 current article. @code{2-} will make score fules apply to the
11963 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
11964 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) say how far back into
11965 the ancestry you want to go.
11967 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
11968 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
11969 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
11970 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
11971 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
11974 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
11975 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
11977 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
11978 when he's talking about Gnus:
11982 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11983 ("subject" "Gnus"))
11989 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
11993 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12000 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
12001 really don't want to read what he's written:
12005 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12006 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
12010 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
12011 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
12012 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
12019 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
12020 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
12021 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
12022 ("body" "white.*socks"))
12026 The possibilities are endless.
12029 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
12030 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
12032 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
12033 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
12034 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
12035 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
12036 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
12037 (@samp{body}, @code{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
12038 @samp{subject}) first.
12040 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
12041 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
12052 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
12053 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
12059 ("subject" "Gnus")))
12066 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
12067 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
12072 @section Score Decays
12073 @cindex score decays
12076 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
12077 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
12078 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
12079 use them in any sensible way.
12081 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
12082 @findex gnus-decay-score
12083 @vindex gnus-score-decay-function
12084 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
12085 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
12086 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
12087 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
12088 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-score-decay-function}
12089 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
12090 definition of that function:
12093 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
12096 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
12098 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
12100 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
12103 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
12104 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
12105 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
12106 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
12110 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
12113 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
12116 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
12120 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
12121 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
12122 the new score, which should be an integer.
12124 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
12125 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
12132 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
12133 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
12134 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
12135 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
12136 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
12137 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
12138 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
12139 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
12140 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
12141 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
12142 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
12143 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
12144 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
12145 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
12146 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
12147 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
12151 @node Process/Prefix
12152 @section Process/Prefix
12153 @cindex process/prefix convention
12155 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
12156 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
12158 This is a method for figuring out what articles that the user wants the
12159 command to be performed on.
12163 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
12164 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
12165 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
12166 with the current one.
12168 @vindex transient-mark-mode
12169 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
12170 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
12172 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
12173 process mark, perform the operation on the articles that are marked with
12176 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
12177 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
12179 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
12182 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
12183 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
12184 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
12185 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
12187 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
12188 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
12189 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
12190 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
12191 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
12192 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
12193 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
12194 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
12198 @section Interactive
12199 @cindex interaction
12203 @item gnus-novice-user
12204 @vindex gnus-novice-user
12205 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
12206 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
12207 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
12208 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
12211 @item gnus-expert-user
12212 @vindex gnus-expert-user
12213 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will never ever be asked any
12214 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
12215 matter how strange.
12217 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
12218 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
12219 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
12220 is @code{t} by default.
12222 @item gnus-interactive-exit
12223 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
12224 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
12229 @node Formatting Variables
12230 @section Formatting Variables
12231 @cindex formatting variables
12233 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables that
12234 are called things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
12235 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
12236 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
12237 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
12240 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
12241 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
12242 lots of percentages everywhere.
12245 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
12246 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
12247 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
12248 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
12251 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
12252 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
12253 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
12254 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
12255 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
12256 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
12257 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
12258 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
12260 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
12261 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
12263 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
12264 @findex gnus-update-format
12265 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
12266 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
12267 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
12268 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
12272 @node Formatting Basics
12273 @subsection Formatting Basics
12275 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
12276 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
12277 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
12279 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
12280 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
12281 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
12282 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
12283 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
12286 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
12287 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
12288 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
12289 less than 4 characters wide.
12292 @node Advanced Formatting
12293 @subsection Advanced Formatting
12295 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
12296 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
12297 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
12298 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
12300 These are the legal modifiers:
12305 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
12309 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
12314 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
12317 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
12322 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
12325 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
12328 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
12331 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
12335 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
12336 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
12337 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
12338 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
12339 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
12340 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
12341 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
12343 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
12344 last operation, padding.
12346 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
12347 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
12348 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
12349 @xref{Compilation}.
12352 @node User-Defined Specs
12353 @subsection User-Defined Specs
12355 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
12356 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
12357 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
12358 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
12359 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
12360 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
12361 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
12362 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
12363 should protect against that.
12365 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
12366 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
12367 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
12368 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
12372 @node Formatting Fonts
12373 @subsection Formatting Fonts
12375 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
12376 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
12377 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
12378 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
12381 Text inside the @samp{%[} and @samp{%]} specifiers will have their
12382 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
12383 default. If you say @samp{%1[} instead, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1}
12384 instead, and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes
12385 for the @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
12386 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
12388 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
12391 ;; Create three face types.
12392 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
12393 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
12395 ;; We want the article count to be in
12396 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
12397 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
12398 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
12400 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
12401 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
12403 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
12404 (setq gnus-group-line-format
12405 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
12408 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
12409 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
12411 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
12412 mode-line variables.
12415 @node Windows Configuration
12416 @section Windows Configuration
12417 @cindex windows configuration
12419 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
12421 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
12422 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
12423 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
12424 @code{t} by default.
12426 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
12427 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
12428 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
12431 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
12432 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
12433 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
12437 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
12438 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
12439 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
12440 possible names is listed below.
12442 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
12443 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
12446 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
12450 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
12451 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
12452 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
12453 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
12454 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
12455 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
12456 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
12457 size spec per split.
12459 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
12462 Here's a more complicated example:
12465 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
12466 (summary 0.25 point)
12467 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
12471 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
12472 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
12473 occupy, not a percentage.
12475 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
12476 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
12477 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
12478 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
12479 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
12482 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
12485 (article (horizontal 1.0
12490 (summary 0.25 point)
12495 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
12496 @code{horizontal} thingie?
12498 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
12499 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
12500 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
12501 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
12502 the screen is to be given to this strip.
12504 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
12505 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
12506 lines from the splits.
12508 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a legal split
12512 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
12513 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
12514 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
12515 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
12516 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] ")"
12517 size = number | frame-params
12518 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
12521 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
12522 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
12523 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
12524 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
12526 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
12527 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
12528 @cindex window height
12529 @cindex window width
12530 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
12531 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
12532 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
12533 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
12534 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
12535 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
12537 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
12538 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
12539 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
12540 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
12542 @findex gnus-configure-frame
12543 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
12544 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
12545 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
12546 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
12547 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
12548 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
12549 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
12550 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
12551 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
12552 configuration list.
12555 (gnus-configure-frame
12559 (article 0.3 point))
12567 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
12568 @code{frame} split:
12571 (gnus-configure-frame
12574 (summary 0.25 point)
12576 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
12577 (user-position . t)
12578 (left . -1) (top . 1))
12583 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
12584 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
12585 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
12586 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
12587 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
12588 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
12591 Here's a list of all possible keys for
12592 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration}:
12594 @code{group}, @code{summary}, @code{article}, @code{server},
12595 @code{browse}, @code{message}, @code{pick}, @code{info},
12596 @code{summary-faq}, @code{edit-group}, @code{edit-server},
12597 @code{edit-score}, @code{post}, @code{reply}, @code{forward},
12598 @code{reply-yank}, @code{mail-bounce}, @code{draft}, @code{pipe},
12599 @code{bug}, @code{compose-bounce}.
12601 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
12602 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
12603 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
12607 (message (horizontal 1.0
12608 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
12610 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
12615 @findex gnus-add-configuration
12616 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
12617 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
12618 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
12619 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
12622 (gnus-add-configuration
12623 '(article (vertical 1.0
12625 (summary .25 point)
12629 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
12630 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
12631 Gnus has been loaded.
12633 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
12634 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
12635 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
12636 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
12637 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
12641 @section Compilation
12642 @cindex compilation
12643 @cindex byte-compilation
12645 @findex gnus-compile
12647 Remember all those line format specification variables?
12648 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
12649 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
12650 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
12651 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
12652 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
12655 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
12656 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
12657 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
12658 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
12659 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
12660 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
12661 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
12665 @section Mode Lines
12668 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
12669 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
12670 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
12671 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
12672 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
12673 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
12674 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
12677 @cindex display-time
12679 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
12680 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
12681 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
12682 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
12683 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
12684 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
12685 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
12686 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
12689 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
12691 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
12692 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
12694 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
12695 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
12696 (length display-time-string)))))
12699 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
12700 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either.
12701 Note that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the
12702 percentage complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line;
12703 the user should configure this variable appropriately for their
12707 @node Highlighting and Menus
12708 @section Highlighting and Menus
12710 @cindex highlighting
12713 @vindex gnus-visual
12714 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the prettifying Gnus
12715 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
12716 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
12719 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
12720 following elements are legal, and are all included by default:
12723 @item group-highlight
12724 Do highlights in the group buffer.
12725 @item summary-highlight
12726 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
12727 @item article-highlight
12728 Do highlights in the article buffer.
12730 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
12732 Create menus in the group buffer.
12734 Create menus in the summary buffers.
12736 Create menus in the article buffer.
12738 Create menus in the browse buffer.
12740 Create menus in the server buffer.
12742 Create menus in the score buffers.
12744 Create menus in all buffers.
12747 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
12748 buffers, you could say something like:
12751 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
12754 If you want only highlighting and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
12757 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
12760 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
12761 in all Gnus buffers.
12763 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
12766 @item gnus-mouse-face
12767 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
12768 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
12769 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
12773 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
12777 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
12778 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
12779 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
12781 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
12782 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
12783 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
12785 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
12786 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
12787 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
12789 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
12790 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
12791 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
12793 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
12794 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
12795 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
12797 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
12798 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
12799 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
12810 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
12811 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
12812 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
12813 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
12814 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
12818 @vindex gnus-carpal
12819 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
12820 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
12821 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
12826 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
12827 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
12828 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
12830 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
12831 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
12832 Face used on buttons.
12834 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
12835 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
12836 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
12838 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
12839 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
12840 Buttons in the group buffer.
12842 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
12843 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
12844 Buttons in the summary buffer.
12846 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
12847 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
12848 Buttons in the server buffer.
12850 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
12851 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
12852 Buttons in the browse buffer.
12855 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
12856 is either a cons cell where the car contains a text to be displayed and
12857 the cdr contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
12865 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
12866 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
12867 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
12868 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
12869 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
12871 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
12872 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
12873 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
12875 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
12876 been idle for thirty minutes:
12879 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
12882 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
12886 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
12889 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter works together
12890 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
12891 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
12893 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
12894 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
12895 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
12896 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
12898 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
12899 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
12900 @var{idle} minutes.
12902 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
12903 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
12906 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
12907 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
12908 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
12910 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
12911 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
12912 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
12913 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
12915 @vindex gnus-use-demon
12916 To set the whole thing in motion, though, you have to set
12917 @code{gnus-use-demon} to @code{t}.
12919 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
12920 your @file{.gnus} file:
12922 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
12924 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
12927 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
12928 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
12929 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
12930 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
12931 Some ready-made functions to do this has been created:
12932 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
12933 @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just
12934 put those functions in your @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
12936 @findex gnus-demon-init
12937 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
12938 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
12939 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
12940 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
12941 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
12943 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you overdo it. Adding
12944 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
12945 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
12954 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
12955 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
12957 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
12958 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
12959 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
12960 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
12963 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
12964 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
12965 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
12966 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
12968 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
12969 this will make spam disappear.
12971 There are some variables to customize, of course:
12974 @item gnus-use-nocem
12975 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
12976 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
12979 @item gnus-nocem-groups
12980 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
12981 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
12982 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
12983 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
12985 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
12986 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
12987 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
12988 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
12989 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;" "jem@@xpat.com;" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
12990 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
12992 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
12995 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
12996 @cindex Chris Lewis
12997 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
12998 usenet abuse than anybody else.
13001 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
13002 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
13003 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
13005 @item jem@@xpat.com;
13007 John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
13010 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
13011 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
13012 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
13015 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
13016 ones you want to listen to.
13018 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
13019 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
13021 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
13022 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
13023 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
13024 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
13026 @item gnus-nocem-directory
13027 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
13028 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
13029 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
13031 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
13032 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
13033 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
13034 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
13035 might then see old spam.
13043 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
13044 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
13045 over your shoulder as you read news.
13048 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
13049 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
13050 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
13051 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
13052 * Picon Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
13057 @subsection Picon Basics
13059 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
13062 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
13063 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
13064 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
13065 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
13066 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
13067 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
13068 @code{GIF} formats.
13071 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases, point
13072 your Web browser at
13073 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
13075 @vindex gnus-picons-database
13076 Gnus expects picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
13077 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
13080 @node Picon Requirements
13081 @subsection Picon Requirements
13083 To use have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
13084 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
13087 Additionally, you must have @code{xpm} support compiled into XEmacs.
13089 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13090 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you must have
13091 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
13092 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
13096 @subsection Easy Picons
13098 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
13099 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
13102 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
13103 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
13104 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-prepare-hook 'gnus-group-display-picons t)
13105 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-picons-article-display-x-face)
13110 @subsection Hard Picons
13112 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
13113 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
13114 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
13115 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
13116 feature, you need to first decide where to display them.
13120 @item gnus-picons-display-where
13121 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
13122 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
13123 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
13124 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
13125 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
13126 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
13127 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
13131 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
13132 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
13134 Now that you've made that decision, you need to add the following
13135 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get
13136 displayed at the right time.
13138 @vindex gnus-article-display-hook
13139 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
13141 @item gnus-article-display-picons
13142 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
13143 Looks up and display the picons for the author and the author's domain
13144 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer. Should be added to
13145 the @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
13147 @item gnus-group-display-picons
13148 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
13149 Displays picons representing the current group. This function should
13150 be added to the @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook} or to the
13151 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} if @code{gnus-picons-display-where}
13152 is set to @code{article}.
13154 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
13155 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
13156 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present. This function
13157 should be added to @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
13161 Note: You must append them to the hook, so make sure to specify 't'
13162 to the append flag of @code{add-hook}:
13165 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
13169 @node Picon Configuration
13170 @subsection Picon Configuration
13172 The following variables offer further control over how things are
13173 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
13174 don't need to worry about.
13177 @item gnus-picons-database
13178 @vindex gnus-picons-database
13179 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
13180 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
13181 subdirectories. Defaults to @file{/usr/local/faces}.
13183 @item gnus-picons-news-directory
13184 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directory
13185 Sub-directory of the faces database containing the icons for
13188 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
13189 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
13190 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
13191 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc/MISC")} is the default.
13193 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
13194 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
13195 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
13196 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
13197 want to add @samp{unknown} to this list.
13199 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13200 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
13201 The command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
13202 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
13203 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
13204 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
13206 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
13207 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
13208 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
13209 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
13211 @item gnus-picons-buffer
13212 @vindex gnus-picons-buffer
13213 The name of the buffer that @code{picons} points to. Defaults to
13214 @samp{*Icon Buffer*}.
13223 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
13224 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
13225 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
13227 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
13228 Gnus---it's all just data that is designed to look nice to the user.
13229 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
13230 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
13231 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
13232 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
13233 @code{undo} function.
13235 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
13236 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
13237 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
13238 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
13239 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
13240 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
13241 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
13242 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
13243 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
13244 never be totally undoable.
13246 @findex gnus-undo-mode
13247 @vindex gnus-use-undo
13249 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
13250 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
13251 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
13252 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
13257 @section Moderation
13260 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
13261 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
13262 @samp{larsi@@ifi.uio.no} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
13265 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
13269 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
13272 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
13274 If you are the moderation of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
13279 You split your incoming mail by matching on
13280 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
13281 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
13284 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
13285 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
13288 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
13289 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
13293 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
13296 (setq gnus-moderated-list
13297 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
13301 @node XEmacs Enhancements
13302 @section XEmacs Enhancements
13305 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
13306 advantage of that. Relevant variables include:
13309 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
13310 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
13311 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
13312 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
13313 unusual directory structure.
13315 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
13316 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
13317 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
13318 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
13320 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
13321 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
13322 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
13323 Legal values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
13324 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
13325 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
13327 @item gnus-use-toolbar
13328 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
13329 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
13330 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
13331 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
13333 @item gnus-group-toolbar
13334 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
13335 The toolbar in the group buffer.
13337 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
13338 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
13339 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
13341 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
13342 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
13343 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
13345 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
13346 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
13347 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
13353 @node Fuzzy Matching
13354 @section Fuzzy Matching
13355 @cindex fuzzy matching
13357 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
13358 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
13360 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
13361 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
13362 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
13364 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
13365 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
13366 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
13367 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
13368 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
13371 @node Various Various
13372 @section Various Various
13378 @item gnus-directory
13379 @vindex gnus-directory
13380 All Gnus directories will be initialized from this variable, which
13381 defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or @file{~/News/}
13382 if that variable isn't set.
13384 @item gnus-default-directory
13385 @vindex gnus-default-directory
13386 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
13387 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
13388 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
13389 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
13390 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
13391 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
13394 @vindex gnus-verbose
13395 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
13396 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
13397 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
13398 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
13399 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
13401 @item gnus-verbose-backends
13402 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
13403 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
13404 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
13406 @item nnheader-max-head-length
13407 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
13408 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
13409 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
13410 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
13411 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
13412 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
13413 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
13414 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
13417 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
13418 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
13419 This variable says how big a piece of each article to read when doing
13420 the operation described above.
13422 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
13423 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
13425 @cindex illegal characters in file names
13426 @cindex characters in file names
13427 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
13428 For instance, if @samp{:} is illegal as a file character in file names
13429 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
13432 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
13436 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
13437 Windows (phooey) systems.
13439 @item gnus-hidden-properties
13440 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
13441 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
13442 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
13443 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
13445 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
13446 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
13447 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
13448 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
13449 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
13451 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
13452 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
13453 String used to separate to shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
13462 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
13463 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
13465 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
13467 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
13473 Not because of victories @*
13476 but for the common sunshine,@*
13478 the largess of the spring.
13482 but for the day's work done@*
13483 as well as I was able;@*
13484 not for a seat upon the dais@*
13485 but at the common table.@*
13490 @chapter Appendices
13493 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
13494 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
13495 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
13496 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
13497 * A Programmers Guide to Gnus:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
13498 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
13499 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
13507 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
13508 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
13510 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
13511 can point your (feh!) web browser to
13512 @file{http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
13513 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
13514 as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
13516 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
13517 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
13518 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
13519 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
13520 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
13521 appropriate name, don't you think?)
13523 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
13524 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
13525 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
13526 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
13528 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
13529 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
13530 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
13532 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
13533 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
13535 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
13536 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4''.
13538 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a name that is prefixed --
13539 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
13540 don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
13541 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
13542 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
13546 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
13547 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
13548 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
13549 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
13550 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
13551 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
13552 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
13559 What's the point of Gnus?
13561 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
13562 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
13563 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
13564 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
13565 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
13566 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
13567 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
13568 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
13569 keep track of millions of people who post?
13571 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
13572 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
13573 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
13574 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
13575 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
13576 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
13577 everywhere I could imagine useful. By doing so, I'm inviting every one
13578 of you to explore and invent.
13580 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x hail-emacs}.
13583 @node Compatibility
13584 @subsection Compatibility
13586 @cindex compatibility
13587 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
13588 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
13589 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
13594 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
13598 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
13601 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @pxref{Decoding
13604 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
13605 buffers. All variables that are relevant while reading a group are
13606 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
13607 important variables have their values copied into their global
13608 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
13609 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
13611 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
13612 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
13613 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
13614 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
13615 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
13619 @cindex highlighting
13620 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
13621 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
13622 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
13623 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
13624 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
13625 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
13628 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
13629 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
13630 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
13631 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
13633 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
13634 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
13635 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
13636 to stop doing it the old way.
13638 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
13640 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
13642 @cindex reporting bugs
13644 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
13645 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
13646 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
13650 @subsection Conformity
13652 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
13653 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
13660 There are no known breaches of this standard.
13664 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
13666 @item Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
13667 @cindex Good Net-Keeping Seal of Approval
13668 Gnus has been through the Seal process and failed. I think it'll pass
13669 the next inspection.
13671 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
13672 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
13673 We do have some breaches to this one.
13678 Gnus does no MIME handling, and this standard-to-be seems to think that
13679 MIME is the bees' knees, so we have major breakage here.
13682 This is considered to be a ``vanity header'', while I consider it to be
13683 consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
13684 coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
13685 those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
13686 for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
13691 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliantly with regards to the texts
13692 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
13697 @subsection Emacsen
13703 Gnus should work on :
13708 Emacs 19.32 and up.
13711 XEmacs 19.14 and up.
13714 Mule versions based on Emacs 19.32 and up.
13718 Gnus will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than that. Not
13719 reliably, at least.
13721 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
13722 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
13723 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
13728 @subsection Contributors
13729 @cindex contributors
13731 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
13732 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
13733 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
13734 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
13735 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
13736 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
13737 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
13738 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
13739 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
13740 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
13742 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
13748 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
13751 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
13752 well as numerous other things).
13755 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
13758 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
13761 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
13762 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
13765 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
13766 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
13769 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
13772 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
13775 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
13778 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
13781 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinsky---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
13782 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
13785 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
13788 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
13791 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
13794 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
13798 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
13801 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
13804 Ricardo Nassif, Mark Borges, and Jost Krieger---proof-reading.
13807 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
13810 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports.
13814 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
13823 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
13827 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
13839 Massimo Campostrini,
13843 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
13857 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
13859 François Felix Ingrand,
13860 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
13866 Peter Skov Knudsen,
13867 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
13868 Thor Kristoffersen,
13880 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
13881 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
13887 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
13892 John McClary Prevost,
13899 Randal L. Schwartz,
13917 Katsumi Yamaoka. @c Yamaoka
13919 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
13920 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
13921 (550kB and counting).
13923 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
13926 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
13927 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
13931 @subsection New Features
13932 @cindex new features
13935 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
13936 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
13937 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
13940 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
13941 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
13942 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
13946 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
13948 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
13953 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
13954 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
13957 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
13958 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
13961 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
13964 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
13965 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
13966 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
13969 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
13970 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
13971 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
13972 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
13975 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
13976 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
13979 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
13980 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
13981 (@pxref{The Active File}).
13984 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
13985 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
13988 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
13989 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
13990 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
13993 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
13994 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
13995 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
13998 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
13999 the @file{.emacs} file.
14002 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
14003 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
14006 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
14007 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
14010 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
14011 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
14014 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
14015 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
14018 Gnus can fetch articles asynchronously on a second connection to the
14019 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
14022 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
14025 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
14026 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
14029 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
14030 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
14033 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
14034 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
14037 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
14040 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
14041 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
14044 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
14048 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
14052 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
14053 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
14056 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
14062 @node September Gnus
14063 @subsubsection September Gnus
14065 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
14070 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
14071 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
14075 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
14076 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
14080 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
14084 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
14085 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
14088 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
14092 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
14095 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
14098 A @code{trn}-line tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
14101 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
14105 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
14106 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
14109 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
14113 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
14117 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
14121 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
14125 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
14128 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
14129 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
14132 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
14136 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
14137 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
14140 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
14143 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
14144 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
14145 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
14148 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
14152 The Gnus cache is much faster.
14155 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
14159 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-address and
14160 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14163 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
14164 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
14167 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
14168 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14171 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
14172 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
14173 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
14176 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
14177 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
14180 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
14183 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
14186 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
14187 'gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head)
14191 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
14194 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
14197 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
14198 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
14201 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
14205 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
14208 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
14211 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
14215 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
14218 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
14222 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
14225 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
14228 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
14229 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
14232 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
14233 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
14237 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
14238 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
14241 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
14245 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
14246 buffer to allow easier treatment.
14249 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
14252 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
14256 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
14260 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
14261 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
14264 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
14268 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
14269 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
14272 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
14273 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
14276 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
14280 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
14283 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
14284 'gnus-article-hide-boring-headers t)
14288 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
14291 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
14297 @subsubsection Red Gnus
14299 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
14304 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
14307 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
14308 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
14311 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
14312 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
14316 Article washing status can be displayed in the
14317 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
14320 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
14323 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
14324 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
14327 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
14331 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
14332 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}).
14335 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
14336 Server Internals}).
14339 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
14343 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
14346 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
14347 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
14350 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
14351 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
14352 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
14355 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
14356 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
14359 A way to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed when
14360 generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
14363 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
14367 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
14368 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
14371 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
14372 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
14375 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
14379 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
14382 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
14386 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
14387 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
14390 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
14391 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
14394 A new command for reading collections of documents
14395 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
14396 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
14399 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
14403 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the NNTP
14404 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
14407 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
14408 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
14409 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
14412 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
14413 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
14417 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
14421 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
14425 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
14429 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
14433 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
14434 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
14437 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
14440 (add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-emphasize)
14446 @node Newest Features
14447 @subsection Newest Features
14450 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
14453 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
14457 Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done.
14459 Really do unbinhexing.
14462 And much, much, much more. There is more to come than has already been
14463 implemented. (But that's always true, isn't it?)
14465 @file{<URL:http://www.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/rgnus/todo>} is where the actual
14466 up-to-the-second todo list is located, so if you're really curious, you
14467 could point your Web browser over that-a-way.
14472 @section The Manual
14476 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
14477 either @code{texi2dvi}
14479 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
14480 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
14482 to get what you hold in your hands now.
14484 The following conventions have been used:
14489 This is a @samp{string}
14492 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
14495 This is a @file{file}
14498 This is a @code{symbol}
14502 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
14506 (setq flargnoze "yes")
14509 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
14512 (setq flumphel 'yes)
14515 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
14516 ever get them confused.
14520 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
14521 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
14522 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
14523 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
14524 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
14525 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
14526 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
14533 @section Terminology
14535 @cindex terminology
14540 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
14541 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
14542 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
14543 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
14544 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
14548 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
14549 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
14550 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
14551 not posting, and replying is not following up.
14555 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
14559 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
14564 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
14565 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
14566 is all done by the backends.
14570 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
14571 default, way of getting news.
14575 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
14576 These are groups that use different backends for getting news.
14580 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
14581 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
14585 A message that has been posted as news.
14588 @cindex mail message
14589 A message that has been mailed.
14593 A mail message or news article
14597 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
14602 The rest of an article. Everything that is not in the head is in the
14607 A line from the head of an article.
14611 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
14612 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
14616 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
14617 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
14618 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
14619 normal @sc{head} format.
14623 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
14624 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
14625 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
14626 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
14627 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
14628 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
14630 @item killed groups
14631 @cindex killed groups
14632 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
14633 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
14635 @item zombie groups
14636 @cindex zombie groups
14637 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
14640 @cindex active file
14641 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
14642 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
14643 is rather large, as you might surmise.
14646 @cindex bogus groups
14647 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
14648 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
14649 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
14653 A machine than one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
14655 @item select method
14656 @cindex select method
14657 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
14660 @item virtual server
14661 @cindex virtual server
14662 A named select method. Since a select methods defines all there is to
14663 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the things as a
14664 whole is a virtual server.
14668 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
14669 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
14672 @item ephemeral groups
14673 @cindex ephemeral groups
14674 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
14675 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
14676 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
14679 @cindex solid groups
14680 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
14681 group buffer are solid groups.
14683 @item sparse articles
14684 @cindex sparse articles
14685 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
14686 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
14691 @node Customization
14692 @section Customization
14693 @cindex general customization
14695 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
14696 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
14697 for some quite common situations.
14700 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
14701 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
14702 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
14703 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
14707 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
14708 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
14710 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
14711 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
14712 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
14716 @item gnus-read-active-file
14717 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
14718 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
14719 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
14720 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
14721 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
14723 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
14724 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
14725 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
14726 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
14730 @node Slow Terminal Connection
14731 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
14733 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that
14734 runs Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce the
14735 amount of data that is sent over the wires as much as possible.
14739 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
14740 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
14741 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
14742 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
14743 horizontal and vertical recentering.
14745 @item gnus-visible-headers
14746 Cut down on the headers that are included in the articles to the
14747 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
14748 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
14749 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
14751 @item gnus-article-display-hook
14752 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
14754 (setq gnus-article-display-hook
14755 '(gnus-article-hide-headers gnus-article-hide-signature
14756 gnus-article-hide-citation))
14759 @item gnus-use-full-window
14760 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
14761 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
14762 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
14763 want to read them anyway.
14765 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
14766 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
14769 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
14770 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
14771 lines, which might save some time.
14775 @node Little Disk Space
14776 @subsection Little Disk Space
14779 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
14780 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
14784 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
14785 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
14786 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
14787 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
14790 @item gnus-save-killed-list
14791 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
14792 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
14793 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
14794 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
14800 @subsection Slow Machine
14801 @cindex slow machine
14803 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
14804 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
14806 Set@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
14807 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
14809 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
14810 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
14811 summary buffer faster.
14813 Set @code{gnus-article-display-hook} to @code{nil} to make article
14814 processing a bit faster.
14817 @node Troubleshooting
14818 @section Troubleshooting
14819 @cindex troubleshooting
14821 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
14829 Make sure your computer is switched on.
14832 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
14833 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
14837 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
14838 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
14839 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
14840 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
14843 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
14847 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
14848 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
14849 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
14850 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
14851 something like that.
14854 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
14857 @cindex reporting bugs
14859 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
14861 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
14862 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
14863 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
14864 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
14866 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
14867 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
14868 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
14869 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
14872 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
14873 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you send back
14874 just ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
14875 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
14876 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
14877 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
14879 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
14880 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
14881 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
14884 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
14885 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
14887 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
14888 @cindex ding mailing list
14889 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@ifi.uio.no}.
14890 Write to @samp{ding-request@@ifi.uio.no} to subscribe.
14893 @node A Programmers Guide to Gnus
14894 @section A Programmer@'s Guide to Gnus
14896 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
14897 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
14898 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
14899 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
14902 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
14903 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
14904 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
14905 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
14906 and general method of operations.
14909 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
14910 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
14911 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
14912 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
14913 * Group Info:: The group info format.
14914 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
14915 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
14919 @node Backend Interface
14920 @subsection Backend Interface
14922 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
14923 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
14924 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
14925 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
14926 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
14927 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
14929 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
14930 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
14931 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
14932 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
14933 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
14934 been opened, the function should fail.
14936 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
14937 name. Take this example:
14941 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
14942 (nntp-port-number 4324))
14945 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
14946 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
14948 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
14949 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
14950 server environments that it pulls down/pushes up when needed.
14952 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
14953 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
14954 always check whether are present before attempting to call.
14956 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
14957 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
14958 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
14959 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
14960 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
14961 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
14964 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
14965 some might be said to not be. The latter are backends that generally
14966 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
14967 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
14970 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
14973 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
14976 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
14977 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
14978 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
14979 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
14980 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
14981 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
14985 @node Required Backend Functions
14986 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
14990 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
14992 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
14993 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
14994 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
14995 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
14997 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
14998 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
14999 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
15000 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
15002 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try to fetch "extra
15003 headers, in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
15004 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
15005 article number in @code{articles}, and fill in the gaps as well. The
15006 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
15007 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
15008 number, do maximum fetches.
15010 Here's an example HEAD:
15013 221 1056 Article retrieved.
15014 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
15015 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
15016 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
15017 Subject: Re: Something very droll
15018 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
15019 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
15021 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
15022 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
15023 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
15027 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
15028 these in the data buffer.
15030 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
15034 head = error / valid-head
15035 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
15036 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
15037 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
15038 header = <text> eol
15041 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
15042 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
15046 nov-buffer = *nov-line
15047 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
15048 field = <text except TAB>
15051 For a closer explanation what should be in those fields,
15055 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
15057 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
15058 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that defines this virtual server.
15060 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
15061 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
15062 server. In fact, it should do so.
15064 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
15065 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
15068 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
15070 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
15071 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
15074 There should be no data returned.
15077 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
15079 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
15080 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
15081 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
15082 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
15084 There should be no data returned.
15087 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
15089 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
15090 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
15091 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
15092 attempt to reconnect to a server that is has lost connection to.
15094 There should be no data returned.
15097 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
15099 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
15101 There should be no data returned.
15104 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
15106 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
15107 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
15108 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
15109 it would be nice if that were possible.
15111 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
15112 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
15113 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
15114 another, and Gnus mainly request articles to be inserted directly into
15115 its article buffer.
15117 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
15118 the car is the group name the article was fetched from, and the cdr is
15119 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
15120 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
15121 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
15122 on successful article retrievement.
15125 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
15127 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
15128 making @var{group} the current group.
15130 If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
15133 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
15136 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
15139 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
15140 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
15141 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
15142 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
15143 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
15144 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
15145 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
15146 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
15149 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
15150 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
15151 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
15155 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
15157 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
15158 a no-op on most backends.
15160 There should be no data returned.
15163 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
15165 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
15168 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
15171 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
15172 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
15175 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
15176 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
15179 active-file = *active-line
15180 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
15182 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
15185 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
15186 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
15187 (@samp{=other-group} or none of the above (@samp{y}).
15190 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
15192 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
15193 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
15194 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
15195 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
15196 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
15197 clear if the posting could not be completed.
15199 There should be no result data from this function.
15204 @node Optional Backend Functions
15205 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
15209 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
15211 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
15212 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
15213 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
15215 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
15216 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
15217 former is in the same format as the data from
15218 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
15219 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
15222 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
15226 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
15228 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
15229 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
15230 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
15231 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
15232 should return the (altered) group info.
15234 There should be no result data from this function.
15237 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
15239 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
15240 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
15241 user is following up is news or mail. This function should return
15242 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
15243 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
15244 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
15245 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
15246 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
15248 There should be no result data from this function.
15251 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
15253 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
15254 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
15255 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
15256 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
15257 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
15259 The only use for this that I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
15260 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
15261 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
15264 There should be no result data from this function.
15267 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
15269 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
15270 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
15271 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
15272 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
15273 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
15274 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
15275 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
15277 There should be no result data from this function.
15280 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
15282 The result data from this function should be a description of
15286 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
15288 description = <text>
15291 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
15293 The result data from this function should be the description of all
15294 groups available on the server.
15297 description-buffer = *description-line
15301 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
15303 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
15304 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
15305 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
15308 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
15310 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
15312 There should be no return data.
15315 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
15317 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
15318 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
15319 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
15320 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
15321 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
15324 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
15327 There should be no result data returned.
15330 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
15333 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
15334 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
15336 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
15337 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
15338 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
15339 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
15340 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
15341 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
15343 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
15344 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
15347 The function should return a cons where the car is the group name and
15348 the cdr is the article number that the article was entered as.
15350 There should be no data returned.
15353 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
15355 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
15356 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
15357 this function in short order.
15359 The function should return a cons where the car is the group name and
15360 the cdr is the article number that the article was entered as.
15362 There should be no data returned.
15365 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
15367 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
15368 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
15370 There should be no data returned.
15373 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
15375 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
15376 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
15377 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
15379 There should be no data returned.
15382 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
15384 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
15385 articles that are in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
15387 There should be no data returned.
15392 @node Error Messaging
15393 @subsubsection Error Messaging
15395 @findex nnheader-report
15396 @findex nnheader-get-report
15397 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
15398 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
15399 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
15400 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
15401 there are many of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
15402 This function always returns @code{nil}.
15405 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
15407 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
15410 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
15411 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
15412 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
15413 takes one argument---the server symbol.
15415 Internally, these function access @var{backend}@code{-status-string}, so
15416 the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
15417 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
15420 @node Writing New Backends
15421 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
15423 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
15424 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
15425 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
15426 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
15427 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
15430 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
15431 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
15432 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
15434 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
15435 package called @code{nnoo}.
15437 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
15438 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
15445 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
15446 parameters. For instance:
15449 (nnoo-declare nndir
15453 @code{nndir} has here declared that it intends to inherit functions from
15454 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
15457 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
15458 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
15459 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
15461 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
15462 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
15463 a function in those backends.
15466 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
15467 "Where nndir will look for groups."
15468 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
15471 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
15472 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
15473 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
15475 @item nnoo-define-basics
15476 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
15480 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
15484 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
15485 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
15486 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
15488 @item nnoo-map-functions
15489 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
15490 functions from the parent backends.
15493 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
15494 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
15495 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
15498 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
15499 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
15500 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
15501 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
15504 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
15505 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
15506 haven't already been defined.
15512 nnmh-request-newgroups)
15516 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
15517 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
15518 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
15523 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
15526 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
15527 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
15531 (require 'nnheader)
15535 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
15537 (nnoo-declare nndir
15540 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
15541 "Where nndir will look for groups."
15542 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
15544 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
15545 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
15548 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
15549 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
15550 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
15552 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
15553 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
15555 ;;; Interface functions.
15557 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
15559 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
15560 (setq nndir-directory
15561 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
15563 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
15564 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
15565 (push `(nndir-current-group
15566 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
15568 (push `(nndir-top-directory
15569 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
15571 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
15573 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
15574 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
15575 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
15576 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
15577 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
15581 nnmh-status-message
15583 nnmh-request-newgroups))
15589 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
15590 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
15592 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
15593 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
15594 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
15595 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
15597 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
15598 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
15603 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
15606 The abilities can be:
15610 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
15612 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
15614 This backend supports both mail and news.
15616 This is neither a post or mail backend---it's something completely
15619 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
15620 articles and groups.
15622 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
15623 true for almost all backends.
15624 @item prompt-address
15625 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
15626 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
15627 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
15631 @node Mail-like Backends
15632 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
15634 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
15635 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
15636 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
15637 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
15640 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
15641 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
15642 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
15645 It simply just calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will a few parameters,
15646 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
15649 This function takes four parameters.
15653 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
15656 @item exit-function
15657 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
15659 @item temp-directory
15660 Where the temporary files should be stored.
15663 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
15664 performed for one group only.
15667 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
15668 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
15669 find the article number assigned to this article.
15671 The function also uses the following variables:
15672 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
15673 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
15674 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
15675 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
15679 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
15680 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
15684 @node Score File Syntax
15685 @subsection Score File Syntax
15687 Score files are meant to be easily parsable, but yet extremely
15688 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
15689 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
15691 Here's a typical score file:
15695 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
15702 BNF definition of a score file:
15705 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
15706 element = rule / atom
15707 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
15708 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
15709 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
15710 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
15712 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
15713 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
15714 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
15715 date-header = "date"
15716 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
15717 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
15718 score = "nil" / <integer>
15719 date = "nil" / <natural number>
15720 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
15721 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
15722 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
15723 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
15724 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
15725 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
15726 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
15727 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
15728 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
15729 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
15730 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
15731 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
15732 exclude-files / read-only / touched
15733 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
15734 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
15735 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
15736 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
15737 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
15738 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
15739 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
15740 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
15741 adapt = "adapt" [ space "nil" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
15742 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
15743 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
15744 eval = "eval" space <form>
15745 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
15748 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
15751 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
15752 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
15753 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
15754 one looong line, then that's ok.
15756 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
15761 @subsection Headers
15763 Gnus uses internally a format for storing article headers that
15764 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
15765 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
15766 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
15768 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
15769 RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
15770 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
15771 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
15772 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
15773 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
15774 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
15776 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
15777 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
15778 @code{xref}. There are macros for accessing and setting these
15779 slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
15780 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
15782 The @code{xref} slot is really a @code{misc} slot. Any extra info will
15789 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
15790 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
15792 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
15793 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
15794 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
15795 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
15797 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
15801 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
15804 is transformed into
15807 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
15810 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
15811 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
15814 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
15817 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
15818 is slightly tricky:
15821 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
15827 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
15830 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
15836 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
15843 and is equal to the previous range.
15845 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
15846 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
15847 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
15851 range = simple-range / normal-range
15852 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
15853 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
15854 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
15855 number *[ " " contents ]
15858 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
15859 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
15860 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
15861 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
15862 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
15867 @subsection Group Info
15869 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
15870 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
15871 describes the group.
15873 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
15874 second is a more complex one:
15877 ("no.group" 5 (1 . 54324))
15879 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
15880 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
15882 (auto-expire (to-address "ding@@ifi.uio.no")))
15885 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
15886 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
15887 normally is a small integer. The third element is a list of ranges of
15888 read articles. The fourth element is a list of lists of article marks
15889 of various kinds. The fifth element is the select method (or virtual
15890 server, if you like). The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group
15891 parameters}, which is what this section is about.
15893 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
15894 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
15895 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
15897 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
15900 info = "(" group space level space read
15901 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
15902 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
15903 group = quote <string> quote
15904 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
15906 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
15907 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
15908 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
15909 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
15912 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
15913 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
15917 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
15918 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
15922 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
15923 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
15924 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
15926 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
15927 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
15928 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
15929 Gnus, that's very useful.
15931 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
15932 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
15933 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
15934 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
15935 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
15936 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
15937 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
15938 following function:
15941 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
15945 (,function ,@@args))
15949 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
15950 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
15951 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
15954 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
15955 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
15956 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
15959 @node Various File Formats
15960 @subsection Various File Formats
15963 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
15964 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
15968 @node Active File Format
15969 @subsubsection Active File Format
15971 The active file lists all groups that are available on the server in
15972 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
15975 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
15978 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
15979 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
15980 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
15981 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
15982 no.general 1000 900 y
15985 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
15988 active = *group-line
15989 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
15990 group = <non-white-space string>
15992 high-number = <non-negative integer>
15993 low-number = <positive integer>
15994 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
15998 @node Newsgroups File Format
15999 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
16001 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
16002 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
16003 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
16006 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
16007 Here's the definition:
16011 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
16012 group = <non-white-space string>
16014 description = <string>
16018 @node Emacs for Heathens
16019 @section Emacs for Heathens
16021 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
16022 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
16023 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
16024 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
16025 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
16026 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
16027 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
16031 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
16032 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
16037 @subsection Keystrokes
16041 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
16044 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
16047 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
16048 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
16049 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
16050 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
16051 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
16052 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
16054 The shift key is normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
16055 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
16056 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
16057 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
16058 keyboards. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
16059 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
16060 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
16062 Now, us Emacs people doesn't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
16063 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
16064 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
16065 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
16066 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
16067 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
16068 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
16070 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
16071 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
16072 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
16073 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
16074 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
16080 @subsection Emacs Lisp
16082 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
16083 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
16084 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
16085 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
16087 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
16088 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
16089 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
16090 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
16091 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
16092 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
16093 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
16096 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
16097 write the following:
16100 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
16103 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
16104 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
16105 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
16108 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
16109 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
16110 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
16111 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
16112 previous ``form'', which here is a simple @code{setq} statement.
16114 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
16115 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
16116 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
16120 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
16124 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
16127 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
16128 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
16131 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
16134 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
16135 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
16138 @include gnus-faq.texi