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335 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
340 @setchapternewpage odd
347 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
349 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
355 @top The Gnus Newsreader
359 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
360 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
361 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
364 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
365 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.4.
376 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
377 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
379 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
380 being accused of plagiarism:
382 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
383 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
384 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
385 can even read news with it!
387 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
388 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
389 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
390 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
391 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
397 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
398 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
399 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
400 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
401 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
402 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
403 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
404 * Various:: General purpose settings.
405 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
406 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
407 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
408 * Key Index:: Key Index.
410 Other related manuals
412 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
413 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
414 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
415 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
416 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
419 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
423 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
424 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
425 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
426 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
427 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
428 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
429 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
430 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
431 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
432 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
433 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
437 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
438 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
439 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
443 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
444 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
445 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
446 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
447 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
448 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
449 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
450 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
451 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
452 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
453 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
454 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
455 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
456 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
457 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
458 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
459 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
463 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
464 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
465 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
469 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
470 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
471 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
472 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
473 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
477 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
478 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
479 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
480 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
481 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
485 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
486 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
487 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
488 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
489 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
490 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
491 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
492 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
493 * Threading:: How threads are made.
494 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
495 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
496 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
497 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
498 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
499 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
500 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
501 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
502 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
503 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
504 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
505 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
506 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
507 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
508 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
509 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
510 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
511 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
512 or reselecting the current group.
513 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
514 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
515 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
516 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
518 Summary Buffer Format
520 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
521 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
522 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
523 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
527 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
528 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
530 Reply, Followup and Post
532 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
533 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
534 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
535 * Canceling and Superseding::
539 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
540 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
541 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
542 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
543 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
544 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
548 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
549 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
551 Customizing Threading
553 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
554 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
555 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
556 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
560 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
561 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
562 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
563 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
564 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
565 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
569 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
570 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
571 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
575 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
576 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
577 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
578 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
579 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
580 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
581 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
582 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
583 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
584 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
585 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
587 Alternative Approaches
589 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
590 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
592 Various Summary Stuff
594 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
595 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
596 * Summary Generation Commands::
597 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
601 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
602 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
603 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
604 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
605 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
609 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
610 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
611 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
612 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
613 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
614 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
615 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
616 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
617 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
621 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
622 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
623 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
624 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
625 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
626 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
627 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
628 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
629 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
633 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
634 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
635 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
636 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
637 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
638 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
639 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
643 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
644 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
648 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
649 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
650 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
651 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
655 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
656 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
657 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
658 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
659 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
660 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
661 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
662 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
663 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
664 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
665 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
666 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
667 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
671 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
672 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
673 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
675 Choosing a Mail Back End
677 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
678 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
679 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
680 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
681 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
682 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
683 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
688 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
689 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
690 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
691 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
692 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
693 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
697 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
698 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
699 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
700 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
701 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
702 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
706 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
707 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
708 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
709 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
710 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
714 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
718 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
719 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
720 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
724 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
725 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
729 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
730 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
731 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
735 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
736 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
737 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
739 The Gnus Diary Library
741 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
742 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
743 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
744 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
748 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
749 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
750 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
751 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
752 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
753 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
754 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
755 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
756 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
757 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
758 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
759 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
760 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
761 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
765 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
766 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
767 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
771 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
772 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
773 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
777 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
778 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
779 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
780 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
781 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
782 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
783 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
784 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
785 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
786 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
787 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
788 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
789 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
790 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
791 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
792 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
796 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
797 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
798 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
802 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
803 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
804 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
805 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
806 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
807 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
808 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
809 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
810 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
811 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
812 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
813 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
814 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
815 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
816 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
817 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
818 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
819 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
820 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
821 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
822 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
826 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
827 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
828 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
829 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
830 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
831 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
832 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
833 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
837 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
838 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
839 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were
841 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
842 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
846 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
847 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
848 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
849 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
853 * Spam Package Introduction::
854 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
855 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
856 * Spam and Ham Processors::
857 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
859 * Extending the Spam package::
860 * Spam Statistics Package::
862 Spam Statistics Package
864 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
865 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
866 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
870 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
871 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
872 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
873 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
874 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
875 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
876 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
877 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
878 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
882 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
883 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
884 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
885 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
886 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
887 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
888 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
889 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
890 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
894 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
895 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
896 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
897 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
898 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
899 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
900 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
904 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
905 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
906 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
907 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
911 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
912 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
913 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
914 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
915 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
916 * Group Info:: The group info format.
917 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
918 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
919 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
923 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
924 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
925 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
926 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
927 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
928 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
932 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
933 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
937 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
938 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
944 @chapter Starting Gnus
949 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
950 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
953 @findex gnus-other-frame
954 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
955 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
956 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
958 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
959 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
960 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
962 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
963 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
966 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
967 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
968 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
969 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
970 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
971 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
972 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
973 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
974 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
975 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
979 @node Finding the News
980 @section Finding the News
983 @vindex gnus-select-method
985 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
986 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
987 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
988 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
991 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
992 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
995 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
998 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1001 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1004 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1005 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1006 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1007 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1009 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1011 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1012 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1013 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1014 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1015 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1016 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1017 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1019 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1020 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1021 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1022 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1024 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1025 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1026 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1027 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1028 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1029 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1030 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1031 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1032 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1035 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1037 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1038 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1039 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1040 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1041 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1042 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1044 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1046 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1047 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1048 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1049 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1050 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1051 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1054 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1055 you would typically set this variable to
1058 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1061 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1062 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1063 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1064 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1067 @node The First Time
1068 @section The First Time
1069 @cindex first time usage
1071 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1072 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1074 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1075 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1076 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1077 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1080 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1081 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1082 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1084 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1085 help you with most common problems.
1087 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1088 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1092 @node The Server is Down
1093 @section The Server is Down
1094 @cindex server errors
1096 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1097 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1098 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1100 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1101 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1102 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1103 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1104 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1105 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1106 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1108 @findex gnus-no-server
1109 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1111 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1112 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1113 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1114 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1115 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1116 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1117 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1121 @section Slave Gnusae
1124 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1125 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1126 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1127 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1129 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1130 @file{.newsrc} file.
1132 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1133 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1134 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1135 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1136 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1137 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1138 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1141 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1142 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1143 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1144 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1145 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1146 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1147 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1148 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1150 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1151 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1153 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1154 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1155 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1156 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1157 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1164 @cindex subscription
1166 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1167 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1168 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1169 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1170 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1171 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1172 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1173 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1174 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1177 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1178 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1179 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1183 @node Checking New Groups
1184 @subsection Checking New Groups
1186 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1187 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1188 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1189 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1190 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1191 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1192 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1193 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1194 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1195 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1197 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1198 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1199 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1200 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1201 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1202 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1203 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1204 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1205 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1206 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1207 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1209 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1210 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1211 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1212 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1213 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1214 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1217 @node Subscription Methods
1218 @subsection Subscription Methods
1220 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1221 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1222 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1224 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1225 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1227 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1231 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1232 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1233 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1234 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1235 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1237 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1238 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1239 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1240 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1242 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1243 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1244 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1246 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1247 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1248 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1249 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1250 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1251 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1252 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1253 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1254 up. Or something like that.
1256 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1257 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1258 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1259 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1260 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1262 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1264 Kill all new groups.
1266 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1267 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1268 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1269 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1270 topic parameter that looks like
1276 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1279 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1284 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1285 A closely related variable is
1286 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1287 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1288 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1289 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1292 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1293 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1294 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1295 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1298 @node Filtering New Groups
1299 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1301 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1302 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1303 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1306 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1309 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1310 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1311 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1312 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1313 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1314 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1315 subscribing these groups.
1316 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1317 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1319 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1320 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1321 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1322 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1323 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1324 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1325 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1326 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1328 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1329 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1330 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1331 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1332 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1333 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1334 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1335 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1336 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1337 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1340 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1341 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1344 @node Changing Servers
1345 @section Changing Servers
1346 @cindex changing servers
1348 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1349 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1350 very flaky and you want to use another.
1352 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1353 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1357 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1358 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1359 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1360 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1363 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1364 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1365 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1366 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1368 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1369 @findex gnus-change-server
1370 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1371 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1372 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1373 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1374 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1376 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1377 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1378 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1379 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1380 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1382 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1383 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1384 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1385 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1386 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1387 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1389 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1390 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1391 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1392 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1394 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1395 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1396 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1397 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1398 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1399 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1400 cache for all groups).
1404 @section Startup Files
1405 @cindex startup files
1410 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1411 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1412 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1415 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1416 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1417 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1418 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1419 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1420 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1421 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1423 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1424 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1425 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1426 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1427 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1428 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1430 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1431 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1432 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1433 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1434 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1435 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1436 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1437 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1438 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1439 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1440 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1443 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1444 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1445 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1446 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1447 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1448 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1449 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1450 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1451 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1452 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1453 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1454 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1456 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1457 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1458 @vindex version-control
1459 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1460 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1461 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1462 If you want version control for this file, set
1463 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1464 @code{version-control} variable.
1466 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1467 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1468 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1469 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1470 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1471 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1472 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1473 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1474 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1475 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1478 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1479 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1481 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1482 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1485 @vindex gnus-init-file
1486 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1487 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1488 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1489 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1490 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1491 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1492 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1493 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1494 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1495 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1496 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1497 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1498 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1503 @cindex dribble file
1506 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1507 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1508 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1509 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1510 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1513 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1514 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1517 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1518 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1519 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1521 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1522 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1523 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1524 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1525 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1526 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1528 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1529 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1530 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1533 @node The Active File
1534 @section The Active File
1536 @cindex ignored groups
1538 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1539 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1540 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1542 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1543 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1544 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1545 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1546 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1547 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1548 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1551 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1552 @c if you set it to anything else.
1554 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1556 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1557 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1558 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1560 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1561 you actually subscribe to.
1563 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1564 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1565 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1566 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1568 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1569 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1570 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1571 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1572 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1573 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1575 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1576 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1577 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1580 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1581 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1582 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1583 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1584 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1585 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1587 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1588 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1590 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1591 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1593 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1594 secondary select methods.
1597 @node Startup Variables
1598 @section Startup Variables
1602 @item gnus-load-hook
1603 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1604 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1605 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1606 times you start Gnus.
1608 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1609 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1610 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1612 @item gnus-startup-hook
1613 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1614 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1616 @item gnus-started-hook
1617 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1618 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1621 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1622 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1623 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1624 generating the group buffer.
1626 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1627 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1628 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1629 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1630 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1631 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1632 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1633 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1635 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1636 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1637 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1638 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1639 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1640 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1642 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1643 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1644 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1646 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1647 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1648 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1650 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1651 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1652 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1653 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1659 @chapter Group Buffer
1660 @cindex group buffer
1662 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1664 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1665 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1666 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1667 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1668 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1669 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1670 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1671 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1672 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1673 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1674 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1675 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1676 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1677 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1678 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1679 @c human rights at 9...
1682 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1683 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1684 long as Gnus is active.
1688 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1689 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1690 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1691 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1692 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1693 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1694 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1695 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1701 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1702 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1703 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1704 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1705 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1706 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1707 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1708 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1709 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1710 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1711 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1712 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1713 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1714 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1715 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1716 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1717 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1721 @node Group Buffer Format
1722 @section Group Buffer Format
1725 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1726 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1727 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1731 @node Group Line Specification
1732 @subsection Group Line Specification
1733 @cindex group buffer format
1735 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1736 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1738 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1741 25: news.announce.newusers
1742 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1747 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1748 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1749 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1750 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1752 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1753 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1754 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1755 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1756 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1757 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1759 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1761 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1762 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1763 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1764 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1765 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1767 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1768 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1769 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1771 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1776 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1779 Whether the group is subscribed.
1782 Level of subscribedness.
1785 Number of unread articles.
1788 Number of dormant articles.
1791 Number of ticked articles.
1794 Number of read articles.
1797 Number of unseen articles.
1800 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1801 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1803 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1804 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1805 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1806 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1807 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1808 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1809 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1810 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1813 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1816 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1825 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1826 comment element in the group parameters.
1829 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1830 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1831 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1835 @samp{m} if moderated.
1838 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1844 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1850 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1854 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1857 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1858 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1859 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1860 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1861 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1864 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1866 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1870 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1873 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1877 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1878 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1879 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1880 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1883 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1884 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1885 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1886 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1887 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1888 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1893 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1894 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1895 group, or a bogus native group.
1898 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1899 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1900 @cindex group mode line
1902 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1903 The mode line can be changed by setting
1904 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1905 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1909 The native news server.
1911 The native select method.
1915 @node Group Highlighting
1916 @subsection Group Highlighting
1917 @cindex highlighting
1918 @cindex group highlighting
1920 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1921 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1922 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1923 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1924 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1926 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1930 (cond (window-system
1931 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1932 (defface my-group-face-1
1933 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1934 (defface my-group-face-2
1935 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1936 "Second group face")
1937 (defface my-group-face-3
1938 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1939 (defface my-group-face-4
1940 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1941 (defface my-group-face-5
1942 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1944 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1945 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1946 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1947 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1948 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1949 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1952 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1954 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1961 The number of unread articles in the group.
1965 Whether the group is a mail group.
1967 The level of the group.
1969 The score of the group.
1971 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1973 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1974 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1976 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1977 topic being inserted.
1980 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1981 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1982 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1984 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1985 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1986 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1987 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1988 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1991 @node Group Maneuvering
1992 @section Group Maneuvering
1993 @cindex group movement
1995 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1996 expected, hopefully.
2002 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2003 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2004 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2010 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2011 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2012 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2016 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2017 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2021 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2022 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2026 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2027 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2028 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2032 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2033 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2034 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2037 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2043 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2044 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2045 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2050 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2051 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2052 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2056 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2057 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2058 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2061 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2062 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2063 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2064 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2068 @node Selecting a Group
2069 @section Selecting a Group
2070 @cindex group selection
2075 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2076 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2077 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2078 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2079 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2080 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2081 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2082 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2083 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2084 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2086 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2087 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2088 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2090 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2091 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2096 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2097 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2098 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2099 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2100 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2104 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2105 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2106 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2107 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2108 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2109 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2110 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2111 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2112 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2113 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2116 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2117 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2118 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2119 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2120 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2123 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2124 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2125 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2126 doing any processing of its contents
2127 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2128 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2129 manner will have no permanent effects.
2133 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2134 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2135 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2136 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2137 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2138 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2139 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2140 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2141 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2142 most recently will be fetched.
2144 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2145 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2146 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2149 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2150 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2151 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2152 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2153 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2154 Which article this is is controlled by the
2155 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2161 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2164 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2167 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2169 @item unseen-or-unread
2170 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2171 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2175 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2179 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2180 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2182 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2183 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2184 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2185 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2189 @node Subscription Commands
2190 @section Subscription Commands
2191 @cindex subscription
2199 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2200 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2201 Toggle subscription to the current group
2202 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2208 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2209 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2210 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2211 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2217 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2218 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2219 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2225 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2226 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2229 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2230 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2231 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2232 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2233 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2239 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2240 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2244 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2245 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2248 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2249 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2250 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2251 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2252 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2253 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2254 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2255 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2256 @file{.newsrc} file.
2260 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2270 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2271 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2272 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2273 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2274 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2275 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2280 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2281 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2282 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2286 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2287 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2288 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2290 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2291 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2292 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2293 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2294 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2295 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2302 @section Group Levels
2306 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2307 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2308 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2309 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2310 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2312 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2318 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2319 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2320 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2321 prompted for a level.
2324 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2325 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2326 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2327 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2328 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2329 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2330 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2331 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2332 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2333 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2334 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2335 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2336 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2337 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2338 reasons of efficiency.
2340 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2341 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2343 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2344 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2345 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2346 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2347 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2348 groups are hidden, in a way.
2350 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2351 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2352 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2353 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2354 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2355 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2357 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2358 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2359 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2360 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2361 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2362 list of killed groups.)
2364 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2365 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2366 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2368 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2369 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2370 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2371 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2372 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2373 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2374 relevant valid ranges.
2376 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2377 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2378 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2379 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2380 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2381 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2384 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2385 one with the best level.
2387 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2388 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2389 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2392 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2393 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2394 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2395 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2398 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2399 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2400 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2401 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2403 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2404 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2405 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2406 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2407 to 5. The default is 6.
2411 @section Group Score
2416 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2417 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2418 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2421 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2422 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2423 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2424 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2425 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2426 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2427 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2428 least significant part.))
2430 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2431 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2432 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2433 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2434 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2435 action after each summary exit, you can add
2436 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2437 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2438 slow things down somewhat.
2441 @node Marking Groups
2442 @section Marking Groups
2443 @cindex marking groups
2445 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2446 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2447 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2448 bidding on those groups.
2450 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2451 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2452 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2460 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2461 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2467 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2468 Remove the mark from the current group
2469 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2473 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2474 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2478 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2479 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2483 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2484 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2488 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2489 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2490 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2493 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2495 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2496 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2497 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2498 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2499 the command to be executed.
2502 @node Foreign Groups
2503 @section Foreign Groups
2504 @cindex foreign groups
2506 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2507 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2508 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2509 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2516 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2517 @cindex making groups
2518 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2519 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2520 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2524 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2525 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2526 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2530 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2531 @cindex renaming groups
2532 Rename the current group to something else
2533 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2534 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2540 @findex gnus-group-customize
2541 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2545 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2546 @cindex renaming groups
2547 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2548 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2552 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2553 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2554 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2558 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2559 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2560 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2564 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2566 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2567 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2572 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2573 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2577 @cindex (ding) archive
2578 @cindex archive group
2579 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2580 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2581 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2582 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2583 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2584 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2585 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2589 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2591 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2592 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2593 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2594 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2598 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2600 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2601 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2602 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2606 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2607 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2609 Make a group based on some file or other
2610 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2611 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2612 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2613 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2614 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2615 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2616 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2617 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2618 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2622 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2623 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2624 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2625 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2629 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2633 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2634 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2635 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2636 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2637 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2638 @xref{Web Searches}.
2640 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2641 to a particular group by using a match string like
2642 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2646 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2647 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2648 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2652 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2653 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2654 This function will delete the current group
2655 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2656 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2657 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2658 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2659 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2663 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2664 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2665 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2669 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2670 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2671 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2674 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2677 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2678 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2679 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2680 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2681 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2682 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2686 @node Group Parameters
2687 @section Group Parameters
2688 @cindex group parameters
2690 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2691 Here's an example group parameter list:
2694 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2698 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2699 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2700 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2701 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2703 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2704 is an alist of regexps and values.
2706 The following group parameters can be used:
2711 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2714 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2717 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2718 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2719 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2720 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2721 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2723 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2724 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2725 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2726 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2727 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2728 list address instead.
2730 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2734 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2737 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2740 It is totally ignored
2741 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2742 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2744 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2745 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2746 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2747 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2748 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2750 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2751 @cindex mail list groups
2752 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2753 entering summary buffer.
2755 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2760 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2761 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2762 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2763 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2764 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2765 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2766 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2767 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2770 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2771 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2774 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2775 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2779 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2780 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2781 of whether it has any unread articles.
2783 This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
2784 @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
2786 @item broken-reply-to
2787 @cindex broken-reply-to
2788 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2789 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2790 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2791 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2792 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2793 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2797 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2798 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2802 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2803 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2804 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2809 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2810 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2811 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2812 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2813 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2814 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2815 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2817 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2818 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2819 doesn't accept articles.
2823 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2824 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2825 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2827 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2830 @cindex total-expire
2831 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2832 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2833 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2834 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2837 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2841 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2842 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2843 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2844 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2845 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2846 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2847 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2850 @cindex expiry-target
2851 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2852 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2855 @cindex score file group parameter
2856 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2857 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2858 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2861 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2862 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2863 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2864 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2867 @cindex admin-address
2868 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2869 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2870 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2871 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2875 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2876 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2880 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2883 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2884 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2887 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2891 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2893 Here are some examples:
2897 Display only unread articles.
2900 Display everything except expirable articles.
2902 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2903 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2907 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2908 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2909 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2910 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2911 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2915 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2916 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2917 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2921 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2922 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2923 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2927 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2928 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2929 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2931 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2933 @item ignored-charsets
2934 @cindex ignored-charset
2935 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2936 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2937 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2939 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2942 @cindex posting-style
2943 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2944 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2945 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2946 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2947 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2949 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2950 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2951 like this in the group parameters:
2956 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2957 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2962 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2963 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2967 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2968 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2969 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2970 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2971 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2975 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2976 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2977 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2978 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2980 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
2981 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2982 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2983 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2986 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
2987 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
2991 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
2992 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
2993 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
2994 like the following is generated:
2997 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
2998 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3002 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3003 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3005 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3006 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3008 @item (agent parameters)
3009 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3010 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3011 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3012 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3013 minimize the configuration effort.
3015 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3016 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3017 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3018 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3019 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3020 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3021 @code{eval}ed there.
3023 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3024 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3025 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3026 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3027 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3028 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3029 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3030 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3033 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3036 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3037 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3038 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3041 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3044 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3045 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3046 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3047 into the group parameters for the group.
3049 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3050 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3051 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
3052 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
3055 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3056 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3057 following is added to a group parameter
3060 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3061 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3064 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3069 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3070 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3071 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3072 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3073 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3075 @vindex gnus-parameters
3076 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3077 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
3078 case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
3082 (setq gnus-parameters
3084 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3085 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3086 (gnus-summary-line-format
3087 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3091 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3095 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3099 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3102 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3103 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3105 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3106 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3107 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3108 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3109 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3110 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3111 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3112 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3113 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3114 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3115 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3116 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3118 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3119 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3120 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3121 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3122 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3123 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3124 weekly news RSS feed
3125 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3131 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3132 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3133 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3134 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3135 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3137 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3138 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3139 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3140 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3141 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3142 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3146 @node Listing Groups
3147 @section Listing Groups
3148 @cindex group listing
3150 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3158 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3159 List all groups that have unread articles
3160 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3161 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3162 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3163 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3170 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3171 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3172 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3173 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3174 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3175 unsubscribed groups).
3179 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3180 List all unread groups on a specific level
3181 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3182 with no unread articles.
3186 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3187 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3188 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3189 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3194 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3195 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3199 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3200 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3201 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3205 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3206 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3210 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3211 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3212 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3213 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3214 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3215 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3216 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3217 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3221 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3222 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3223 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3227 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3228 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3229 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3233 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3234 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3238 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3239 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3243 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3244 List groups limited within the current selection
3245 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3249 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3250 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3254 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3255 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3259 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3260 @cindex visible group parameter
3261 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3262 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3263 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3264 get the same effect.
3266 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3267 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3268 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3269 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3270 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3273 @node Sorting Groups
3274 @section Sorting Groups
3275 @cindex sorting groups
3277 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3278 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3279 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3280 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3281 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3282 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3287 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3288 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3289 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3291 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3292 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3293 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3295 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3296 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3297 Sort by group level.
3299 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3300 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3301 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3303 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3304 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3305 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3306 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3308 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3309 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3310 Sort by number of unread articles.
3312 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3313 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3314 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3316 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3317 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3318 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3323 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3324 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3328 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3329 some sorting criteria:
3333 @kindex G S a (Group)
3334 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3335 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3336 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3339 @kindex G S u (Group)
3340 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3341 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3342 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3345 @kindex G S l (Group)
3346 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3347 Sort the group buffer by group level
3348 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3351 @kindex G S v (Group)
3352 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3353 Sort the group buffer by group score
3354 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3357 @kindex G S r (Group)
3358 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3359 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3360 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3363 @kindex G S m (Group)
3364 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3365 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3366 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3369 @kindex G S n (Group)
3370 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3371 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3372 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3376 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3377 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3379 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3380 commands will sort in reverse order.
3382 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3386 @kindex G P a (Group)
3387 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3388 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3389 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3392 @kindex G P u (Group)
3393 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3394 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3395 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3398 @kindex G P l (Group)
3399 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3400 Sort the groups by group level
3401 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3404 @kindex G P v (Group)
3405 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3406 Sort the groups by group score
3407 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3410 @kindex G P r (Group)
3411 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3412 Sort the groups by group rank
3413 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3416 @kindex G P m (Group)
3417 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3418 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3419 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3422 @kindex G P n (Group)
3423 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3424 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3425 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3428 @kindex G P s (Group)
3429 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3430 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3434 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3438 @node Group Maintenance
3439 @section Group Maintenance
3440 @cindex bogus groups
3445 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3446 Find bogus groups and delete them
3447 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3451 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3452 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3453 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3454 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3455 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3459 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3460 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3461 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3462 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3463 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3464 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3467 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3468 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3469 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3470 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3475 @node Browse Foreign Server
3476 @section Browse Foreign Server
3477 @cindex foreign servers
3478 @cindex browsing servers
3483 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3484 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3485 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3486 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3489 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3490 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3491 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3492 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3494 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3499 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3500 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3504 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3505 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3508 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3509 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3510 Enter the current group and display the first article
3511 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3514 @kindex RET (Browse)
3515 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3516 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3520 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3521 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3522 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3528 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3529 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3533 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3534 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3538 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3539 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3540 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3545 @section Exiting Gnus
3546 @cindex exiting Gnus
3548 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3553 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3554 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3555 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3556 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3560 @findex gnus-group-exit
3561 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3562 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3566 @findex gnus-group-quit
3567 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3568 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3571 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3572 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3573 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3574 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3575 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3576 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3582 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3583 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3584 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3590 @section Group Topics
3593 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3594 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3595 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3596 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3597 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3598 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3602 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3603 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3614 2: alt.religion.emacs
3617 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3619 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3620 13: comp.sources.unix
3623 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3625 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3626 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3627 is a toggling command.)
3629 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3630 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3631 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3632 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3635 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3636 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3637 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3640 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3644 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3645 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3646 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3647 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3648 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3652 @node Topic Commands
3653 @subsection Topic Commands
3654 @cindex topic commands
3656 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3657 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3658 definitions slightly.
3660 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3661 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3662 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3663 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3664 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3665 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3667 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3674 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3675 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3676 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3680 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3682 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3683 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3684 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3685 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3688 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3689 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3690 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3691 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3695 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3696 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3697 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3698 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3704 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3705 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3706 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3710 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3711 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3712 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3715 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3716 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3717 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3718 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3719 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3721 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3722 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3726 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3727 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3734 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3736 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3737 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3738 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3739 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3740 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3741 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3745 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3751 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3752 Move the current group to some other topic
3753 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3754 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3758 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3759 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3763 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3764 Copy the current group to some other topic
3765 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3766 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3770 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3771 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3772 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3776 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3777 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3778 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3782 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3783 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3784 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3785 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3786 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3787 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3788 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3791 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3792 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3796 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3797 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3798 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3802 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3803 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3804 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3808 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3809 Toggle hiding empty topics
3810 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3814 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3815 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3816 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3817 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3820 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3821 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3822 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3823 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3824 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3827 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3828 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3829 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3830 expiry process (if any)
3831 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3835 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3836 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3839 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3840 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3841 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3845 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3846 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3847 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3850 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3851 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3852 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3855 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3856 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3857 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3861 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3862 @cindex group parameters
3863 @cindex topic parameters
3865 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3866 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3871 @node Topic Variables
3872 @subsection Topic Variables
3873 @cindex topic variables
3875 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3876 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3878 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3879 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3880 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3893 Number of groups in the topic.
3895 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3897 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3900 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3901 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3902 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3905 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3906 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3908 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3909 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3910 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3914 @subsection Topic Sorting
3915 @cindex topic sorting
3917 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3923 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3924 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3925 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3926 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3929 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3930 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3931 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3932 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3935 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3936 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3937 Sort the current topic by group level
3938 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3941 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3942 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3943 Sort the current topic by group score
3944 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3947 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3948 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3949 Sort the current topic by group rank
3950 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3953 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3954 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3955 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3956 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3959 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3960 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3961 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3962 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3965 @kindex T S s (Topic)
3966 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3967 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3968 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3969 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3973 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3974 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3978 @node Topic Topology
3979 @subsection Topic Topology
3980 @cindex topic topology
3983 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3990 2: alt.religion.emacs
3993 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3995 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3996 13: comp.sources.unix
4000 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4001 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4002 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4007 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4008 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4012 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4013 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4014 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4015 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4016 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4017 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4019 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4020 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4021 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4024 @node Topic Parameters
4025 @subsection Topic Parameters
4026 @cindex topic parameters
4028 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4029 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4030 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4031 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4032 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4034 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4039 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4040 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4041 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4044 @item subscribe-level
4045 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4046 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4047 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4051 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4052 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4053 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4054 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4061 2: alt.religion.emacs
4065 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4067 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4068 13: comp.sources.unix
4073 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4074 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4075 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4076 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4077 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4078 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4080 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4081 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4082 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4083 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4084 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4086 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4087 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4088 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4089 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4090 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4091 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4092 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4093 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4096 @node Misc Group Stuff
4097 @section Misc Group Stuff
4100 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4101 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4102 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4103 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4104 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4111 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
4112 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it key to some
4113 function or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
4116 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
4119 (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
4122 On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
4123 @xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
4127 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4128 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4129 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4133 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4134 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4135 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4136 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4137 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4138 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4139 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4143 @findex gnus-group-mail
4144 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4145 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4146 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4147 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4151 @findex gnus-group-news
4152 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4153 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4154 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4156 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4157 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4158 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4159 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4160 for this to work though.
4164 Variables for the group buffer:
4168 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4169 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4170 is called after the group buffer has been
4173 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4174 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4175 is called after the group buffer is
4176 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4179 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4180 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4181 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4182 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4184 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4185 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4186 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4187 whether they are empty or not.
4189 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4190 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4191 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4192 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4196 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4197 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4200 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4201 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4202 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4203 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4204 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4205 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4206 default is @code{nil}.
4210 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4211 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4216 @node Scanning New Messages
4217 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4218 @cindex new messages
4219 @cindex scanning new news
4225 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4226 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4227 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4228 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4229 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4230 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4235 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4236 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4237 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4238 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4239 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4240 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4241 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4243 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4244 @cindex activating groups
4246 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4247 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4252 @findex gnus-group-restart
4253 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4254 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4255 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4259 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4260 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4262 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4263 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4267 @node Group Information
4268 @subsection Group Information
4269 @cindex group information
4270 @cindex information on groups
4277 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4278 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4281 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4282 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4283 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4284 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4285 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4286 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4287 used for fetching the file.
4289 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4290 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4294 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4295 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4297 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4298 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4301 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4302 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4303 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4307 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4308 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4309 @cindex control message
4310 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4311 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4312 group if given a prefix argument.
4314 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4315 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4316 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4317 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4319 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4320 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4321 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4325 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4327 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4328 @cindex describing groups
4329 @cindex group description
4330 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4331 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4332 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4336 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4337 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4338 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4345 @findex gnus-version
4346 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4350 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4351 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4354 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4357 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4358 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4362 @node Group Timestamp
4363 @subsection Group Timestamp
4365 @cindex group timestamps
4367 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4368 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4369 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4372 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4375 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4377 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4378 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4381 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4382 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4385 This will result in lines looking like:
4388 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4389 0: custom 19961002T012713
4392 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4393 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4397 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4398 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4401 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4402 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4406 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4407 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4408 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4409 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4411 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4417 @subsection File Commands
4418 @cindex file commands
4424 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4425 @vindex gnus-init-file
4426 @cindex reading init file
4427 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4428 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4432 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4433 @cindex saving .newsrc
4434 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4435 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4436 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4439 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4440 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4441 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4446 @node Sieve Commands
4447 @subsection Sieve Commands
4448 @cindex group sieve commands
4450 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4451 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4452 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4453 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4454 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4456 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4457 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4458 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4459 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4460 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4461 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4462 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4463 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4464 regenerate the Sieve script.
4466 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4467 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4468 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4469 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4470 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4471 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4472 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4473 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4474 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4475 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4478 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4479 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4484 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4490 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4491 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4492 @cindex generating sieve script
4493 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4494 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4498 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4499 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4500 @cindex updating sieve script
4501 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4502 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4503 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4508 @node Summary Buffer
4509 @chapter Summary Buffer
4510 @cindex summary buffer
4512 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4513 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4515 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4516 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4518 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4521 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
4522 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it key to some
4523 function or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
4525 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
4529 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4530 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4531 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4532 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4533 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4534 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4535 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4536 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4537 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4538 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4539 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4540 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4541 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4542 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4543 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4544 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4545 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4546 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4547 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4548 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4549 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4550 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4551 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4552 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4553 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4554 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4555 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4556 or reselecting the current group.
4557 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4558 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4559 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4560 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4564 @node Summary Buffer Format
4565 @section Summary Buffer Format
4566 @cindex summary buffer format
4570 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4571 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4572 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4578 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4579 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4580 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4581 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4584 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4585 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4586 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4587 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4588 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4589 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4590 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4591 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4592 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4593 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4594 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4597 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4598 'mail-extract-address-components)
4601 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4602 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4603 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4604 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4607 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4608 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4610 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4611 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4612 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4613 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4614 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4616 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4617 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4618 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4619 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4620 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4621 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4623 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4625 The following format specification characters and extended format
4626 specification(s) are understood:
4632 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4633 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4635 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4636 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4637 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4639 Full @code{From} header.
4641 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4643 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4646 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4647 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4648 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4649 may be more thorough.
4651 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4654 Number of lines in the article.
4656 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4657 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4659 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4660 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4662 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4664 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4665 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4678 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4679 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4680 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4681 line-drawing glyphs.
4683 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4684 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4685 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4686 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4688 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4689 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4690 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4691 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4693 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4694 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4695 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4696 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4698 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4699 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4700 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4702 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4703 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4704 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4706 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4707 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4708 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4710 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4711 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4712 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4717 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4718 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4720 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4721 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4723 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4724 for adopted articles.
4726 One space for each thread level.
4728 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4730 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4733 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4734 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4735 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4738 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4740 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4741 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4742 default level. If the difference between
4743 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4744 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4752 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4754 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4760 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4761 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4763 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4764 article has any children.
4770 Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
4772 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4773 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4775 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4776 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4777 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4778 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4779 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4780 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4783 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4784 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4785 There can only be one such area.
4787 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4788 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4789 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4790 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4791 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4792 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4794 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4795 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4797 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4800 @node To From Newsgroups
4801 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4805 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4806 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4807 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4808 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4809 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4813 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4814 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4815 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4819 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4820 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4823 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4824 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4827 @findex gnus-extra-header
4828 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4829 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4830 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4833 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4837 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4838 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4839 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4840 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4841 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4842 headers are used instead.
4844 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
4845 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
4846 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
4847 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
4848 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
4849 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
4853 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4854 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4855 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4856 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4857 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4858 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4861 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4862 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4863 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4864 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4866 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4870 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4872 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4873 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4874 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4875 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4879 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4882 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4883 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4886 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4887 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4888 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4894 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4895 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4898 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4899 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4901 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4902 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4903 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4904 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4906 Here are the elements you can play with:
4912 Unprefixed group name.
4914 Current article number.
4916 Current article score.
4920 Number of unread articles in this group.
4922 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4925 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4926 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4927 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4928 and no unselected ones.
4930 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4931 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4933 Subject of the current article.
4935 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4937 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4939 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4941 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4943 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4945 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4949 @node Summary Highlighting
4950 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4954 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4955 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4956 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4957 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4958 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4960 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4961 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4962 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4963 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4965 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4966 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4967 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4968 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4970 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4971 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4972 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4973 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4974 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4975 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4978 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4979 ((> score default) . bold))
4981 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4982 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4986 @node Summary Maneuvering
4987 @section Summary Maneuvering
4988 @cindex summary movement
4990 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4991 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4993 None of these commands select articles.
4998 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4999 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
5000 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
5001 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
5002 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
5006 @kindex M-p (Summary)
5007 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
5008 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
5009 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
5010 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
5013 @kindex G g (Summary)
5014 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
5015 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
5016 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
5019 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
5020 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
5021 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5022 to the group buffer.
5024 Variables related to summary movement:
5028 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5029 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5030 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5031 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5032 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5033 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5034 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5035 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5036 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5037 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5038 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5039 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
5040 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
5041 @pxref{Group Levels}.
5043 @item gnus-auto-select-same
5044 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
5045 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
5046 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
5047 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
5048 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
5049 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
5051 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
5053 @item gnus-summary-check-current
5054 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
5055 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
5056 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
5057 Instead, they will choose the current article.
5059 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
5060 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
5061 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
5062 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
5063 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
5064 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5065 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5066 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
5069 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
5070 the given number of lines from the top.
5075 @node Choosing Articles
5076 @section Choosing Articles
5077 @cindex selecting articles
5080 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5081 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5085 @node Choosing Commands
5086 @subsection Choosing Commands
5088 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5089 and they all select and display an article.
5091 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5092 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5096 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5097 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5098 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5099 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5101 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5102 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5103 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5108 @kindex G n (Summary)
5109 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5110 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5111 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5116 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5117 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5118 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5123 @kindex G N (Summary)
5124 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5125 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5130 @kindex G P (Summary)
5131 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5132 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5135 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5136 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5137 Go to the next article with the same subject
5138 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5141 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5142 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5143 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5144 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5148 @kindex G f (Summary)
5150 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5151 Go to the first unread article
5152 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5156 @kindex G b (Summary)
5158 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5159 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5160 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5161 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5166 @kindex G l (Summary)
5167 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5168 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5171 @kindex G o (Summary)
5172 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5174 @cindex article history
5175 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5176 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5177 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5178 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5179 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5180 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5185 @kindex G j (Summary)
5186 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5187 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5188 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5193 @node Choosing Variables
5194 @subsection Choosing Variables
5196 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5199 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5200 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5201 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5202 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5203 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5204 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5206 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5207 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5208 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
5209 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
5210 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
5213 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5214 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5215 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5216 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5217 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5218 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5219 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5220 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5221 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
5222 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5223 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5224 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5225 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5226 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5231 @node Paging the Article
5232 @section Scrolling the Article
5233 @cindex article scrolling
5238 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5239 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5240 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5241 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5242 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5244 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5245 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5246 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5247 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5248 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5249 what is considered uninteresting with
5250 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5251 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5254 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5255 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5256 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5259 @kindex RET (Summary)
5260 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5261 Scroll the current article one line forward
5262 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5265 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5266 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5267 Scroll the current article one line backward
5268 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5272 @kindex A g (Summary)
5274 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5275 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5276 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5277 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5278 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5279 the way it came from the server.
5281 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5282 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5283 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5286 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5291 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5296 @kindex A < (Summary)
5297 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5298 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5299 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5304 @kindex A > (Summary)
5305 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5306 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5310 @kindex A s (Summary)
5312 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5313 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5314 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5318 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5319 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5324 @node Reply Followup and Post
5325 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5328 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5329 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5330 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5331 * Canceling and Superseding::
5335 @node Summary Mail Commands
5336 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5338 @cindex composing mail
5340 Commands for composing a mail message:
5346 @kindex S r (Summary)
5348 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5349 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5350 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5351 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5352 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5357 @kindex S R (Summary)
5358 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5359 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5360 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5361 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5362 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5365 @kindex S w (Summary)
5366 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5367 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5368 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5369 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5370 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5371 present, that's used instead.
5374 @kindex S W (Summary)
5375 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5376 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5377 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5378 the process/prefix convention.
5381 @kindex S v (Summary)
5382 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5383 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5384 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5385 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5386 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5387 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5390 @kindex S V (Summary)
5391 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5392 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5393 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5394 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5397 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5398 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5399 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5400 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5401 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5402 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5403 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5404 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5407 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5408 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5409 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5410 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5411 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5415 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5416 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5417 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5418 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5419 Forward the current article to some other person
5420 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5421 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5422 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5423 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5424 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5425 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5426 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5427 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5428 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5434 @kindex S m (Summary)
5435 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5436 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5437 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5438 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5439 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5444 @kindex S i (Summary)
5445 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5446 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5447 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5448 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5450 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5451 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5452 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5453 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5454 for this to work though.
5457 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5458 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5459 @cindex bouncing mail
5460 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5461 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5462 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5463 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5464 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5465 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5466 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5467 very well fail, though.
5470 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5471 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5472 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5473 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5474 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5475 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5476 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5477 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5478 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5479 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5481 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5482 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5483 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5484 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5485 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5487 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5488 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5491 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5492 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5494 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5495 if it were a new message before resending.
5498 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5499 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5500 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5501 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5502 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5505 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5506 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5507 @cindex crossposting
5508 @cindex excessive crossposting
5509 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5510 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5512 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5513 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5514 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5515 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5516 command understands the process/prefix convention
5517 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5521 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5522 Manual}, for more information.
5525 @node Summary Post Commands
5526 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5528 @cindex composing news
5530 Commands for posting a news article:
5536 @kindex S p (Summary)
5537 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5538 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5539 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5540 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5541 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5546 @kindex S f (Summary)
5547 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5548 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5549 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5553 @kindex S F (Summary)
5555 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5556 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5557 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5558 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5559 process/prefix convention.
5562 @kindex S n (Summary)
5563 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5564 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5565 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5568 @kindex S N (Summary)
5569 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5570 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5571 message through mail and include the original message
5572 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5573 the process/prefix convention.
5576 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5577 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5578 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5579 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5580 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5581 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5582 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5583 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5584 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5585 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5586 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5587 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5588 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5591 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5592 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5594 @cindex making digests
5595 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5596 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5597 process/prefix convention.
5600 @kindex S u (Summary)
5601 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5602 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5603 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5604 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5607 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5608 Manual}, for more information.
5611 @node Summary Message Commands
5612 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5616 @kindex S y (Summary)
5617 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5618 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5619 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5620 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5621 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5626 @node Canceling and Superseding
5627 @subsection Canceling Articles
5628 @cindex canceling articles
5629 @cindex superseding articles
5631 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5632 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5634 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5636 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5638 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5639 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5640 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5641 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5642 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5643 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5645 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5646 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5649 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5650 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5651 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5653 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5654 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5655 message, Message Manual}).
5657 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5658 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5659 your original article.
5661 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5663 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5664 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5665 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5668 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5669 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5670 have posted almost the same article twice.
5672 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5673 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5674 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5675 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5676 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5677 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5678 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5679 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5680 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5681 canceled/superseded.
5683 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5685 @node Delayed Articles
5686 @section Delayed Articles
5687 @cindex delayed sending
5688 @cindex send delayed
5690 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5691 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5692 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5693 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5696 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5699 @findex gnus-delay-article
5700 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5701 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5702 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5703 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5707 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5708 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5709 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5710 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5713 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5714 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5715 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5718 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5719 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5720 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5721 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5722 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5723 that means a time tomorrow.
5726 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5727 couple of variables:
5730 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5731 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5732 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5733 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5735 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5736 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5737 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5738 formats described above.
5740 @item gnus-delay-group
5741 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5742 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5743 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5744 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5746 @item gnus-delay-header
5747 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5748 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5749 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5750 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5753 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5754 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5755 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5756 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5757 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5759 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5760 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5761 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5762 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5763 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5764 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5765 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5768 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5769 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5770 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5771 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5772 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5773 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5774 argument is ignored.
5776 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5777 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5778 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5782 @node Marking Articles
5783 @section Marking Articles
5784 @cindex article marking
5785 @cindex article ticking
5788 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5790 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5791 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5792 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5794 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5797 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
5801 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5802 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5803 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5804 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5805 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5806 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5810 @node Unread Articles
5811 @subsection Unread Articles
5813 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5818 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5819 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5821 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5822 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5823 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5824 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5825 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5826 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5827 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5830 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5831 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5833 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5834 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5835 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5836 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5840 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5841 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5843 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5848 @subsection Read Articles
5849 @cindex expirable mark
5851 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5856 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5857 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5858 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5861 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5862 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5865 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5866 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5867 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5870 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5871 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5874 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5875 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5878 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5879 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5882 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5883 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5886 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5887 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5890 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5891 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5894 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5895 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5899 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5900 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5901 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5905 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5906 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5908 One more special mark, though:
5912 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5913 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5915 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5916 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5917 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5918 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5924 @subsection Other Marks
5925 @cindex process mark
5928 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5934 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5935 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5936 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5937 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5938 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5941 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5942 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5943 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5944 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5947 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5948 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5949 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5952 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5953 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5954 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5957 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5958 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5959 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5960 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5963 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5964 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5965 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5966 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5967 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5968 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5971 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5972 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5973 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5974 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5977 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5978 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5979 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5980 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5981 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5985 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5986 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5987 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5988 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5989 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5990 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5993 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5994 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5995 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5996 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5997 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5998 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
6002 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
6003 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
6004 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
6005 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
6006 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
6009 @vindex gnus-process-mark
6010 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
6011 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
6012 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
6013 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
6014 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
6018 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
6019 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
6020 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
6022 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
6023 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6024 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6028 @subsection Setting Marks
6029 @cindex setting marks
6031 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6036 @kindex M c (Summary)
6037 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6038 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
6039 @cindex mark as unread
6040 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
6041 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
6047 @kindex M t (Summary)
6048 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
6049 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
6050 @xref{Article Caching}.
6055 @kindex M ? (Summary)
6056 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
6057 Mark the current article as dormant
6058 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6062 @kindex M d (Summary)
6064 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6065 Mark the current article as read
6066 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
6070 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
6071 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
6072 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
6077 @kindex M k (Summary)
6078 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
6079 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
6080 and then select the next unread article
6081 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
6085 @kindex M K (Summary)
6086 @kindex C-k (Summary)
6087 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
6088 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
6089 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6092 @kindex M C (Summary)
6093 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6094 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6095 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6098 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6099 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6100 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6101 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6104 @kindex M H (Summary)
6105 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6106 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6107 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6110 @kindex M h (Summary)
6111 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6112 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6113 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6116 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6117 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6118 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6119 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6122 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6123 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6124 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6125 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6129 @kindex M e (Summary)
6131 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6132 Mark the current article as expirable
6133 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6136 @kindex M b (Summary)
6137 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6138 Set a bookmark in the current article
6139 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6142 @kindex M B (Summary)
6143 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6144 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6145 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6148 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6149 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6150 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6151 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6154 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6155 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6156 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6157 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6160 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6161 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6162 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6163 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6164 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6167 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6168 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6169 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6170 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6171 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6172 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6173 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6174 The default is @code{t}.
6177 @node Generic Marking Commands
6178 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6180 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6181 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6182 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6183 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6184 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6187 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6188 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6191 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6192 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6193 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6194 to list in this manual.
6196 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6197 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6198 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6199 article, you could say something like:
6203 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6204 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6205 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6213 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6214 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6218 @node Setting Process Marks
6219 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6220 @cindex setting process marks
6222 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6223 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6224 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6225 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6226 commands into the cache. For more information,
6227 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6234 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6235 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6236 Mark the current article with the process mark
6237 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6238 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6242 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6243 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6244 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6245 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6248 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6249 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6250 Remove the process mark from all articles
6251 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6254 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6255 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6256 Invert the list of process marked articles
6257 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6260 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6261 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6262 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6263 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6266 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6267 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6268 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6269 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6272 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6273 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6274 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6277 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6278 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6279 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6282 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6283 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6284 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6285 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6288 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6289 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6290 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6291 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6294 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6295 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6296 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6297 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6300 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6301 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6302 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6305 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6306 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6307 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6308 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6311 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6312 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6313 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
6316 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6317 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6318 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6319 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6322 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6323 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6324 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6325 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6328 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6329 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6330 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6331 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6334 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6335 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6336 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6337 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6341 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6342 set process marks based on article body contents.
6349 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6350 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6351 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6354 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6355 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6356 additional articles.
6362 @kindex / / (Summary)
6363 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6364 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6365 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6369 @kindex / a (Summary)
6370 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6371 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6372 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6376 @kindex / R (Summary)
6377 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
6378 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
6379 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
6383 @kindex / x (Summary)
6384 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6385 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6386 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6387 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6392 @kindex / u (Summary)
6394 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6395 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6396 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6397 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6398 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6401 @kindex / m (Summary)
6402 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6403 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6404 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6407 @kindex / t (Summary)
6408 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6409 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6410 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6411 articles younger than that number of days.
6414 @kindex / n (Summary)
6415 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6416 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6417 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6418 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6421 @kindex / w (Summary)
6422 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6423 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6424 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6428 @kindex / . (Summary)
6429 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6430 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6431 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6434 @kindex / v (Summary)
6435 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6436 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6437 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6440 @kindex / p (Summary)
6441 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6442 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6443 group parameter predicate
6444 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6445 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6448 @kindex / r (Summary)
6449 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6450 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6451 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6456 @kindex M S (Summary)
6457 @kindex / E (Summary)
6458 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6459 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6460 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6463 @kindex / D (Summary)
6464 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6465 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6466 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6469 @kindex / * (Summary)
6470 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6471 Include all cached articles in the limit
6472 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6475 @kindex / d (Summary)
6476 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6477 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6478 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6481 @kindex / M (Summary)
6482 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6483 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6486 @kindex / T (Summary)
6487 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6488 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6491 @kindex / c (Summary)
6492 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6493 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6494 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6497 @kindex / C (Summary)
6498 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6499 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6500 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6501 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6504 @kindex / N (Summary)
6505 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6506 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6507 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6510 @kindex / o (Summary)
6511 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6512 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6513 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6516 @kindex / b (Summary)
6517 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
6518 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
6519 certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
6520 prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
6521 requires selecting each article to find the matches.
6529 @cindex article threading
6531 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6532 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6533 hierarchical fashion.
6535 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6536 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6537 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6538 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6539 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6540 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6541 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6543 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6547 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6550 A tree-like article structure.
6553 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6556 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6557 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6558 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6559 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6560 called loose threads.
6562 @item thread gathering
6563 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6565 @item sparse threads
6566 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6567 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6573 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6574 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6578 @node Customizing Threading
6579 @subsection Customizing Threading
6580 @cindex customizing threading
6583 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6584 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6585 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6586 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6591 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6594 @cindex loose threads
6597 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6598 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6599 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6600 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6601 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6602 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6604 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6605 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6606 There are four possible values:
6610 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6611 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6612 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6613 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6614 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6619 @cindex adopting articles
6624 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6625 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6626 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6627 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6630 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6631 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6632 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6633 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6634 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6635 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6636 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6637 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6638 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6639 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6642 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6643 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6644 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6648 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6649 display them after one another.
6652 Don't gather loose threads.
6655 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6656 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6657 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6658 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6659 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6660 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6661 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6662 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6663 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6664 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6665 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6667 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6668 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6669 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6672 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6673 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6674 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6675 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6676 simplification is used.
6678 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6679 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6680 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6681 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6683 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6685 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6691 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6692 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6693 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6694 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6699 (mapconcat 'identity
6700 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6702 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6705 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6708 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6709 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6710 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6711 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6712 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6713 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6715 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6718 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6719 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6720 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6722 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6723 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6726 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6727 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6728 Remove excessive whitespace.
6730 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6731 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6732 Remove all whitespace.
6735 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6738 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6739 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6740 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6741 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6742 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6743 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6744 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6745 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6747 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6748 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6749 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6750 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6751 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6752 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6753 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6754 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6755 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6759 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6760 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6761 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6762 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6764 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6765 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6766 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6769 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6773 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6774 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6780 @node Filling In Threads
6781 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6784 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6785 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6786 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6787 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
6788 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
6789 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
6790 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
6791 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
6792 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
6793 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6794 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6795 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
6798 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6799 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6800 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6802 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6803 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6804 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6807 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6808 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6809 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6810 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6811 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6812 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6813 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6814 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6815 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6816 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6817 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6818 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6819 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6820 @code{nil} by default.
6822 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6823 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6824 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6825 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6826 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6827 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6828 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6830 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6831 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6832 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6837 @node More Threading
6838 @subsubsection More Threading
6841 @item gnus-show-threads
6842 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6843 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6844 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6845 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6846 slower and more awkward.
6848 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6849 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6850 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6853 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6854 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6855 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6860 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6861 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6862 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6865 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6866 unread, but you get my drift.)
6869 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6870 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6871 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6872 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6873 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6874 threads are expunged.
6876 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6877 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6878 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6881 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6882 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6883 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6884 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6885 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6886 result in a new thread.
6888 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6889 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6890 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6893 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6894 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6895 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6896 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6897 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6898 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6899 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6900 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6901 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6902 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6903 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6908 @node Low-Level Threading
6909 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6913 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6914 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6915 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6917 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6918 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6919 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6920 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6921 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6922 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6923 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6924 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6925 meaningful. Here's one example:
6928 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6930 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6931 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6933 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6935 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6942 @node Thread Commands
6943 @subsection Thread Commands
6944 @cindex thread commands
6950 @kindex T k (Summary)
6951 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6952 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6953 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6954 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6955 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6960 @kindex T l (Summary)
6961 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6962 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6963 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6964 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6967 @kindex T i (Summary)
6968 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6969 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6970 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6973 @kindex T # (Summary)
6974 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6975 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6976 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6979 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6980 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6981 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6982 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6985 @kindex T T (Summary)
6986 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6987 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6990 @kindex T s (Summary)
6991 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6992 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6993 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6996 @kindex T h (Summary)
6997 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6998 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
7001 @kindex T S (Summary)
7002 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
7003 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
7006 @kindex T H (Summary)
7007 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
7008 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
7011 @kindex T t (Summary)
7012 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
7013 Re-thread the current article's thread
7014 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
7015 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
7018 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
7019 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
7020 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
7021 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
7024 @kindex T M-^ (Summary)
7025 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
7026 Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
7027 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
7031 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
7032 understand the numeric prefix.
7037 @kindex T n (Summary)
7039 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
7041 @kindex M-down (Summary)
7042 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
7043 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
7046 @kindex T p (Summary)
7048 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
7050 @kindex M-up (Summary)
7051 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
7052 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
7055 @kindex T d (Summary)
7056 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
7057 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
7060 @kindex T u (Summary)
7061 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
7062 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
7065 @kindex T o (Summary)
7066 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
7067 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
7070 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
7071 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
7072 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
7073 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
7074 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
7075 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
7076 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
7077 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
7078 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
7079 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
7080 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
7081 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
7085 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
7086 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
7088 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
7089 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
7090 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse
7091 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
7092 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7093 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
7094 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
7095 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7096 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
7097 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
7098 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
7099 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
7100 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
7101 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
7102 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
7103 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
7105 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
7106 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
7107 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
7108 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
7109 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse},
7110 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
7111 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
7112 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
7113 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
7114 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
7116 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
7117 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
7118 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
7120 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7121 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7122 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7123 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7124 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7125 ascending article order.
7127 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7128 by number, you could do something like:
7131 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7132 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7133 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7134 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7137 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7138 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7139 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7140 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7141 which the articles arrived.
7143 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7147 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7148 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
7149 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7152 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7153 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7154 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7155 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7158 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7159 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7160 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7161 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7162 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7163 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7164 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7165 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7166 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7167 variable. It is very similar to the
7168 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7169 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7170 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7171 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7172 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7173 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7174 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7176 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7180 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7181 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7182 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7185 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
7186 @xref{Group Parameters}.
7189 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7190 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7191 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7192 @cindex article pre-fetch
7195 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7196 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7197 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7198 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7199 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7201 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7202 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7204 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7205 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7206 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7207 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7208 connection is blocked.
7210 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7211 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7212 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7213 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7215 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7216 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7217 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7218 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7221 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7224 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7225 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7226 happen automatically.
7228 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7229 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7230 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7231 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7232 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7233 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7234 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7236 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7237 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7238 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7239 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7240 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7241 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7242 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7243 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7244 article data structure as the only parameter.
7246 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7247 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7250 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7251 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7252 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7253 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7256 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7259 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7260 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7261 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7263 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7264 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7265 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7266 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7270 Remove articles when they are read.
7273 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7276 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7278 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7279 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7280 @c from the next group.
7283 @node Article Caching
7284 @section Article Caching
7285 @cindex article caching
7288 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7289 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7290 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7291 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7292 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7294 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7296 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7297 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7298 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7299 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7300 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7301 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7302 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7303 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7305 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7306 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7307 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7308 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7309 as dormant, and don't worry.
7311 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7313 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7314 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7315 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7316 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7317 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7318 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7319 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7320 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7321 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7322 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7324 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7325 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7326 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7327 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7328 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7329 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7330 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7331 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7332 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7333 not then be downloaded by this command.
7335 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7336 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7337 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7338 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7339 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7340 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7342 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7343 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7344 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7345 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7346 variables, the group is not cached.
7348 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7349 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7350 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7351 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7352 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7353 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7354 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7355 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7356 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7359 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7360 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7361 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7362 where, isn't that cool?
7364 @node Persistent Articles
7365 @section Persistent Articles
7366 @cindex persistent articles
7368 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7369 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7370 useful in my opinion.
7372 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7373 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7374 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7375 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7376 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7377 the expiry going on at the news server.
7379 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7380 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7381 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7387 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7388 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7391 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7392 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7393 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7394 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7398 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7400 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7401 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7402 interested in persistent articles:
7405 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7409 @node Article Backlog
7410 @section Article Backlog
7412 @cindex article backlog
7414 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7415 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7416 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7417 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7418 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7419 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7420 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7421 increase memory usage some.
7423 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7424 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7425 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7426 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7427 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7428 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7429 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7431 The default value is 20.
7434 @node Saving Articles
7435 @section Saving Articles
7436 @cindex saving articles
7438 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7439 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7440 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7441 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7442 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7444 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7445 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7446 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7448 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7449 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7450 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7452 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7453 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7454 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7455 deleted before saving.
7461 @kindex O o (Summary)
7463 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7464 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7465 Save the current article using the default article saver
7466 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7469 @kindex O m (Summary)
7470 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7471 Save the current article in mail format
7472 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7475 @kindex O r (Summary)
7476 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7477 Save the current article in Rmail format
7478 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7481 @kindex O f (Summary)
7482 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7483 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7484 Save the current article in plain file format
7485 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7488 @kindex O F (Summary)
7489 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7490 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7491 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7494 @kindex O b (Summary)
7495 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7496 Save the current article body in plain file format
7497 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7500 @kindex O h (Summary)
7501 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7502 Save the current article in mh folder format
7503 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7506 @kindex O v (Summary)
7507 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7508 Save the current article in a VM folder
7509 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7513 @kindex O p (Summary)
7515 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7516 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7517 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7518 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7519 complete headers in the piped output.
7522 @kindex O P (Summary)
7523 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7524 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7525 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7526 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7527 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7528 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7529 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7533 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7534 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7535 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7536 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7537 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7538 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7539 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7540 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7541 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7542 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7543 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7544 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7548 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7549 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7550 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7551 functions below, or you can create your own.
7555 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7556 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7557 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7558 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7559 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7560 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7561 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7563 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7564 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7565 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7566 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7567 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7568 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7570 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7571 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7572 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7573 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7574 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7575 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7576 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7578 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7579 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7580 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7581 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7582 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7583 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7585 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7586 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7587 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7588 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7589 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7591 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7592 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7593 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7594 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7595 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7598 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7599 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7600 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7601 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7602 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7604 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7605 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7606 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7607 reader to use this setting.
7610 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7611 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7612 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7613 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7616 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7617 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7618 available functions that generate names:
7622 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7623 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7624 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7626 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7627 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7628 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7630 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7631 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7632 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7634 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7635 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7636 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7638 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7639 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7640 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7643 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7644 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7645 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7646 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7647 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7651 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7652 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7653 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7654 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7657 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7658 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7659 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7660 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7661 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7662 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7663 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7664 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7665 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7667 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7668 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7669 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7670 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7672 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7673 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7674 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7677 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7678 lots of mail groups called things like
7679 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7680 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7681 following will do just that:
7684 (defun my-save-name (group)
7685 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7686 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7688 (setq gnus-split-methods
7689 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7694 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7695 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7696 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7697 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7698 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7699 all the files in the top level directory
7700 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7701 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7702 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7703 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7705 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7706 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7707 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7708 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7709 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7712 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7716 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7717 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7718 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7721 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7722 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7723 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7724 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7727 @node Decoding Articles
7728 @section Decoding Articles
7729 @cindex decoding articles
7731 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7732 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7735 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7736 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7737 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7738 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7739 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7740 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7744 @cindex article series
7745 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7746 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7747 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7748 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7749 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7751 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7752 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7753 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7755 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7756 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7757 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7759 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7760 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7761 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7764 @node Uuencoded Articles
7765 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7767 @cindex uuencoded articles
7772 @kindex X u (Summary)
7773 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7774 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7775 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7778 @kindex X U (Summary)
7779 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7780 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7781 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7784 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7785 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7786 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7789 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7790 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7791 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7792 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7796 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7797 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7798 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7799 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7800 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7802 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7803 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7804 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7805 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7808 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7809 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7810 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7811 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7812 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7813 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7817 @node Shell Archives
7818 @subsection Shell Archives
7820 @cindex shell archives
7821 @cindex shared articles
7823 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7824 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7825 some commands to deal with these:
7830 @kindex X s (Summary)
7831 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7832 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7835 @kindex X S (Summary)
7836 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7837 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7840 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7841 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7842 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7845 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7846 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7847 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7848 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7852 @node PostScript Files
7853 @subsection PostScript Files
7859 @kindex X p (Summary)
7860 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7861 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7864 @kindex X P (Summary)
7865 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7866 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7867 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7870 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7871 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7872 View the current PostScript series
7873 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7876 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7877 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7878 View and save the current PostScript series
7879 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7884 @subsection Other Files
7888 @kindex X o (Summary)
7889 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7890 Save the current series
7891 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7894 @kindex X b (Summary)
7895 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7896 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7897 doesn't really work yet.
7901 @node Decoding Variables
7902 @subsection Decoding Variables
7904 Adjective, not verb.
7907 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7908 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7909 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7913 @node Rule Variables
7914 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7915 @cindex rule variables
7917 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7918 variables are of the form
7921 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7928 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7929 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7931 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7932 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7935 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7936 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7939 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7940 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7941 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7942 user and default view rules.
7944 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7945 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7946 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7951 @node Other Decode Variables
7952 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7955 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7957 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7958 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7959 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7960 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7961 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7965 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7966 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7969 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7970 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7971 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7974 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7975 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7976 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7977 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7978 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7981 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7982 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7983 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7985 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7986 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7987 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7988 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7989 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7992 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7993 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7994 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7996 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7997 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7998 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7999 looking for files to display.
8001 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
8002 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
8003 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
8006 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
8007 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
8008 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
8011 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
8012 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
8013 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
8016 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
8017 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
8018 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
8021 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
8022 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
8023 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
8024 decoded articles as unread.
8026 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
8027 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
8028 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
8029 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
8031 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
8032 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
8033 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
8035 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8036 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8038 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
8039 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
8040 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
8041 @code{metamail} for viewing.
8043 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8044 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8045 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
8046 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
8047 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
8048 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
8049 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
8050 simply dropped them.
8055 @node Uuencoding and Posting
8056 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
8060 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8061 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8062 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
8063 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
8064 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
8065 for you when you post the article.
8067 @item gnus-uu-post-length
8068 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
8069 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
8070 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
8072 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
8073 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
8074 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
8075 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
8076 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
8077 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
8078 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
8080 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8081 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8082 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
8083 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
8084 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
8085 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
8086 Default is @code{t}.
8092 @subsection Viewing Files
8093 @cindex viewing files
8094 @cindex pseudo-articles
8096 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
8097 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
8098 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
8099 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
8100 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
8101 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
8102 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
8104 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
8105 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
8106 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
8107 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
8109 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
8110 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
8111 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
8113 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
8114 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
8115 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
8116 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
8117 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
8119 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
8120 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
8121 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8122 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8123 a list of parameters to that command.
8125 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8126 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8127 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8129 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8130 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8131 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8134 @node Article Treatment
8135 @section Article Treatment
8137 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8138 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8139 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8140 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8141 these articles easier.
8144 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8145 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8146 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8147 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8148 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8149 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8150 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8151 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8152 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8153 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8154 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8158 @node Article Highlighting
8159 @subsection Article Highlighting
8160 @cindex highlighting
8162 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8163 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8168 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8169 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8170 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8171 Do much highlighting of the current article
8172 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8173 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8176 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8177 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8178 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8179 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8180 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8181 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8182 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8183 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8184 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8185 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8186 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8187 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8190 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8191 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8192 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8194 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8197 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8199 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8200 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8201 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8203 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8204 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8205 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8207 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8208 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8209 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8210 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8211 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8212 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8214 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8215 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8216 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8218 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8219 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8220 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8222 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8223 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8224 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8225 that it's a citation.
8227 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8228 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8229 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8231 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8232 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8233 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8235 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8236 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8237 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8238 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8240 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8241 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8242 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
8243 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
8244 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
8251 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8252 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8253 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8254 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8255 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8256 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8257 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8258 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8263 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8266 @node Article Fontisizing
8267 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8269 @cindex article emphasis
8271 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8272 @kindex W e (Summary)
8273 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8274 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8275 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8276 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8278 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8279 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8280 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8281 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8282 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8283 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8284 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8285 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8289 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8290 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8291 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8300 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8301 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8302 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8303 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8304 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8305 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8306 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8307 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8308 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8309 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8310 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8311 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8312 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8314 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8315 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8316 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8320 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8323 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8325 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8326 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8327 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8328 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8330 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8333 @node Article Hiding
8334 @subsection Article Hiding
8335 @cindex article hiding
8337 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8338 too much cruft in most articles.
8343 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8344 @findex gnus-article-hide
8345 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8346 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8347 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8350 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8351 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8352 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8356 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8357 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8358 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8359 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8362 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8363 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8364 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8368 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8369 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8370 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8371 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8372 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8373 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8374 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8375 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8379 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8380 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8381 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8382 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8387 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8388 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8389 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8390 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8393 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8394 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8395 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8396 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8399 @cindex stripping advertisements
8400 @cindex advertisements
8401 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8402 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8403 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8404 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8405 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8406 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8407 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8408 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8409 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8410 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8413 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8414 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8415 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8419 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8420 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8421 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8422 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8423 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8424 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8425 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8426 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8427 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8428 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8429 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8432 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8433 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8439 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8440 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8441 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8442 customizing the hiding:
8446 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8447 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8448 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8449 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8450 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8451 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8452 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8457 Starting point of the hidden text.
8459 Ending point of the hidden text.
8461 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8463 Number of lines of hidden text.
8466 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8467 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8468 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8469 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8470 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8475 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8476 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8478 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8479 following two variables:
8482 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8483 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8484 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8485 50), hide the cited text.
8487 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8488 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8489 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8494 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8495 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8496 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8497 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8498 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8499 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8503 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8504 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8505 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8507 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8508 citation customization.
8510 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8514 @node Article Washing
8515 @subsection Article Washing
8517 @cindex article washing
8519 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8520 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8522 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8523 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8526 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8527 articles by default.
8532 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8533 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8537 Force redisplaying of the current article
8538 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8539 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8540 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8541 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8544 @kindex W l (Summary)
8545 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8546 Remove page breaks from the current article
8547 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8551 @kindex W r (Summary)
8552 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8553 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8554 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8555 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8556 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8557 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8559 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8560 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8561 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8562 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8565 @kindex W m (Summary)
8566 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8567 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8570 @kindex W i (Summary)
8571 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
8572 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
8573 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
8574 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
8575 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
8576 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
8581 @kindex W t (Summary)
8583 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8584 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8585 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8588 @kindex W v (Summary)
8589 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8590 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8591 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8594 @kindex W o (Summary)
8595 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8596 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8599 @kindex W d (Summary)
8600 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8601 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8603 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8605 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8606 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8607 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8608 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8611 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8612 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8613 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8614 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8617 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8618 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8619 @cindex Outlook Express
8620 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8621 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8622 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8625 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8626 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8627 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8628 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8629 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8630 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8631 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8632 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8633 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8634 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8637 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8638 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8639 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8640 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8643 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8644 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8645 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8646 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8649 @kindex W w (Summary)
8650 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8651 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8653 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8657 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8658 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8659 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8662 @kindex W C (Summary)
8663 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8664 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8665 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8668 @kindex W c (Summary)
8669 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8670 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8671 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8672 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8673 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8676 @kindex W q (Summary)
8677 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8678 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8679 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8680 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8681 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
8682 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
8683 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8684 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8685 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8688 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8689 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8690 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8691 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8692 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8693 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8694 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8695 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8698 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8699 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8700 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8701 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8702 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8705 @kindex W A (Summary)
8706 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
8707 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
8708 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
8709 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
8710 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
8713 @kindex W u (Summary)
8714 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8715 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8716 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8717 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8718 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8721 @kindex W h (Summary)
8722 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8723 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8724 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8725 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8727 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
8728 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
8729 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
8731 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8732 The default is to use the function specified by
8733 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8734 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8735 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8736 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8744 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8746 @item w3m-standalone
8747 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
8750 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8753 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8756 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8761 @kindex W b (Summary)
8762 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8763 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8764 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8767 @kindex W B (Summary)
8768 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8769 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8770 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8773 @kindex W p (Summary)
8774 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8775 Verify a signed control message
8776 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8777 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8778 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8779 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8780 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8781 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8784 @kindex W s (Summary)
8785 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8786 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8787 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8788 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8791 @kindex W a (Summary)
8792 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8793 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8794 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8797 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8798 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8799 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8800 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8803 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8804 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8805 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8806 lines with a single empty line.
8807 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8810 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8811 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8812 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8813 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8816 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8817 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8818 Do all the three commands above
8819 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8822 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8823 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8824 Remove all blank lines
8825 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8828 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8829 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8830 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8831 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8834 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8835 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8836 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8837 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8841 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8844 @node Article Header
8845 @subsection Article Header
8847 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8852 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8853 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8854 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8857 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8858 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8859 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8860 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8863 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8864 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8865 Fold all the message headers
8866 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8869 @kindex W E w (Summary)
8870 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8871 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8872 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8877 @node Article Buttons
8878 @subsection Article Buttons
8881 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8882 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8883 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8884 button on these references.
8886 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8887 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8888 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8889 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8890 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8894 @item gnus-button-alist
8895 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8896 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8899 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8905 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8906 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8907 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8908 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8909 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8912 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8913 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8914 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8917 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8918 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8919 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8920 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8921 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8923 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8926 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8929 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8930 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8934 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8937 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8940 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8941 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8942 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8943 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8944 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8947 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8950 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8953 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8956 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8957 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8959 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8961 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8962 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8963 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8964 default values of the variables above.
8966 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8968 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8969 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8970 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8971 argument with a string naming the man page.
8973 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8975 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8976 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8977 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8979 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8980 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8981 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8982 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8983 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8984 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8985 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8986 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8987 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8988 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8989 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8990 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8992 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8993 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8994 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8995 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8996 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8999 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
9000 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
9001 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
9002 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
9004 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
9006 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
9007 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
9008 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
9009 argument, the string naming the URL.
9012 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
9013 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
9014 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
9018 @item gnus-article-button-face
9019 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
9020 Face used on buttons.
9022 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
9023 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
9024 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
9028 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
9031 @node Article Button Levels
9032 @subsection Article button levels
9033 @cindex button levels
9034 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
9035 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
9036 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
9037 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
9038 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
9039 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
9040 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
9041 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
9044 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
9045 (setq gnus-parameters
9046 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
9047 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
9048 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
9053 @item gnus-button-browse-level
9054 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
9055 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
9056 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
9057 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
9058 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
9060 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
9061 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
9062 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
9063 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
9064 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
9065 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
9066 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
9067 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
9068 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
9069 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
9070 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
9071 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
9072 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
9074 @item gnus-button-man-level
9075 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
9076 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
9077 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
9079 @item gnus-button-message-level
9080 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
9081 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
9082 Related variables and functions include
9083 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
9084 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
9085 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
9086 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
9088 @item gnus-button-tex-level
9089 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
9090 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
9091 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
9092 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
9093 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
9094 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
9100 @subsection Article Date
9102 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
9103 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
9104 when the article was sent.
9109 @kindex W T u (Summary)
9110 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
9111 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
9112 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
9115 @kindex W T i (Summary)
9116 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
9118 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
9119 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
9122 @kindex W T l (Summary)
9123 @findex gnus-article-date-local
9124 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
9127 @kindex W T p (Summary)
9128 @findex gnus-article-date-english
9129 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
9130 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
9133 @kindex W T s (Summary)
9134 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
9135 @findex gnus-article-date-user
9136 @findex format-time-string
9137 Display the date using a user-defined format
9138 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
9139 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
9140 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
9141 for a list of possible format specs.
9144 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9145 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9146 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9147 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9148 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9149 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9152 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9155 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
9156 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
9157 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
9160 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
9161 into wonderful absurdities.
9163 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
9166 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9169 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9170 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9174 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9175 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9176 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9177 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9178 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9179 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9180 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9184 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9185 preferred format automatically.
9188 @node Article Display
9189 @subsection Article Display
9194 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9195 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9197 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9198 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9200 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9201 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9203 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9204 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9206 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9207 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9209 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9214 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9215 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9216 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9217 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9220 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9221 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9222 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9223 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9226 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9227 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9228 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9231 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9232 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9233 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9236 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9237 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9238 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9239 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9242 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9243 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9244 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9245 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9248 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9249 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9250 Remove all images from the article buffer
9251 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9257 @node Article Signature
9258 @subsection Article Signature
9260 @cindex article signature
9262 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9263 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9264 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9265 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9266 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9267 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9268 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9269 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9270 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9273 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9274 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9275 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9276 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9277 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9278 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9279 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9280 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9283 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9286 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9287 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9288 signature when displaying articles.
9292 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9295 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9298 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9299 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9301 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9302 in question is not a signature.
9305 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9306 listed above. Here's an example:
9309 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9310 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9313 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9314 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9315 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9316 signature after all.
9319 @node Article Miscellanea
9320 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9324 @kindex A t (Summary)
9325 @findex gnus-article-babel
9326 Translate the article from one language to another
9327 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9333 @section MIME Commands
9334 @cindex MIME decoding
9336 @cindex viewing attachments
9338 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9339 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9345 @kindex K v (Summary)
9346 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9349 @kindex K o (Summary)
9350 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9353 @kindex K O (Summary)
9354 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
9355 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
9356 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
9359 @kindex K r (Summary)
9360 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
9363 @kindex K d (Summary)
9364 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
9368 @kindex K c (Summary)
9369 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9372 @kindex K e (Summary)
9373 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9376 @kindex K i (Summary)
9377 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9380 @kindex K | (Summary)
9381 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9384 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9389 @kindex K b (Summary)
9390 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9391 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9395 @kindex K m (Summary)
9396 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9397 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9398 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9399 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9400 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9403 @kindex X m (Summary)
9404 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9405 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9406 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9407 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9410 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9411 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9412 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9413 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9416 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9417 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9418 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9419 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9422 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9423 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9424 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9425 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9427 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9428 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9429 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9430 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9431 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9432 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9435 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9436 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9437 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9438 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9445 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9446 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9447 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9448 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9451 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9454 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9458 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9459 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9460 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9461 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9462 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9463 default is @code{nil}.
9465 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9466 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9467 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9468 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9469 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9470 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9471 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9473 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9474 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9475 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9476 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9477 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9478 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9479 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9480 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9482 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9483 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9484 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9485 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9486 displayed. This variable overrides
9487 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9488 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9491 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9492 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9493 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9495 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
9496 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
9497 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
9498 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
9499 Emacs MIME Manual}).
9501 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9502 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9503 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9504 default value is @code{nil}.
9506 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9507 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9508 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9509 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9510 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9511 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9512 save all jpegs into some directory).
9514 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9517 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9518 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9520 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9521 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9522 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9523 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9524 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9527 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9528 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9529 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9531 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9532 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9533 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9535 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9536 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9537 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9539 If displaying "text/html" is discouraged, see
9540 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
9541 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
9542 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
9543 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
9545 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9546 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9547 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
9548 overrides @code{nil} values of
9549 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9550 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9552 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9553 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9554 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9555 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9557 Ready-made functions include@*
9558 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9559 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9560 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9561 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9562 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9563 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9564 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9565 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9566 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9567 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9568 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9569 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9571 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9572 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9574 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9575 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9576 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9579 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9580 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9581 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9582 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9586 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9595 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9596 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9597 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9598 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9599 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9600 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9601 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
9603 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9604 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9605 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9606 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9608 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9609 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9610 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9611 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9612 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9613 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9614 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9615 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9616 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9618 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9619 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9620 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9621 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9622 quoted-printable header encoding.
9624 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9625 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9626 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9630 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9633 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9634 means encode all charsets),
9636 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9637 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9638 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9645 @cindex coding system aliases
9646 @cindex preferred charset
9648 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
9649 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
9650 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
9652 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9654 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9655 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9658 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9659 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9662 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9663 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9665 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9668 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9671 This will almost do the right thing.
9673 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9677 (codepage-setup 1251)
9678 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9682 @node Article Commands
9683 @section Article Commands
9690 @kindex A P (Summary)
9691 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9692 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9693 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9694 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9695 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9696 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9701 @node Summary Sorting
9702 @section Summary Sorting
9703 @cindex summary sorting
9705 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9706 can't really see why you'd want that.
9711 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9712 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9713 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9716 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9717 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9718 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9721 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
9722 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
9723 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
9726 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9727 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9728 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9731 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9732 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9733 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9736 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9737 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9738 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9741 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9742 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9743 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9746 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9747 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9748 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9751 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9752 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9753 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9756 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9757 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9758 Sort using the default sorting method
9759 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9762 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9763 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9764 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9765 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9766 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9770 @node Finding the Parent
9771 @section Finding the Parent
9772 @cindex parent articles
9773 @cindex referring articles
9778 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9779 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9780 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9781 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9782 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9783 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9784 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9785 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9786 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9788 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9789 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9790 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9791 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9792 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9796 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9797 @kindex A R (Summary)
9798 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9799 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9802 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9803 @kindex A T (Summary)
9804 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9805 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9806 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9807 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9808 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9809 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9810 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9812 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9813 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9814 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9815 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9816 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9817 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9820 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9821 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9823 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9824 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
9825 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
9826 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
9827 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
9828 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9830 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
9831 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
9832 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
9835 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9836 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9837 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9838 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9839 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9840 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9843 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9844 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9845 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9848 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9849 then ask Google if that fails:
9852 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9854 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9857 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9858 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9859 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
9860 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9861 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
9862 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
9863 not support this at all.
9866 @node Alternative Approaches
9867 @section Alternative Approaches
9869 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9870 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9873 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9874 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9879 @subsection Pick and Read
9880 @cindex pick and read
9882 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9883 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9884 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9885 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9887 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9888 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9889 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9890 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9891 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9892 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9894 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9899 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9900 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9901 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9902 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9903 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9904 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9905 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9906 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9909 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9910 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9911 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9912 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9916 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9917 Unpick the thread or article
9918 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9919 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9920 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9921 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9922 the thread or article at that line.
9926 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9927 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9928 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9929 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9930 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9931 will still be visible when you are reading.
9935 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9936 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9937 which is mapped to the same function
9938 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9940 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9943 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9946 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9947 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9949 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9950 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9951 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9953 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9954 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9955 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9956 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9957 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9958 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9959 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9963 @subsection Binary Groups
9964 @cindex binary groups
9966 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9967 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9968 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9969 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9970 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9971 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9972 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9975 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9976 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9977 command, when you have turned on this mode
9978 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9980 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9981 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9985 @section Tree Display
9988 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9989 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9990 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9991 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9994 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9997 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9998 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9999 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
10001 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
10002 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
10003 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
10004 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
10005 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
10007 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
10008 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
10009 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
10010 default is @code{modeline}.
10012 @item gnus-tree-line-format
10013 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
10014 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
10015 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
10016 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
10017 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
10018 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
10024 The name of the poster.
10026 The @code{From} header.
10028 The number of the article.
10030 The opening bracket.
10032 The closing bracket.
10037 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
10039 Variables related to the display are:
10042 @item gnus-tree-brackets
10043 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
10044 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
10045 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
10047 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
10048 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
10049 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
10051 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
10053 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10054 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10055 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
10056 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
10060 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
10061 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
10062 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
10063 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
10064 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
10065 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
10066 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
10067 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
10068 other windows displayed next to it.
10070 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
10074 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
10075 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
10078 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
10079 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
10080 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10081 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
10082 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
10083 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
10084 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
10088 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
10091 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
10101 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
10106 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
10107 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
10109 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
10111 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
10117 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
10118 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
10119 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
10122 (setq gnus-use-trees t
10123 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10124 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
10125 (gnus-add-configuration
10129 (summary 0.75 point)
10134 @xref{Window Layout}.
10137 @node Mail Group Commands
10138 @section Mail Group Commands
10139 @cindex mail group commands
10141 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
10142 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
10144 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
10145 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10150 @kindex B e (Summary)
10151 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
10152 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
10153 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
10154 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
10155 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
10158 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
10159 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
10160 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
10161 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
10162 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
10163 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
10166 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
10167 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10168 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10169 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10170 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10171 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10174 @kindex B m (Summary)
10176 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10177 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10178 Move the article from one mail group to another
10179 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10180 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10183 @kindex B c (Summary)
10185 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10186 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10187 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10188 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10189 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10192 @kindex B B (Summary)
10193 @cindex crosspost mail
10194 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10195 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10196 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10197 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10198 be properly updated.
10201 @kindex B i (Summary)
10202 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10203 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10204 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10205 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10208 @kindex B I (Summary)
10209 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10210 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10211 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10212 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10215 @kindex B r (Summary)
10216 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10217 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10218 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10219 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10220 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10221 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10222 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10223 (which is the default).
10227 @kindex B w (Summary)
10228 @kindex e (Summary)
10229 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10230 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10231 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10232 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10233 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10234 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10235 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10238 @kindex B q (Summary)
10239 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10240 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10241 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10242 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10245 @kindex B t (Summary)
10246 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10247 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10248 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10251 @kindex B p (Summary)
10252 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10253 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10254 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10255 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10256 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10257 article from your news server (or rather, from
10258 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10259 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10260 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10261 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10262 just not have arrived yet.
10265 @kindex K E (Summary)
10266 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10267 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10268 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10269 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10270 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10274 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10275 @cindex moving articles
10276 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10277 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10278 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10279 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10280 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10281 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10282 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10285 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10286 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10287 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10288 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10292 @node Various Summary Stuff
10293 @section Various Summary Stuff
10296 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10297 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10298 * Summary Generation Commands::
10299 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10303 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10304 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10305 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10306 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10307 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10308 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10310 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10311 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10312 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10315 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10316 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10317 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10319 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10320 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10321 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10322 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10323 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10324 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10327 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10328 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10329 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10330 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10331 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10333 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10334 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10335 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10338 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10339 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10340 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10341 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10342 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10343 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10344 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10345 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10346 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10347 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10349 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10350 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10351 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10352 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10353 list of articles to be selected.
10355 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10356 the list in one particular group:
10359 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10360 (if (string= group "some.group")
10361 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10365 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10366 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10367 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10368 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10369 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10372 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10373 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10374 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10375 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10376 variable will be used instead.
10378 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10379 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10380 buffers. For example:
10383 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10384 '(message-use-followup-to
10385 (gnus-visible-headers .
10386 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10389 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10393 @node Summary Group Information
10394 @subsection Summary Group Information
10399 @kindex H f (Summary)
10400 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10401 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10402 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10403 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10404 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10405 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10406 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10407 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10408 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10411 @kindex H d (Summary)
10412 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10413 Give a brief description of the current group
10414 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10415 rereading the description from the server.
10418 @kindex H h (Summary)
10419 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10420 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10421 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10424 @kindex H i (Summary)
10425 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10426 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10430 @node Searching for Articles
10431 @subsection Searching for Articles
10436 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10437 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10438 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10439 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10442 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10443 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10444 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10445 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10448 @kindex M-S (Summary)
10449 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
10450 Repeat the previous search forwards
10451 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
10454 @kindex M-R (Summary)
10455 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
10456 Repeat the previous search backwards
10457 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
10460 @kindex & (Summary)
10461 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10462 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10463 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10464 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10465 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10466 search backward instead.
10468 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10469 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10472 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10473 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10474 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10475 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10478 @node Summary Generation Commands
10479 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10484 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10485 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10486 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10489 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10490 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10491 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10492 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10495 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10496 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10497 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10498 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10503 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10504 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10510 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10511 @kindex A D (Summary)
10512 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10513 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10514 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10515 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10516 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10517 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10518 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10519 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10523 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10524 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10525 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10526 several documents into one biiig group
10527 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10528 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10529 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10530 command understands the process/prefix convention
10531 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10534 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10535 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10536 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10537 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10538 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10539 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10542 @kindex = (Summary)
10543 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10544 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10545 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10548 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10549 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10550 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10551 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10554 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10555 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10556 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10557 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10562 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10563 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10564 @cindex summary exit
10565 @cindex exiting groups
10567 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10568 group and return you to the group buffer.
10575 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10576 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10577 @kindex q (Summary)
10578 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10579 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10580 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10581 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10582 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10583 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10584 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10585 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10586 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10587 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10588 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10589 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10593 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10594 @kindex Q (Summary)
10595 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10596 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10597 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10601 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10602 @kindex c (Summary)
10603 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10604 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10605 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10606 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10609 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10610 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10611 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10612 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10615 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10616 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10617 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10618 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10621 @kindex Z p (Summary)
10622 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
10623 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
10624 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
10628 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10629 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10630 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10631 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10632 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10633 all articles, both read and unread.
10637 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10638 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10639 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10640 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10641 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10642 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10643 articles, both read and unread.
10646 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10647 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10648 Exit the group and go to the next group
10649 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10652 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10653 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10654 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10655 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10658 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10659 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10660 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10661 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10662 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10663 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10666 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10667 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10668 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10669 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10671 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10672 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10673 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10674 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10675 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10676 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10677 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10678 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10679 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10680 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10681 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10682 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10684 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10686 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10687 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10688 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10689 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10690 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10691 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10692 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10693 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10694 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10697 @node Crosspost Handling
10698 @section Crosspost Handling
10702 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10703 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10704 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10705 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10706 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10707 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10710 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10711 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10712 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10713 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10714 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10716 @cindex cross-posting
10718 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10719 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10720 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10721 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10722 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10723 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10724 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10725 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10726 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10727 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10728 the cross reference mechanism.
10730 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10731 @cindex overview.fmt
10732 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10733 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10734 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10735 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10736 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10737 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10740 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10741 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10742 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10747 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10750 @node Duplicate Suppression
10751 @section Duplicate Suppression
10753 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10754 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10755 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10756 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10761 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10762 is evil and not very common.
10765 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10766 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10769 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10770 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10773 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10776 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10777 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10779 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10780 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10781 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10782 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10783 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10784 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10785 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10788 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10789 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10790 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10791 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10792 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10793 saw the article in.
10796 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10797 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10798 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10800 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10801 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10802 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10803 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10804 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10805 session are suppressed.
10807 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10808 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10809 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10810 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10812 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10813 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10814 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10815 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10818 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10819 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10820 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10821 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10822 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10823 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10824 to you to figure out, I think.
10829 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10830 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10831 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10836 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10837 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10838 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10839 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10842 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10843 or newer is recommended.
10847 The variables that control security functionality on reading messages
10851 @item mm-verify-option
10852 @vindex mm-verify-option
10853 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10854 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10855 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10857 @item mm-decrypt-option
10858 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10859 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10860 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10861 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10864 @vindex mml1991-use
10865 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10866 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10867 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10871 @vindex mml2015-use
10872 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10873 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10874 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10879 By default the buttons that display security information are not
10880 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
10881 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
10882 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
10883 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
10884 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
10885 how to customize these variables to always display security
10888 @cindex snarfing keys
10889 @cindex importing PGP keys
10890 @cindex PGP key ring import
10891 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10892 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10893 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10894 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10895 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10896 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10897 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10898 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10899 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10902 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10905 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10906 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10908 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
10909 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
10910 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10913 @section Mailing List
10914 @cindex mailing list
10917 @kindex A M (summary)
10918 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10919 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10920 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10921 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10924 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10929 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10930 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10931 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10934 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10935 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10936 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10939 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10940 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10941 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10945 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10946 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10947 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10950 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10951 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10952 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10955 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10956 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
10957 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10962 @node Article Buffer
10963 @chapter Article Buffer
10964 @cindex article buffer
10966 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10967 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10968 tell Gnus otherwise.
10971 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10972 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10973 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10974 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10975 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10979 @node Hiding Headers
10980 @section Hiding Headers
10981 @cindex hiding headers
10982 @cindex deleting headers
10984 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10985 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10987 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10988 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10989 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10990 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10991 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10992 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10993 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10994 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10995 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10997 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
11001 @item gnus-visible-headers
11002 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
11003 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
11004 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
11005 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
11007 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
11008 the article and the subject, you'd say:
11011 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
11014 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
11017 @item gnus-ignored-headers
11018 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
11019 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
11020 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
11021 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
11022 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
11024 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
11025 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
11028 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
11031 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
11034 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
11035 variable will have no effect.
11039 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
11040 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
11041 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
11042 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
11043 the headers are to be displayed.
11045 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
11046 and then the subject, you might say something like:
11049 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
11052 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
11053 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
11055 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
11056 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
11057 You can hide further boring headers by setting
11058 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
11059 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
11060 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
11061 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
11064 These conditions are:
11067 Remove all empty headers.
11069 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
11070 @code{Newsgroups} header.
11072 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
11073 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
11076 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
11079 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11080 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
11082 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11083 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11085 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
11086 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11088 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
11091 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
11093 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
11096 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
11099 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
11100 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
11103 This is also the default value for this variable.
11107 @section Using MIME
11108 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11110 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
11111 while people stand around yawning.
11113 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
11114 while all newsreaders die of fear.
11116 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
11117 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
11118 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
11120 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
11121 @findex gnus-display-mime
11122 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
11123 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
11124 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
11125 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
11127 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
11128 @acronym{MIME} button:
11131 @findex gnus-article-press-button
11132 @item RET (Article)
11133 @kindex RET (Article)
11134 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
11135 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
11136 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
11137 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
11138 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
11139 object is displayed inline.
11141 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
11142 @item M-RET (Article)
11143 @kindex M-RET (Article)
11145 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11146 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
11148 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
11150 @kindex t (Article)
11151 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
11152 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
11154 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
11156 @kindex C (Article)
11157 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11158 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
11160 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
11162 @kindex o (Article)
11163 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
11164 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
11166 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
11167 @item C-o (Article)
11168 @kindex C-o (Article)
11169 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
11170 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
11171 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
11172 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
11173 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
11174 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
11176 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
11178 @kindex r (Article)
11179 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
11180 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
11181 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
11183 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
11185 @kindex d (Article)
11186 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
11187 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
11188 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
11190 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
11192 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
11194 @kindex c (Article)
11195 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
11196 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
11197 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
11198 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
11199 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
11200 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
11201 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
11202 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11204 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
11206 @kindex p (Article)
11207 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
11208 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
11209 @file{.mailcap} file.
11211 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
11213 @kindex i (Article)
11214 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
11215 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
11216 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
11217 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
11218 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
11219 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
11220 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
11221 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
11222 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11224 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
11226 @kindex E (Article)
11227 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
11228 viewer is available, use an external viewer
11229 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
11231 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
11233 @kindex e (Article)
11234 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
11235 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
11237 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
11239 @kindex | (Article)
11240 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
11242 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
11244 @kindex . (Article)
11245 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
11246 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
11250 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
11251 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
11252 @acronym{MIME} manual.
11254 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
11255 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
11256 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
11257 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
11258 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
11259 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
11260 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
11261 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
11262 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
11264 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
11266 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
11269 @node Customizing Articles
11270 @section Customizing Articles
11271 @cindex article customization
11273 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
11274 exist. You can call these functions interactively
11275 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
11276 called automatically when you select the articles.
11278 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
11279 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
11280 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
11281 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11283 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11284 for sensible values.
11288 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11291 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11294 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11297 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
11300 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
11303 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11307 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11308 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11309 regexps in the list.
11312 A list where the first element is not a string:
11314 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11315 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11316 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11320 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11325 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11326 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11327 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11328 considered to contain just a single part.
11330 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11331 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11332 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11333 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11334 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11335 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11336 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11338 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11339 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11340 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11341 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11344 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11345 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11347 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11349 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11350 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11351 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11352 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11353 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
11354 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11355 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11356 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11357 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11358 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11360 @xref{Article Washing}.
11362 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11363 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11364 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11365 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11366 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11367 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11368 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11370 @xref{Article Date}.
11372 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11373 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11374 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11378 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11380 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11382 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11383 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11384 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11388 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11392 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11396 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11397 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11398 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11399 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11400 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11401 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11402 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11403 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11404 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11405 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11407 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11409 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11410 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11411 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11413 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11415 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11416 @item gnus-treat-translate
11417 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
11418 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11420 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11421 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11422 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11423 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11425 @xref{Article Header}.
11430 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11431 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11432 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11433 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11434 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11438 @node Article Keymap
11439 @section Article Keymap
11441 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11442 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11443 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11444 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11447 @kindex v (Article)
11448 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
11449 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it key to some
11450 function or better use it as a prefix key.
11452 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11457 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11458 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11459 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11460 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11463 @kindex DEL (Article)
11464 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11465 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11466 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11469 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11470 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11471 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11472 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11473 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11476 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11477 @findex gnus-article-mail
11478 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11479 given a prefix, include the mail.
11482 @kindex s (Article)
11483 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11484 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11485 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11488 @kindex ? (Article)
11489 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11490 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11491 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11494 @kindex TAB (Article)
11495 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11496 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11497 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11500 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11501 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11502 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11505 @kindex R (Article)
11506 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11507 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11508 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11509 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11513 @kindex F (Article)
11514 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11515 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11516 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11517 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11525 @section Misc Article
11529 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11530 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11531 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11532 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11535 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11536 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11537 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11538 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11539 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11541 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11542 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11543 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11544 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11545 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11546 the contents of the article buffer.
11548 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11549 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11550 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11552 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11553 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11554 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11555 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11557 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11558 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11559 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11560 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11562 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11563 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11564 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11565 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
11566 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
11567 with two extensions:
11572 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11573 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11574 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11579 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11582 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11585 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11586 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11587 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11590 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11593 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11596 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11601 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11605 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11607 @item gnus-break-pages
11608 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11609 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11610 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11611 paging will not be done.
11613 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11614 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11615 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11619 @cindex internationalized domain names
11620 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11621 @item gnus-use-idna
11622 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11623 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11624 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
11625 for how to compose such messages. This requires
11626 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11627 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11632 @node Composing Messages
11633 @chapter Composing Messages
11634 @cindex composing messages
11637 @cindex sending mail
11642 @cindex using s/mime
11643 @cindex using smime
11645 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11646 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11647 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11648 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11649 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11650 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11653 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11654 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11655 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
11656 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11657 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11658 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11659 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11660 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11661 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11664 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11665 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11671 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11674 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11675 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11676 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11677 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11678 @code{nil} include all headers.
11680 @item gnus-add-to-list
11681 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11682 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11683 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11685 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11686 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11687 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
11688 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
11689 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
11690 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
11691 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
11692 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
11694 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11695 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
11697 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11698 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11699 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11700 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11701 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11706 @node Posting Server
11707 @section Posting Server
11709 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11710 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11712 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11714 It can be quite complicated.
11716 @vindex gnus-post-method
11717 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11718 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11719 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11720 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11721 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11722 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11723 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11724 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11725 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11728 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11731 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11732 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11733 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11734 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11736 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11737 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11739 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11740 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11743 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11744 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11746 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11747 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11748 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11749 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11750 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11751 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11752 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11753 package correctly. An example:
11756 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11757 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11760 To the thing similar to this, there is
11761 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your @acronym{ISP}
11762 requires the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication.
11763 @xref{POP before SMTP}.
11765 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11766 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11767 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11769 @node POP before SMTP
11770 @section POP before SMTP
11771 @cindex pop before smtp
11772 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
11773 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
11775 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
11776 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
11777 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
11778 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
11779 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11782 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
11783 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
11787 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
11788 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
11789 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
11790 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
11791 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
11792 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
11793 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
11794 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
11796 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
11797 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
11798 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
11799 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
11800 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
11801 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
11804 (setq mail-source-primary-source
11805 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11806 :password "secret"))
11810 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
11811 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
11814 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
11816 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
11817 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11818 :password "secret")))
11819 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
11822 @node Mail and Post
11823 @section Mail and Post
11825 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11829 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11830 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11831 @cindex mailing lists
11833 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11834 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11835 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11836 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11837 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11838 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11839 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11840 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11841 still a pain, though.
11843 @item gnus-user-agent
11844 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11847 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11848 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11849 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11850 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11851 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11852 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11853 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11857 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11858 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11859 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11862 @findex ispell-message
11864 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11867 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11868 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11871 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11875 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11876 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11878 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11881 Modify to suit your needs.
11884 @node Archived Messages
11885 @section Archived Messages
11886 @cindex archived messages
11887 @cindex sent messages
11889 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11890 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11891 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11892 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11895 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11896 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11899 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11900 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11901 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11904 (nnfolder "archive"
11905 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11906 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11907 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11908 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11911 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11912 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11913 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11914 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11917 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11918 '(nnfolder "archive"
11919 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11920 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11921 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11924 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11926 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11927 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11928 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11930 This variable can be used to do the following:
11934 Messages will be saved in that group.
11936 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11937 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11938 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11939 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11940 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11941 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11942 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11943 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11946 @item a list of strings
11947 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11949 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11950 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11953 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11958 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11960 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11963 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11965 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11968 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11970 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11971 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11972 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11973 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11976 More complex stuff:
11978 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11979 '((if (message-news-p)
11984 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11985 messages in one file per month:
11988 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11989 '((if (message-news-p)
11991 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11994 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11995 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11997 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11998 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11999 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
12000 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
12001 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
12002 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
12003 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
12004 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
12005 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
12006 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
12008 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
12009 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
12010 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
12011 this will disable archiving.
12014 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
12015 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
12016 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
12017 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
12018 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
12021 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
12022 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
12023 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
12026 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
12027 but the latter is the preferred method.
12029 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
12030 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
12031 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
12033 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
12034 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
12035 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
12036 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
12037 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
12038 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
12039 changed in the future.
12044 @node Posting Styles
12045 @section Posting Styles
12046 @cindex posting styles
12049 All them variables, they make my head swim.
12051 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
12052 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
12053 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
12056 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
12057 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
12058 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
12059 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
12060 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
12065 (signature "Peace and happiness")
12066 (organization "What me?"))
12068 (signature "Death to everybody"))
12069 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
12070 (organization "Emacs is it")))
12073 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
12074 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
12075 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
12076 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
12077 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
12078 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
12079 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
12080 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
12082 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
12083 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
12084 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
12085 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
12086 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
12087 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
12088 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
12089 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
12090 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
12091 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
12092 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
12093 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
12094 said to @dfn{match}.
12096 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
12097 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
12098 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
12099 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
12100 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
12101 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
12102 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
12103 name can be one of:
12106 @item @code{signature}
12107 @item @code{signature-file}
12108 @item @code{x-face-file}
12109 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
12110 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
12114 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
12115 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
12116 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
12117 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
12118 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
12120 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
12121 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
12122 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
12123 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
12124 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
12125 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
12126 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
12127 references chars lines xref extra.
12129 @vindex message-reply-headers
12131 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
12132 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
12133 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
12135 @findex message-mail-p
12136 @findex message-news-p
12138 So here's a new example:
12141 (setq gnus-posting-styles
12143 (signature-file "~/.signature")
12145 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
12146 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
12147 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
12149 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
12150 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
12151 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
12152 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
12153 (signature my-news-signature))
12154 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
12155 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
12156 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
12157 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
12158 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
12159 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
12160 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
12161 (address "user@@bar.foo")
12162 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
12163 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
12165 (From (save-excursion
12166 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
12167 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
12169 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
12172 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
12173 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
12174 if you fill many roles.
12181 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
12182 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
12183 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
12184 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
12185 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
12187 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
12188 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
12189 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
12190 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
12191 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
12195 @vindex nndraft-directory
12196 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
12197 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
12198 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
12199 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
12200 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
12201 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
12203 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
12204 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
12205 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
12206 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
12207 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
12208 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
12209 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
12210 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
12211 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
12213 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
12214 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
12215 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
12216 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
12217 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
12218 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
12219 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
12220 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
12221 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
12222 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
12223 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
12224 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
12225 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
12226 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
12228 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
12229 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
12230 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
12232 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
12233 @kindex D e (Draft)
12234 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
12235 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
12236 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
12238 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
12241 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
12242 @kindex D s (Draft)
12243 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
12244 @kindex D S (Draft)
12245 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
12246 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
12247 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
12248 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
12249 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
12252 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
12253 @kindex D t (Draft)
12254 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
12255 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
12256 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
12259 @node Rejected Articles
12260 @section Rejected Articles
12261 @cindex rejected articles
12263 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
12264 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
12265 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
12266 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
12268 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
12269 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
12270 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
12271 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
12272 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
12274 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
12275 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
12276 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
12278 @node Signing and encrypting
12279 @section Signing and encrypting
12281 @cindex using s/mime
12282 @cindex using smime
12284 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
12285 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
12286 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
12287 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
12289 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
12290 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
12291 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
12292 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
12293 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
12294 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
12295 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
12296 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
12297 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
12298 automatically encrypted messages.
12300 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
12301 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
12302 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
12307 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
12308 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
12310 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12313 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
12314 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12316 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12319 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
12320 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12322 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12325 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
12326 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
12328 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12331 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
12332 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
12334 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12337 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
12338 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
12340 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12343 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
12344 @findex mml-unsecure-message
12345 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
12349 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
12351 @node Select Methods
12352 @chapter Select Methods
12353 @cindex foreign groups
12354 @cindex select methods
12356 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
12357 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
12358 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
12359 personal mail group.
12361 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
12362 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
12363 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
12364 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
12365 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
12366 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
12368 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
12369 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
12371 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
12374 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
12375 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12376 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12377 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12378 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12380 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12383 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12384 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12385 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12386 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12387 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12388 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12389 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12390 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
12391 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12395 @node Server Buffer
12396 @section Server Buffer
12398 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12399 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12400 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12401 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12402 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12403 back end represents a virtual server.
12405 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12406 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12407 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12408 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12410 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12411 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12412 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12413 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12414 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12415 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12416 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12418 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12419 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12422 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12423 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12424 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12425 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12426 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12427 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12428 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12431 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12432 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12435 @node Server Buffer Format
12436 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12437 @cindex server buffer format
12439 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12440 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12441 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12442 variable, with some simple extensions:
12447 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12450 The name of this server.
12453 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12456 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12459 Whether this server is agentized.
12462 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12463 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12464 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12465 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12475 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12478 @node Server Commands
12479 @subsection Server Commands
12480 @cindex server commands
12486 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
12487 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it key to some
12488 function or better use it as a prefix key.
12492 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12493 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12497 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12498 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12501 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12502 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12503 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12507 @findex gnus-server-exit
12508 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12512 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12513 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12517 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12518 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12522 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12523 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12527 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12528 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12532 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12533 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12534 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12539 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12540 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12541 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12542 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12547 @node Example Methods
12548 @subsection Example Methods
12550 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12553 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12556 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12562 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12563 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12566 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12567 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12569 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12570 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12574 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12577 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12578 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12580 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12581 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12582 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12586 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12589 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12592 Here's the method for a public spool:
12596 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12597 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12603 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12604 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12605 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12606 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12607 should probably look something like this:
12611 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12612 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12613 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12614 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12617 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12618 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12619 configuration to the example above:
12622 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12625 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
12626 an indirect connection:
12628 (setq gnus-select-method
12630 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
12631 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
12632 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
12633 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12634 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
12635 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
12636 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)))
12639 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12640 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12641 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12645 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12646 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12647 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12648 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12651 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12652 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12653 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12654 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12657 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12658 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12660 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12661 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12663 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12664 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12665 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12667 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12669 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12670 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12671 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12672 will contain the following:
12682 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12683 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12686 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12687 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12688 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12691 @node Server Variables
12692 @subsection Server Variables
12693 @cindex server variables
12694 @cindex server parameters
12696 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12697 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12698 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12699 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12700 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12702 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12703 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12704 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12705 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12706 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12707 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12708 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12709 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12710 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12714 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12715 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12716 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12719 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12721 @node Servers and Methods
12722 @subsection Servers and Methods
12724 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12725 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12726 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12727 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12731 @node Unavailable Servers
12732 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12734 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12735 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12736 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12737 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12738 actually the case or not.
12740 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12741 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12742 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12743 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12744 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12745 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12746 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12747 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12749 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12750 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12752 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12753 with the following commands:
12759 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12760 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12761 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12765 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12766 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12767 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12771 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12772 Mark the current server as unreachable
12773 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12776 @kindex M-o (Server)
12777 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12778 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12779 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12782 @kindex M-c (Server)
12783 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12784 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12785 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12789 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12790 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12791 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12795 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12796 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12802 @section Getting News
12803 @cindex reading news
12804 @cindex news back ends
12806 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12807 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12808 or it can read from a local spool.
12811 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12812 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12820 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12821 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12822 server as the, uhm, address.
12824 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12825 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12826 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12827 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12829 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12830 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12831 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12833 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12838 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12839 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12840 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12842 @cindex authentification
12843 @cindex nntp authentification
12844 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12845 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12846 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12847 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12848 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12849 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12850 present in this hook.
12852 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12853 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12854 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12855 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12856 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12857 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12858 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12859 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12860 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12861 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12862 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12863 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12867 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12870 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12872 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12873 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12874 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12875 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12876 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12877 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12878 @samp{force} is explained below.
12882 Here's an example file:
12885 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12886 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12889 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12890 have to be first, for instance.
12892 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12893 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12894 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12895 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12896 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12897 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12898 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12900 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12901 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12907 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12908 previously mentioned.
12910 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12912 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12913 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12914 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12915 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12916 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12919 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12920 '(("innd" (ding))))
12923 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12925 The default value is
12928 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12929 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12930 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12933 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12934 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12936 @item nntp-maximum-request
12937 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12938 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12939 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12940 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12941 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12942 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12943 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12945 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12946 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12947 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12948 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12949 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12950 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12951 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12952 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12953 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12954 no timeouts are done.
12956 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12957 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12958 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12959 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12962 @item nntp-xover-commands
12963 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12964 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12966 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12967 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12971 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12972 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12973 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12974 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12975 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12976 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12977 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12978 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12979 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12980 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12981 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12983 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12984 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12985 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12987 @item nntp-record-commands
12988 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12989 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12990 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12991 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12992 that doesn't seem to work.
12994 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12995 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12996 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12997 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12998 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12999 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
13000 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
13001 indirect ones (three pre-made).
13003 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
13004 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
13005 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
13006 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
13007 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
13008 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
13009 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
13012 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
13015 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
13016 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
13021 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
13022 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
13023 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
13024 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
13028 @node Direct Functions
13029 @subsubsection Direct Functions
13030 @cindex direct connection functions
13032 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
13033 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
13034 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
13035 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13038 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
13039 @item nntp-open-network-stream
13040 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
13043 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
13044 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
13045 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13046 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
13047 installed. You then define a server as follows:
13050 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13051 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
13053 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13054 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
13055 (nntp-port-number )
13056 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13059 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
13060 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
13061 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13062 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
13063 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
13064 then define a server as follows:
13067 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13068 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
13070 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13071 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
13072 (nntp-port-number 563)
13073 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13076 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
13077 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
13078 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
13079 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
13080 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
13081 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
13082 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
13083 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
13087 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13088 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
13089 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13092 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
13093 session, which is not a good idea.
13097 @node Indirect Functions
13098 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
13099 @cindex indirect connection functions
13101 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
13102 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13103 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
13104 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
13105 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
13106 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13109 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13110 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13111 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
13112 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
13113 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
13115 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13118 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13119 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13120 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13121 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13123 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13124 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13125 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13126 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
13127 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
13128 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
13129 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
13130 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
13134 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13135 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13137 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13138 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13139 Does essentially the same, but uses
13140 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} instead of @samp{telnet}
13141 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
13143 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
13146 @item nntp-via-netcat-command
13147 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-command
13148 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
13149 intermediate host. The default is @samp{nc}. You can also use other
13150 programs like @uref{http://www.imasy.or.jp/~gotoh/ssh/connect.html,
13153 @item nntp-via-netcat-switches
13154 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-switches
13155 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13156 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{nil}.
13158 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13159 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13160 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13161 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13163 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13164 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13165 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13166 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}.
13169 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13170 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13171 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
13172 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
13174 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13177 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
13178 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
13179 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
13182 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
13183 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
13184 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13185 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
13187 @item nntp-via-user-password
13188 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
13189 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
13191 @item nntp-via-envuser
13192 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
13193 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
13194 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
13195 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
13197 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
13198 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
13199 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
13200 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
13204 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13205 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13209 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
13214 @item nntp-via-user-name
13215 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
13216 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
13218 @item nntp-via-address
13219 @vindex nntp-via-address
13220 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
13225 @node Common Variables
13226 @subsubsection Common Variables
13228 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
13229 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
13230 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
13231 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
13232 variables individually).
13236 @item nntp-pre-command
13237 @vindex nntp-pre-command
13238 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
13239 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
13240 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
13241 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
13244 @vindex nntp-address
13245 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13247 @item nntp-port-number
13248 @vindex nntp-port-number
13249 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13250 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
13251 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
13252 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
13253 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
13254 not work with named ports.
13256 @item nntp-end-of-line
13257 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
13258 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
13259 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
13260 using a non native telnet connection function.
13262 @item nntp-telnet-command
13263 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13264 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
13265 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
13266 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13269 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13270 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13271 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
13277 @subsubsection NNTP marks
13278 @cindex storing NNTP marks
13280 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
13281 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
13282 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
13283 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
13284 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
13285 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
13286 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
13287 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
13289 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
13290 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
13291 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
13292 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
13293 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13295 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
13296 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
13297 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
13298 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
13299 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
13300 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
13301 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
13303 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
13304 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
13305 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13311 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
13312 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
13313 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
13314 default is @code{nil}.
13316 @item nntp-marks-directory
13317 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
13318 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
13324 @subsection News Spool
13328 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
13329 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
13330 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
13333 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
13334 anything else) as the address.
13336 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
13337 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
13338 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
13339 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
13343 @item nnspool-inews-program
13344 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
13345 Program used to post an article.
13347 @item nnspool-inews-switches
13348 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
13349 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
13351 @item nnspool-spool-directory
13352 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
13353 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
13354 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
13356 @item nnspool-nov-directory
13357 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
13358 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
13359 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
13361 @item nnspool-lib-dir
13362 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
13363 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
13365 @item nnspool-active-file
13366 @vindex nnspool-active-file
13367 The name of the active file.
13369 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
13370 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
13371 The name of the group descriptions file.
13373 @item nnspool-history-file
13374 @vindex nnspool-history-file
13375 The name of the news history file.
13377 @item nnspool-active-times-file
13378 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
13379 The name of the active date file.
13381 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
13382 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
13383 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
13386 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13387 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13389 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
13390 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
13391 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
13398 @section Getting Mail
13399 @cindex reading mail
13402 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
13406 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
13407 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
13408 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
13409 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
13410 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
13411 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13412 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13413 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13414 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13415 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13416 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13417 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13418 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13422 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13423 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13425 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13426 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13427 of a culture shock.
13429 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13430 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13432 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13433 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13434 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13435 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13437 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13439 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13440 deleted? How awful!
13442 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13443 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13444 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13445 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13448 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13449 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13450 they want to treat a message.
13452 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13453 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13454 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13455 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13456 archived somewhere else.
13458 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13459 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13460 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13461 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13462 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13464 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13465 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13466 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13468 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13469 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13472 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13473 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13474 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13475 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13476 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13478 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13479 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13480 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13481 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13482 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13483 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13487 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13488 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13490 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13491 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13492 and things will happen automatically.
13494 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13495 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13498 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13501 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13502 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13503 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13504 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13505 like any other group.
13507 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13510 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13511 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13512 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13516 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13517 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13518 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13521 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13522 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13523 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13526 @node Splitting Mail
13527 @subsection Splitting Mail
13528 @cindex splitting mail
13529 @cindex mail splitting
13530 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13532 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13533 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13534 to be split into groups.
13537 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13538 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13539 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13540 ("mail.other" "")))
13543 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13544 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13545 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13546 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13547 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13548 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13549 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13552 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13556 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
13557 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
13559 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13560 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13561 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13562 mail belongs in that group.
13564 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
13565 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13566 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
13567 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13568 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
13569 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
13570 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
13571 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
13572 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
13573 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
13575 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13576 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13577 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13578 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13579 thinks should carry this mail message.
13581 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13582 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13583 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13584 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13586 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13587 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13588 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13589 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13590 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
13592 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13595 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13596 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13597 links. If that's the case for you, set
13598 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13599 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13601 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13602 @findex nnmail-split-history
13603 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13604 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13605 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13606 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13609 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13610 Header lines longer than the value of
13611 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13614 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13615 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13616 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13617 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13618 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13619 charset for decoding. The behavior can be turned off completely by
13620 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13621 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13623 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13624 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13625 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13626 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13627 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13628 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13629 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13630 other kinds of entries.)
13632 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13633 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13634 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13635 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13636 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13637 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13638 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13639 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13640 month's rent money.
13644 @subsection Mail Sources
13646 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13647 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13648 maildir, for instance.
13651 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13652 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13653 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13657 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13658 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13660 @cindex mail server
13663 @cindex mail source
13665 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13666 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13671 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13674 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13675 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13676 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13679 The following mail source types are available:
13683 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13689 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13690 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13691 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13695 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13698 An example file mail source:
13701 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13704 Or using the default file name:
13710 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13711 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13712 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13713 mail spool while moving the mail.
13715 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13719 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13722 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13726 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13729 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13731 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13734 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13738 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13739 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13740 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13741 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13742 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13743 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13744 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13745 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13746 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13747 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13749 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13750 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13751 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13752 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13758 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13762 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13766 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13767 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13768 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13769 predicate are considered.
13773 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13777 An example directory mail source:
13780 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13785 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13791 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13792 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13795 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13796 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13797 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13798 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13799 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13802 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13806 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13807 the user is prompted.
13810 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13811 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13814 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13817 The valid format specifier characters are:
13821 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13822 included in this string.
13825 The name of the server.
13828 The port number of the server.
13831 The user name to use.
13834 The password to use.
13837 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13838 corresponding keywords.
13841 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13842 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13845 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13846 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13849 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13850 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13851 mail should be moved to.
13853 @item :authentication
13854 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13855 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13860 @vindex pop3-movemail
13861 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
13862 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13863 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If the
13864 @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server} is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be
13865 left on the @acronym{POP} server after fetching when using
13866 @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers maintain no state
13867 information between sessions, so what the client believes is there and
13868 what is actually there may not match up. If they do not, then the whole
13869 thing can fall apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
13871 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13872 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13878 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13881 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13882 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13885 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13888 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13892 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13893 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13894 contains exactly one mail.
13900 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13901 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13904 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13905 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13907 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13908 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13909 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13912 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13913 from locking problems).
13917 Two example maildir mail sources:
13920 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13921 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13925 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13930 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13931 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13932 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13933 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13934 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13936 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13937 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13943 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13944 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13947 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13948 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13951 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13955 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13959 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13960 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13961 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13962 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13964 @item :authentication
13965 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13966 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13967 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13968 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13971 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13972 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13973 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13979 The valid format specifier characters are:
13983 The name of the server.
13986 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13989 The port number of the server.
13992 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13993 corresponding keywords.
13996 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13997 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
14000 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
14001 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
14002 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
14003 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
14004 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
14005 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
14008 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
14009 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
14010 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
14011 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
14014 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
14015 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
14019 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
14022 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
14024 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
14028 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
14029 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
14030 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
14032 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
14033 required for url "4.0pre.46".
14035 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
14041 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
14042 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
14045 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
14049 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
14053 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
14054 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
14058 An example webmail source:
14061 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
14063 :password "secret")
14068 @item Common Keywords
14069 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
14075 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
14076 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
14081 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
14086 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
14087 useful when you use local mail and news.
14092 @subsubsection Function Interface
14094 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
14095 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
14096 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
14097 consider the following mail-source setting:
14100 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
14101 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
14104 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
14105 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
14106 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
14107 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
14108 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
14110 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
14113 @node Mail Source Customization
14114 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
14116 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
14117 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
14121 @item mail-source-crash-box
14122 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
14123 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
14124 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
14126 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
14127 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
14128 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
14129 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
14130 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
14131 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
14132 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
14133 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
14135 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14136 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14137 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
14138 files. This variable only applies when
14139 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
14141 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
14142 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
14143 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
14145 @item mail-source-directory
14146 @vindex mail-source-directory
14147 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
14148 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
14149 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
14150 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
14152 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14153 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14154 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
14155 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
14156 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
14157 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
14160 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
14161 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
14162 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
14164 @item mail-source-movemail-program
14165 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
14166 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
14167 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
14172 @node Fetching Mail
14173 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
14175 @vindex mail-sources
14176 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
14177 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
14178 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
14179 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
14181 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
14182 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
14185 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
14186 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
14191 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14192 :password "secret")))
14195 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
14199 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
14200 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14203 :password "secret")))
14207 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
14208 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
14209 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
14210 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
14211 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
14212 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
14216 @node Mail Back End Variables
14217 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
14219 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
14223 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14224 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14225 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
14226 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
14228 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
14229 @item nnmail-split-hook
14230 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
14231 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
14232 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
14233 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
14234 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
14235 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
14236 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
14237 in the buffer will show up in any files.
14238 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
14241 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14242 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14243 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14244 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14245 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
14246 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
14247 starting to handle the new mail) and
14248 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
14249 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
14250 default file modes the new mail files get:
14253 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14254 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
14256 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14257 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
14260 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
14261 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
14262 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
14263 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
14264 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
14265 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
14266 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
14268 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
14269 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
14270 @findex delete-file
14271 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
14273 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14274 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14275 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
14276 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
14277 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
14279 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14280 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14281 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
14282 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
14283 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
14285 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
14286 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
14287 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
14292 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
14293 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
14294 @cindex mail splitting
14295 @cindex fancy mail splitting
14297 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
14298 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
14299 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
14300 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
14301 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
14302 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
14304 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
14307 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
14308 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
14309 ;; @r{from real errors.}
14310 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
14312 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
14313 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
14314 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
14315 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
14316 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
14317 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
14318 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
14319 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
14320 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
14321 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
14322 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
14323 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
14324 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
14325 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
14326 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
14327 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
14328 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
14332 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
14333 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
14334 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
14339 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
14340 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
14342 @c Don't fold this line.
14343 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
14344 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
14345 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
14346 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
14349 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
14350 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
14351 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
14352 @var{split} is processed.
14354 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
14355 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
14356 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
14357 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
14359 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
14360 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
14361 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
14362 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
14363 stored in one or more groups.
14365 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
14366 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
14367 process all @var{split}s in the list.
14370 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
14371 this message. Use with extreme caution.
14373 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
14374 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
14375 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
14376 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
14379 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
14380 body of the messages:
14383 (defun split-on-body ()
14387 (goto-char (point-min))
14388 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
14392 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
14393 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
14394 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
14395 above. Also note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will
14396 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
14397 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
14398 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
14400 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
14401 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
14402 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
14403 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
14404 should return a split.
14407 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
14411 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
14413 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
14414 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
14415 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
14416 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
14420 (any "joe" "joemail")
14424 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
14425 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
14426 of the following three ways:
14430 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14431 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
14432 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
14433 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
14434 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
14437 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
14440 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
14441 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
14442 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
14443 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
14444 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
14447 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
14448 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
14449 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
14450 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
14451 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
14452 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
14453 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
14456 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
14457 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
14458 they are expanded as specified by the variable
14459 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
14460 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
14461 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
14462 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
14466 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
14468 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
14469 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
14471 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
14474 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
14475 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14476 when all this splitting is performed.
14478 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14479 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14480 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14483 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14486 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14487 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14489 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14490 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14491 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14492 groupings 1 through 9.
14494 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
14495 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
14496 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
14497 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
14498 groups when users send to an address using different case
14499 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
14502 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14503 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14504 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14505 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14506 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14507 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14508 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14509 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14510 it once per thread.
14512 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14513 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14514 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14515 using the colon feature, like so:
14517 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14518 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14520 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14521 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14525 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14526 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14527 in the file specified by the variable
14528 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14529 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14530 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14531 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14532 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14533 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14534 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14535 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14536 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14537 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14538 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14539 300 kBytes in size.)
14540 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14541 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14542 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14543 messages goes into the new group.
14545 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14546 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14547 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14548 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14549 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14550 ``outgoing'' group.
14553 @node Group Mail Splitting
14554 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14555 @cindex mail splitting
14556 @cindex group mail splitting
14558 @findex gnus-group-split
14559 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14560 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14561 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
14562 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14563 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14564 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14565 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
14566 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14568 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14569 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
14570 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14571 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
14573 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14574 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14575 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14576 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
14577 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14578 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14579 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14581 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14582 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14583 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14584 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14585 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
14586 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14587 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14589 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14590 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14591 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14592 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14593 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14594 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14595 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14596 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14597 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14598 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14599 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14600 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14601 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14603 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14608 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14609 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14611 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14612 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14613 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14614 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14616 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14619 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14620 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14621 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14624 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14625 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14626 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14630 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14631 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14632 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14636 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14639 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14640 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14641 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14642 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14643 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14644 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
14645 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14646 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14647 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14649 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14650 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14651 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14652 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14653 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14654 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14655 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14656 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14657 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14659 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14660 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14661 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14662 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14663 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14664 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14667 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14670 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14671 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14672 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14673 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14674 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14677 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14678 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14679 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14680 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14682 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14683 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14684 @cindex incorporating old mail
14685 @cindex import old mail
14687 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14688 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14689 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14692 Doing so can be quite easy.
14694 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14695 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14696 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14697 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14698 your @code{nnml} groups.
14704 Go to the group buffer.
14707 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14708 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14711 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14714 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14715 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14718 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14719 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14722 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14723 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14724 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14725 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14726 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14728 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14729 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14730 using the new mail back end.
14733 @node Expiring Mail
14734 @subsection Expiring Mail
14735 @cindex article expiry
14737 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14738 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14739 different approach to mail reading.
14741 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14742 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14743 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14744 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14745 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14746 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14749 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14750 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14751 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14752 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14753 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14754 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14755 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14756 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14757 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14759 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14760 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14761 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14762 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14763 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14764 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14765 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14768 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14769 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14770 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14771 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14772 into its own group.)
14774 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14775 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14776 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14777 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14778 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14779 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14780 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14781 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14784 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14785 Groups that match the regular expression
14786 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14787 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14788 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14790 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14791 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14792 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14793 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14794 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14796 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14798 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14799 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14800 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14803 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14804 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14805 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14806 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14807 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14809 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14810 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14813 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14814 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14817 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14818 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14820 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14821 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14822 don't really mix very well.
14824 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14825 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14826 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14827 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14830 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14831 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14832 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14833 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14836 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14838 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14840 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14842 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14844 ((string= group "important")
14850 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14851 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14853 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14854 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14855 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14858 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14859 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14861 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14862 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14863 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14864 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14865 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14866 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14867 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14868 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14869 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14870 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14871 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14872 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14873 name or @code{delete}.
14875 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14877 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14880 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14881 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14882 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14883 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14884 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14887 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14888 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14889 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14890 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14891 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14894 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14895 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14896 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14897 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14898 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14899 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14901 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14902 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14903 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14904 easier for procmail users.
14906 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14907 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14908 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14909 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14910 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14911 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14912 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14913 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14914 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14915 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14916 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14917 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14918 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14921 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14923 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14924 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14925 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14926 auto-expire turned on.
14930 @subsection Washing Mail
14931 @cindex mail washing
14932 @cindex list server brain damage
14933 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14935 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14936 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14937 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14938 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14939 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14940 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14942 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14943 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14944 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14947 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14948 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14949 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14950 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14953 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14954 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14955 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14956 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14957 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14960 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14961 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14962 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14963 Emacs running on MS machines.
14967 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14968 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14969 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14970 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14973 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14974 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14975 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14976 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14978 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14979 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14980 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14981 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14982 into a feature by documenting it.)
14984 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14985 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14986 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14987 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14988 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14989 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14990 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14993 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14994 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14997 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14998 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
15001 This can also be done non-destructively with
15002 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
15004 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
15005 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
15006 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
15008 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
15009 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
15011 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
15012 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
15013 @code{References} headers.
15017 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
15018 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
15019 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
15023 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
15024 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
15025 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
15032 @subsection Duplicates
15034 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
15035 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
15036 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
15037 @cindex duplicate mails
15038 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
15039 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
15040 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
15041 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
15042 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
15043 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
15044 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
15045 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
15046 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
15047 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
15048 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
15049 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
15050 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
15052 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
15053 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
15054 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
15055 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
15057 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
15060 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
15061 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
15065 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
15066 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
15067 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
15068 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
15069 (any mail "mail.misc")
15070 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15076 (setq nnmail-split-methods
15077 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
15078 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15082 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
15083 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
15084 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
15085 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
15086 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
15089 @node Not Reading Mail
15090 @subsection Not Reading Mail
15092 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
15093 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
15094 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
15096 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
15097 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
15098 mail, which should help.
15100 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15101 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15102 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15103 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15104 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15105 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
15106 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
15107 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
15108 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
15109 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
15110 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
15112 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
15113 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
15117 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
15118 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
15120 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
15121 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
15122 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
15124 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
15125 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
15126 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
15130 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
15131 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
15132 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
15133 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
15134 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
15135 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
15136 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
15140 @node Unix Mail Box
15141 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
15143 @cindex unix mail box
15145 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15146 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15147 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
15148 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
15149 which group it belongs in.
15151 Virtual server settings:
15154 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
15155 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15156 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
15159 @item nnmbox-active-file
15160 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15161 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
15162 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
15164 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
15165 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15166 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
15167 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
15172 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
15176 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15177 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15178 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
15179 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
15180 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
15182 Virtual server settings:
15185 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
15186 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15187 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
15189 @item nnbabyl-active-file
15190 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15191 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
15192 @file{~/.rmail-active}
15194 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15195 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15196 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
15202 @subsubsection Mail Spool
15204 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
15206 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
15207 format. It should be used with some caution.
15209 @vindex nnml-directory
15210 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
15211 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
15212 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
15213 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
15215 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
15218 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
15219 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
15220 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
15221 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
15222 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
15223 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
15224 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
15225 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
15227 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
15228 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
15229 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
15230 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
15232 @cindex self contained nnml servers
15234 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
15235 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15236 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15237 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
15238 for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
15239 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
15240 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
15241 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
15244 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
15245 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
15246 them next time it starts.
15248 Virtual server settings:
15251 @item nnml-directory
15252 @vindex nnml-directory
15253 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
15254 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
15257 @item nnml-active-file
15258 @vindex nnml-active-file
15259 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
15260 @file{~/Mail/active}.
15262 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
15263 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
15264 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15265 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
15267 @item nnml-get-new-mail
15268 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15269 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
15272 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
15273 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
15274 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15275 default is @code{nil}.
15277 @item nnml-nov-file-name
15278 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
15279 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
15281 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15282 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15283 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
15285 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
15286 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
15287 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15288 default is @code{nil}.
15290 @item nnml-marks-file-name
15291 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
15292 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
15294 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
15295 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
15296 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
15297 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
15298 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
15299 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
15300 as the file extension specifying the comression program. You can set it
15301 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
15302 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
15304 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15305 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15306 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
15307 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
15308 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
15312 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
15313 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
15314 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
15315 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
15316 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
15317 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
15318 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
15323 @subsubsection MH Spool
15325 @cindex mh-e mail spool
15327 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
15328 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
15329 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
15330 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
15333 Virtual server settings:
15336 @item nnmh-directory
15337 @vindex nnmh-directory
15338 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
15339 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15342 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
15343 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15344 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
15348 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
15349 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
15350 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
15351 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
15352 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
15353 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
15354 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
15359 @subsubsection Maildir
15363 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
15364 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
15365 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
15366 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
15367 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
15370 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
15371 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
15372 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
15373 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
15374 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
15375 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
15376 that appear as group in Gnus.
15378 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
15379 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
15380 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
15382 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
15383 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
15384 another, and you will keep your marks.
15386 Virtual server settings:
15390 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
15391 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
15392 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
15393 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
15394 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
15395 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
15396 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
15397 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
15398 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
15399 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
15401 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
15402 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
15403 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
15404 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
15405 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
15406 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
15407 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
15408 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
15409 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
15410 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
15413 @item target-prefix
15414 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
15415 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
15416 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
15419 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
15420 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
15421 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
15422 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
15423 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
15424 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
15425 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
15426 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
15427 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
15429 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
15430 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
15431 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
15432 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
15433 symlinks pointing to them will be).
15435 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
15436 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
15437 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
15438 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
15439 @code{force} argument.
15441 @item directory-files
15442 This should be a function with the same interface as
15443 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
15444 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
15445 parameter is optional; the default is
15446 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
15447 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
15448 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
15449 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
15450 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
15451 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
15454 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
15455 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
15456 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
15457 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
15458 value is @code{nil}.
15460 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
15461 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
15462 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
15463 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
15464 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
15467 @subsubsection Group parameters
15469 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
15470 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
15471 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
15472 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
15473 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
15474 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
15477 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
15478 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15479 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15480 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15481 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15482 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15483 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15484 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15485 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15489 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
15490 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15491 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15492 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
15493 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
15494 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
15495 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
15496 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15497 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
15498 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15499 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15500 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15501 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15504 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15506 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15508 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15509 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15510 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
15511 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
15512 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15513 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15514 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15515 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15516 article. So that form can refer to
15517 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
15518 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
15519 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
15520 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
15523 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
15524 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
15525 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
15526 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
15527 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
15528 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
15529 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
15530 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
15531 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
15532 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
15533 contain extra copies of the articles.
15535 @item directory-files
15536 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15537 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15538 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15539 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15541 @item distrust-Lines:
15542 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
15543 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15544 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15547 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
15548 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15549 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
15550 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
15551 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
15552 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15555 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15556 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15557 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
15558 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15559 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15560 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15561 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15563 @item nov-cache-size
15564 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
15565 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
15566 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
15567 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
15568 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
15569 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
15570 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
15571 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
15572 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
15573 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
15574 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15577 @subsubsection Article identification
15578 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15579 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15580 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
15581 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15582 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15583 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15584 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15585 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15586 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15587 request the article in the summary buffer.
15589 @subsubsection NOV data
15590 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
15591 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15592 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15593 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15594 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
15595 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
15596 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
15597 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
15598 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
15599 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
15600 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15602 @subsubsection Article marks
15603 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15604 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15605 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15606 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
15607 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15608 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
15609 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
15610 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15612 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15613 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15614 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15615 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15616 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
15617 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
15618 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
15619 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
15620 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
15624 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15626 @cindex mbox folders
15627 @cindex mail folders
15629 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
15630 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
15631 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
15632 numbers and arrival dates.
15634 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15636 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15637 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15638 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15639 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15640 Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15641 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15642 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
15643 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
15644 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
15645 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
15647 Virtual server settings:
15650 @item nnfolder-directory
15651 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15652 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
15653 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
15654 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
15656 @item nnfolder-active-file
15657 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15658 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15660 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15661 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15662 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15663 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15665 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15666 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15667 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
15668 default is @code{t}
15670 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15671 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15672 @cindex backup files
15673 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15674 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
15675 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
15676 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
15679 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15680 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15682 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15685 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15686 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15687 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15688 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15689 extract some information from it before removing it.
15691 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15692 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15693 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15694 default is @code{nil}.
15696 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15697 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15698 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15700 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15701 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15702 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15703 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15705 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15706 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15707 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15708 default is @code{nil}.
15710 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15711 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15712 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15714 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15715 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15716 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15717 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15722 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15723 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15724 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15725 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15726 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15727 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15730 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15731 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15733 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15734 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15735 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15736 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15737 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15739 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15740 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15741 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15742 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15743 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15744 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15745 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15746 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15749 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15750 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15751 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15752 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15757 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15758 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15759 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15760 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15761 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15762 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15763 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15764 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15765 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15766 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15767 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15768 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15769 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15774 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15775 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15776 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15777 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15778 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15779 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15780 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15781 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15782 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15783 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15784 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15785 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15786 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15787 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15789 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15790 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15795 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15796 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15797 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15798 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15799 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15800 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15801 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15802 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15803 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15804 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15805 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15806 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15807 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15808 provided by the active file and overviews.
15810 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15811 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15812 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15813 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15814 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15817 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15818 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15823 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15824 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15825 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15826 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15827 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15828 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15829 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15833 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15834 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15835 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15836 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15837 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15838 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15839 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15840 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15841 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15843 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15844 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15845 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15846 friendly mail back end all over.
15850 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15851 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15854 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15855 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15856 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15857 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15858 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15859 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15860 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15861 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15864 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15865 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15866 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15867 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15868 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15869 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15870 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15871 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15872 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15873 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15874 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15876 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15877 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15878 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15879 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15880 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15883 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15884 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15885 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15886 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15887 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15888 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15889 removed in the future.
15891 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15892 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15893 on your file system.
15895 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15896 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15901 @node Browsing the Web
15902 @section Browsing the Web
15904 @cindex browsing the web
15908 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15909 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15910 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15911 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15912 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15913 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15914 even know what a news group is.
15916 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15917 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15918 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15919 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15920 you mad in the end.
15922 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15925 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15926 interfaces to these sources.
15930 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15931 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15932 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15933 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15934 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15935 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
15938 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
15939 alternatives to work.
15941 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15942 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15943 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15944 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15945 though, you should be ok.
15947 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15948 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15949 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15950 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15951 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15953 @node Archiving Mail
15954 @subsection Archiving Mail
15955 @cindex archiving mail
15956 @cindex backup of mail
15958 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15959 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15960 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15961 marks is fairly simple.
15963 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15964 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15967 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15968 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15969 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15970 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15971 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15972 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15973 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15974 before you restore the data.
15976 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15977 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15978 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15979 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15980 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15981 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15982 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15983 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15984 is unnecessary in that case.
15987 @subsection Web Searches
15992 @cindex Usenet searches
15993 @cindex searching the Usenet
15995 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15996 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15997 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15998 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15999 searches without having to use a browser.
16001 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
16002 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
16003 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
16004 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
16005 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
16007 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
16008 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
16009 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
16010 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
16011 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
16012 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
16013 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
16014 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
16015 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
16016 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
16019 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
16020 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
16021 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
16022 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
16023 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
16024 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
16026 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
16027 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
16028 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
16030 Virtual server variables:
16035 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
16036 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
16037 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
16040 @vindex nnweb-search
16041 The search string to feed to the search engine.
16043 @item nnweb-max-hits
16044 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
16045 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
16048 @item nnweb-type-definition
16049 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
16050 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
16051 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
16056 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
16060 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
16063 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
16066 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
16070 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
16077 @subsection Slashdot
16081 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
16082 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
16083 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
16085 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
16086 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
16089 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16090 '((nnslashdot "")))
16093 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
16094 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
16095 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
16096 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
16097 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
16100 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
16101 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
16103 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
16104 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
16105 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
16106 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
16107 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
16108 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
16109 @acronym{HTML} forms.
16111 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
16114 @item nnslashdot-threaded
16115 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
16116 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
16117 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
16118 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
16119 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
16120 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
16122 @item nnslashdot-login-name
16123 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
16124 The login name to use when posting.
16126 @item nnslashdot-password
16127 @vindex nnslashdot-password
16128 The password to use when posting.
16130 @item nnslashdot-directory
16131 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
16132 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
16133 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
16135 @item nnslashdot-active-url
16136 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
16137 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
16138 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
16139 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
16141 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
16142 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
16143 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
16145 @item nnslashdot-article-url
16146 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
16147 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
16148 article. The default is
16149 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
16151 @item nnslashdot-threshold
16152 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
16153 The score threshold. The default is -1.
16155 @item nnslashdot-group-number
16156 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
16157 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
16158 updated. The default is 0.
16165 @subsection Ultimate
16167 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
16169 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
16170 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
16171 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
16172 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16174 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
16175 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
16176 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
16177 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
16178 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
16179 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
16180 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
16182 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
16185 @item nnultimate-directory
16186 @vindex nnultimate-directory
16187 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
16188 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
16193 @subsection Web Archive
16195 @cindex Web Archive
16197 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
16198 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
16199 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
16200 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
16203 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
16204 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
16205 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
16206 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
16207 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
16208 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
16209 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
16210 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
16212 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
16215 @item nnwarchive-directory
16216 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
16217 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
16218 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
16220 @item nnwarchive-login
16221 @vindex nnwarchive-login
16222 The account name on the web server.
16224 @item nnwarchive-passwd
16225 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
16226 The password for your account on the web server.
16234 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
16235 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
16236 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
16237 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
16238 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
16240 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
16241 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16243 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
16244 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
16245 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
16248 @kindex G R (Group)
16249 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
16250 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
16251 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
16252 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
16254 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
16255 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
16256 subscribe to groups.
16258 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
16259 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
16260 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
16261 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
16262 variable. If it is @code{nil}, in Emacs the coding system defaults to
16263 the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system}. If you are using
16264 XEmacs and want to use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names, you should set
16265 the value for the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} variable properly.
16267 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
16268 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
16269 and a @samp{text/html} part.
16272 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
16273 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
16276 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
16277 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
16281 @defun nnrss-opml-export
16282 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
16283 @acronym{OPML} format.
16286 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
16289 @item nnrss-directory
16290 @vindex nnrss-directory
16291 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
16292 @file{~/News/rss/}.
16294 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
16295 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
16296 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
16297 data files. The default is the value of
16298 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
16299 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
16301 @item nnrss-use-local
16302 @vindex nnrss-use-local
16303 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
16304 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
16305 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
16306 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
16307 download script using @command{wget}.
16309 @item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
16310 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
16311 parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
16312 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
16313 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
16314 to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
16315 simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
16316 @samp{text/html} parts.
16319 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
16320 the summary buffer.
16323 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
16324 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
16326 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
16328 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
16329 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
16332 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
16336 (require 'browse-url)
16338 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
16340 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
16343 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
16344 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
16347 (browse-url (cdr url))
16348 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
16349 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
16351 (eval-after-load "gnus"
16352 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
16353 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
16354 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
16357 Even if you have added @code{"text/html"} to the
16358 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
16359 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
16360 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
16361 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
16362 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
16363 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
16364 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
16365 @code{nnrss} groups:
16368 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
16369 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
16371 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
16372 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
16373 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
16375 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
16378 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
16382 @node Customizing W3
16383 @subsection Customizing W3
16389 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
16390 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
16391 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
16394 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
16395 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
16396 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
16399 (eval-after-load "w3"
16401 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
16402 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
16403 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
16404 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
16406 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
16409 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
16410 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
16417 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
16419 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
16420 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
16421 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
16422 specify the network address of the server.
16424 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
16425 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
16426 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
16427 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
16428 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
16429 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
16431 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
16432 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
16433 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
16434 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
16436 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
16437 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
16438 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
16439 usage explained in this section.
16441 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
16442 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
16443 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
16447 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16448 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
16449 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
16451 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16452 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
16453 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
16455 (nnimap-server-port 143)
16456 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16457 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
16458 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
16459 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
16460 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
16461 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
16462 (nnimap-stream network))
16463 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
16465 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
16466 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
16467 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
16470 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
16471 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
16472 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
16473 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
16475 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
16480 @item nnimap-address
16481 @vindex nnimap-address
16483 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
16484 server name if not specified.
16486 @item nnimap-server-port
16487 @vindex nnimap-server-port
16488 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
16490 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
16493 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16494 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
16497 @item nnimap-list-pattern
16498 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
16499 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
16500 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
16501 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
16502 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
16503 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
16505 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
16506 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
16507 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
16510 Example server specification:
16513 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16514 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
16515 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
16518 @item nnimap-stream
16519 @vindex nnimap-stream
16520 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
16521 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
16522 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
16523 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
16524 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
16526 Example server specification:
16529 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16530 (nnimap-stream ssl))
16533 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
16537 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
16538 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
16540 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
16542 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
16543 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
16546 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
16547 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
16549 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
16550 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
16552 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
16554 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
16557 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
16558 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
16559 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
16560 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
16561 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
16562 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
16563 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
16564 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
16565 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
16568 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
16569 needed. It is available from
16570 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
16572 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
16573 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
16574 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
16575 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
16576 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
16577 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
16578 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
16581 @vindex imap-ssl-program
16582 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
16583 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
16584 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
16585 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
16586 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
16587 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
16590 @vindex imap-shell-program
16591 @vindex imap-shell-host
16592 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
16593 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
16595 @item nnimap-authenticator
16596 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
16598 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
16599 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
16601 Example server specification:
16604 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16605 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
16608 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
16612 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
16613 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
16615 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
16618 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
16619 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
16621 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
16623 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
16625 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16628 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16630 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16631 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16632 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16633 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16634 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16635 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16638 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16639 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16640 running in circles yet?
16642 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16643 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16646 The possible options are:
16651 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16654 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16655 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16656 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16657 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16659 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16664 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16665 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16667 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16668 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16669 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16670 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16671 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16674 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16675 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16678 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16679 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16680 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16681 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16684 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16685 as ticked for other users.
16687 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16689 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16691 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16692 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16693 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16694 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16696 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16697 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16698 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16699 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16701 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16702 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16704 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16705 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16706 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16707 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
16710 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
16713 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
16714 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
16715 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
16716 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
16719 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16720 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16722 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16723 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16729 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16730 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16731 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16732 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16733 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16734 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
16739 @node Splitting in IMAP
16740 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16741 @cindex splitting imap mail
16743 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16744 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16745 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16746 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16747 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16751 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16752 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16753 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16755 Here are the variables of interest:
16759 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16760 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16762 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16764 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16765 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16766 found will be used.
16768 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16770 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16771 @cindex splitting, inbox
16773 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16775 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16776 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16777 splitting is disabled!
16780 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16781 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16784 No nnmail equivalent.
16786 @item nnimap-split-rule
16787 @cindex splitting, rules
16788 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16790 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16793 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16794 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16795 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16796 Neither did I, we need examples.
16799 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16801 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16802 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16803 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16806 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16807 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16808 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16810 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16811 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16815 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16818 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16819 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16821 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16822 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16823 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16824 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16826 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16827 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16828 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16829 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16830 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16831 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16833 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16834 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16835 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16837 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16838 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16839 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16841 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16843 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16844 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16845 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16848 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16849 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16850 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16851 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16852 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16853 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16856 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16857 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16858 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16859 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16860 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16861 group/function elements.
16863 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16865 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16867 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16869 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16870 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16872 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16873 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16874 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16877 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16878 @cindex splitting, fancy
16879 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16880 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16882 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16883 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16884 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16886 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16887 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16888 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16889 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16894 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16895 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16898 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16900 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16901 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16902 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16904 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16905 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16906 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16907 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
16911 @node Expiring in IMAP
16912 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16913 @cindex expiring imap mail
16915 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16916 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16917 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16918 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16919 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16920 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16923 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16924 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16925 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16926 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16927 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16928 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16929 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16930 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16934 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16935 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16937 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16938 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16940 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16942 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16943 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16944 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16945 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16949 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16950 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16951 @cindex editing imap acls
16952 @cindex Access Control Lists
16953 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16954 @kindex G l (Group)
16955 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16957 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16958 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16959 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16962 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16963 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16964 editing window with detailed instructions.
16966 Some possible uses:
16970 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16971 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16972 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16974 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16975 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16976 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16980 @node Expunging mailboxes
16981 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16985 @cindex manual expunging
16986 @kindex G x (Group)
16987 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16989 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16990 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16991 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16993 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16996 @node A note on namespaces
16997 @subsection A note on namespaces
16998 @cindex IMAP namespace
17001 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
17002 by the following text in the RFC2060:
17005 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
17007 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
17008 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
17009 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
17010 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
17012 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
17013 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
17014 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
17015 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
17016 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
17017 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
17020 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
17021 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
17022 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
17024 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
17025 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
17026 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
17027 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
17028 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
17029 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
17030 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
17031 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
17034 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
17035 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
17036 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
17038 @node Debugging IMAP
17039 @subsection Debugging IMAP
17040 @cindex IMAP debugging
17041 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
17043 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
17044 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
17045 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
17046 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
17048 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
17049 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
17050 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
17051 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
17052 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
17053 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
17054 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
17058 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
17059 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
17066 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
17067 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
17068 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
17069 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
17072 @node Other Sources
17073 @section Other Sources
17075 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
17076 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
17080 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
17081 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
17082 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
17083 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
17084 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
17088 @node Directory Groups
17089 @subsection Directory Groups
17091 @cindex directory groups
17093 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
17094 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
17097 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
17098 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
17099 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
17100 back end to read directories. Big deal.
17102 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
17103 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
17104 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
17105 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
17106 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
17108 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
17110 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
17111 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
17112 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
17113 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
17116 @node Anything Groups
17117 @subsection Anything Groups
17120 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
17121 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
17122 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
17125 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
17126 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
17127 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
17128 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
17129 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
17130 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
17131 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
17132 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
17133 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
17134 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
17137 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
17138 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
17139 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
17140 in the article buffer, just as usual.
17142 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
17143 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
17144 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
17145 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
17147 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
17148 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
17149 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
17150 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
17151 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
17152 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
17153 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
17154 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
17159 @item nneething-map-file-directory
17160 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
17161 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
17162 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
17164 @item nneething-exclude-files
17165 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
17166 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
17167 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
17169 @item nneething-include-files
17170 @vindex nneething-include-files
17171 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
17172 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
17174 @item nneething-map-file
17175 @vindex nneething-map-file
17176 Name of the map files.
17180 @node Document Groups
17181 @subsection Document Groups
17183 @cindex documentation group
17186 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
17187 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
17193 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
17198 The standard Unix mbox file.
17200 @cindex MMDF mail box
17202 The MMDF mail box format.
17205 Several news articles appended into a file.
17207 @cindex rnews batch files
17209 The rnews batch transport format.
17212 Netscape mail boxes.
17215 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
17217 @item standard-digest
17218 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
17221 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
17223 @item lanl-gov-announce
17224 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
17226 @cindex forwarded messages
17227 @item rfc822-forward
17228 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
17231 The Outlook mail box.
17234 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
17237 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
17240 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
17243 An RFC934-forwarded message.
17249 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
17252 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
17258 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
17259 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
17260 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
17263 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
17264 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
17265 group. And that's it.
17267 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
17268 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
17269 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
17270 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
17271 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
17272 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
17273 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
17274 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
17275 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
17276 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
17278 Virtual server variables:
17281 @item nndoc-article-type
17282 @vindex nndoc-article-type
17283 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
17284 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
17285 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
17286 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
17287 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
17289 @item nndoc-post-type
17290 @vindex nndoc-post-type
17291 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
17292 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
17297 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
17301 @node Document Server Internals
17302 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
17304 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
17305 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
17306 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
17307 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
17309 First, here's an example document type definition:
17313 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
17314 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
17317 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
17318 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
17319 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
17320 types can be defined with very few settings:
17323 @item first-article
17324 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
17325 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
17328 @item article-begin
17329 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
17330 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
17331 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
17332 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
17334 @item article-begin-function
17335 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
17336 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
17339 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
17340 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
17341 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
17343 @item head-begin-function
17344 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
17345 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
17348 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
17349 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
17352 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
17353 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
17354 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
17356 @item body-begin-function
17357 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
17358 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
17361 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
17362 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
17363 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
17365 @item body-end-function
17366 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
17367 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
17370 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
17371 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
17374 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
17375 regexp will be totally ignored.
17379 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
17380 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
17381 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
17382 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
17383 something that's palatable for Gnus:
17386 @item prepare-body-function
17387 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
17388 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
17389 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
17391 @item article-transform-function
17392 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17393 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17394 body of the article.
17396 @item generate-head-function
17397 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17398 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17399 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17400 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17402 @item generate-article-function
17403 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
17404 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
17405 parameter when requesting all articles.
17407 @item dissection-function
17408 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
17409 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
17410 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
17411 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
17412 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
17413 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
17417 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17422 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17423 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17424 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17425 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17426 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17427 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17428 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17429 (subtype digest guess))
17432 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
17433 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
17434 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
17435 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
17436 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
17438 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
17439 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
17440 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
17441 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
17442 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
17443 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
17444 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
17445 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
17446 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
17447 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
17448 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
17449 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
17457 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
17458 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
17459 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
17461 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
17462 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
17463 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
17466 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
17467 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
17468 that interested in doing things properly.
17470 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
17471 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
17474 First some terminology:
17479 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
17480 get news and/or mail from.
17483 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
17484 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
17487 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
17491 @item message packets
17492 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
17493 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
17494 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17496 @item response packets
17497 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
17498 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
17499 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17509 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
17510 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
17511 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
17512 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
17515 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
17518 You put the packet in your home directory.
17521 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
17522 the native or secondary server.
17525 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
17526 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
17529 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
17533 You transfer this packet to the server.
17536 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
17539 You then repeat until you die.
17543 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
17544 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
17547 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
17548 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
17549 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
17553 @node SOUP Commands
17554 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
17556 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
17560 @kindex G s b (Group)
17561 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
17562 Pack all unread articles in the current group
17563 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
17564 process/prefix convention.
17567 @kindex G s w (Group)
17568 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
17569 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
17572 @kindex G s s (Group)
17573 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
17574 Send all replies from the replies packet
17575 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
17578 @kindex G s p (Group)
17579 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
17580 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
17583 @kindex G s r (Group)
17584 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
17585 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
17588 @kindex O s (Summary)
17589 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
17590 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
17591 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
17592 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17597 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
17602 @item gnus-soup-directory
17603 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
17604 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
17605 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
17607 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
17608 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
17609 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
17610 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
17612 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
17613 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
17614 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
17615 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
17617 @item gnus-soup-packer
17618 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
17619 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17620 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
17622 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
17623 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
17624 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17625 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17627 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
17628 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
17629 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
17631 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17632 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17633 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
17634 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
17640 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
17643 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
17644 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
17645 you can read them at leisure.
17647 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
17651 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
17652 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
17653 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
17654 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
17656 @item nnsoup-directory
17657 @vindex nnsoup-directory
17658 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
17659 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
17661 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
17662 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
17663 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
17664 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
17666 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
17667 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
17668 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
17669 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
17670 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
17672 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
17673 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
17674 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
17675 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
17677 @item nnsoup-active-file
17678 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
17679 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
17680 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
17681 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
17682 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
17684 @item nnsoup-packer
17685 @vindex nnsoup-packer
17686 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
17687 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
17689 @item nnsoup-unpacker
17690 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
17691 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
17692 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17694 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
17695 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
17696 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
17699 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17700 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17701 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17704 @item nnsoup-always-save
17705 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17706 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17712 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17714 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17715 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17716 more for that to happen.
17718 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17719 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17720 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17723 In specific, this is what it does:
17726 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17727 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17730 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17731 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17732 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17735 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17736 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17737 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17740 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17741 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17742 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17744 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17750 @item nngateway-address
17751 @vindex nngateway-address
17752 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17754 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17755 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17756 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17757 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17758 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17759 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17760 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17763 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17764 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17765 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17768 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17771 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17774 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17777 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17779 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17782 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17783 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17784 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17786 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17788 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17789 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17790 @code{nngateway-address}.
17798 (setq gnus-post-method
17800 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17801 (nngateway-header-transformation
17802 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17805 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17808 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17813 @node Combined Groups
17814 @section Combined Groups
17816 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17820 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17821 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17825 @node Virtual Groups
17826 @subsection Virtual Groups
17828 @cindex virtual groups
17829 @cindex merging groups
17831 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17834 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17835 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17836 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17838 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17839 regexp to match component groups.
17841 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17842 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17843 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17844 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17845 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17846 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17847 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17848 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17850 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17851 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17854 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17857 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17858 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17860 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17861 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17862 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17863 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17866 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17869 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17870 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17871 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17873 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17874 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17875 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17876 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17877 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17879 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17880 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17881 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17883 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17884 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
17885 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
17886 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
17887 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
17888 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
17889 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
17890 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
17891 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
17892 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
17893 it---it'll have much the same effect.
17895 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17896 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17897 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17898 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17899 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17900 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17901 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17903 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17904 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17906 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17907 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17911 @node Kibozed Groups
17912 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17916 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17917 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17918 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17919 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17921 @kindex G k (Group)
17922 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17925 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17926 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17927 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17928 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17930 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17931 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17932 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17934 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17935 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17936 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17937 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17938 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17939 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17940 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17941 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17943 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17944 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17945 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17946 Stranger things have happened.
17948 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17949 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17951 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17952 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17953 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17954 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17955 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17956 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17957 component articles.
17959 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17960 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17963 @node Email Based Diary
17964 @section Email Based Diary
17966 @cindex email based diary
17969 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
17970 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
17971 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
17972 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
17973 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
17974 namely, as event reminders.
17976 Here is a typical scenario:
17980 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
17981 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
17983 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
17985 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
17987 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
17988 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
17989 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
17991 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
17992 of the night you're gonna have.
17994 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
17995 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
17998 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
17999 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
18000 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
18001 explained in the sections below.
18004 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
18005 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
18006 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
18010 @node The NNDiary Back End
18011 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
18013 @cindex the nndiary back end
18015 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
18016 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
18017 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
18018 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
18019 directory per group.
18021 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
18022 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
18023 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
18024 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
18027 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
18028 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
18029 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
18032 @node Diary Messages
18033 @subsubsection Diary Messages
18034 @cindex nndiary messages
18035 @cindex nndiary mails
18037 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
18038 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
18039 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
18040 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
18041 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
18042 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
18043 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
18047 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
18048 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
18049 (separated by a comma).
18051 A field is either an integer, or a range.
18053 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
18055 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
18056 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
18057 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
18059 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
18060 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
18061 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
18063 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
18064 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
18065 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
18066 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
18067 list of available time zone values, see the variable
18068 @code{nndiary-headers}.
18071 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
18072 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
18073 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
18078 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
18081 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
18083 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
18086 @node Running NNDiary
18087 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
18088 @cindex running nndiary
18089 @cindex nndiary operation modes
18091 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
18092 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
18093 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
18094 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
18095 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
18096 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
18098 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
18099 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
18100 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
18101 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
18102 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
18103 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
18104 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
18107 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
18112 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
18113 line in your @file{gnusrc} file:
18116 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
18119 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
18120 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
18121 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
18122 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
18123 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
18125 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
18126 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
18135 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
18136 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
18138 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
18139 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18140 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
18141 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
18144 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
18145 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18146 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
18149 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
18150 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
18151 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
18153 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
18154 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
18155 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
18156 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
18157 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
18159 @node Customizing NNDiary
18160 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
18161 @cindex customizing nndiary
18162 @cindex nndiary customization
18164 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
18165 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
18166 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
18167 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
18169 @defvar nndiary-reminders
18170 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
18171 appointements (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
18172 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
18173 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
18177 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
18178 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
18183 @node The Gnus Diary Library
18184 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
18186 @cindex the gnus diary library
18188 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
18189 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
18190 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
18191 useful things for you.
18193 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{gnusrc} file:
18196 (require 'gnus-diary)
18199 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
18200 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
18201 (sorry if you used them before).
18205 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
18206 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
18207 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
18208 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
18211 @node Diary Summary Line Format
18212 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
18213 @cindex diary summary buffer line
18214 @cindex diary summary line format
18216 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
18217 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
18218 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
18219 see the event's date.
18221 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
18222 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
18223 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
18224 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
18225 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
18227 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
18228 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
18229 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
18232 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
18235 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
18236 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
18239 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
18242 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
18243 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
18244 with the following user options:
18246 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
18247 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
18248 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
18249 diary groups'parameters.
18252 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
18253 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
18254 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
18257 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
18258 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
18259 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
18260 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
18261 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
18264 @node Diary Articles Sorting
18265 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
18266 @cindex diary articles sorting
18267 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
18268 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
18269 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
18270 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
18272 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
18273 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
18274 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
18275 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
18276 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
18278 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
18279 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
18280 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
18281 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
18284 @node Diary Headers Generation
18285 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
18286 @cindex diary headers generation
18287 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
18289 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
18290 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
18291 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
18292 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
18295 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
18296 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
18297 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c D c} in @code{message-mode}
18298 and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the process of converting
18299 a usual mail to a diary one.
18301 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
18302 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
18303 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
18306 @node Diary Group Parameters
18307 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
18308 @cindex diary group parameters
18310 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
18311 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
18312 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
18313 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
18314 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
18315 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
18316 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
18317 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
18319 @node Sending or Not Sending
18320 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
18322 Well, assuming you've read of of the above, here are two final notes on
18323 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
18327 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
18328 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
18329 appointements to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
18330 sending the diary message to them as well.
18332 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
18333 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
18334 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
18335 comes in very handy for private appointments.
18338 @node Gnus Unplugged
18339 @section Gnus Unplugged
18344 @cindex Gnus unplugged
18346 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
18347 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
18348 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
18349 read news. Believe it or not.
18351 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
18352 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
18353 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
18354 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
18355 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
18357 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
18358 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
18359 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
18360 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
18361 reading news on a machine.
18363 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
18364 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
18365 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
18367 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
18370 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
18371 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
18372 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
18373 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
18374 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
18375 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
18376 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
18377 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
18378 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
18379 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
18380 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
18381 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
18382 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
18383 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
18388 @subsection Agent Basics
18390 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
18392 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
18393 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
18394 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
18395 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
18397 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
18398 connected to the net continuously.
18400 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
18401 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
18403 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
18404 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
18405 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
18406 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
18407 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
18409 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
18410 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
18411 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
18412 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
18413 they're kinda like plugged always).
18415 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
18416 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
18417 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
18420 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
18421 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
18422 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
18423 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
18424 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
18426 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
18431 @findex gnus-unplugged
18432 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
18433 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
18434 already fetched while in this mode.
18437 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
18438 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
18439 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
18440 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
18441 Source Specifiers}).
18444 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
18445 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
18446 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
18447 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
18448 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
18451 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
18452 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
18453 then you read the news offline.
18456 And then you go to step 2.
18459 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
18465 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
18466 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
18467 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
18468 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
18469 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
18470 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
18471 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
18472 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
18475 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
18476 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
18477 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
18478 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
18480 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
18481 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
18482 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
18483 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
18484 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
18485 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
18489 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
18493 @node Agent Categories
18494 @subsection Agent Categories
18496 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
18497 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
18498 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
18499 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
18500 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
18501 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
18502 you're interested in the articles anyway.
18504 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
18505 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
18506 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
18507 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
18508 buffer for creating and managing categories.
18510 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
18511 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
18512 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
18513 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
18514 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
18517 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
18518 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
18519 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
18520 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
18521 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
18522 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
18526 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
18527 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
18528 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
18532 @node Category Syntax
18533 @subsubsection Category Syntax
18535 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
18536 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
18537 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
18540 @cindex Agent Parameters
18543 The list of groups that are in this category.
18545 @item agent-predicate
18546 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
18547 are eligible for downloading; and
18550 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
18551 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
18552 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
18554 @item agent-enable-expiration
18555 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
18556 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
18557 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
18558 only groups that should not be expired.
18560 @item agent-days-until-old
18561 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
18562 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
18564 @item agent-low-score
18565 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
18567 @item agent-high-score
18568 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
18570 @item agent-short-article
18571 an integer that overrides the value of
18572 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
18574 @item agent-long-article
18575 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
18577 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
18578 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
18579 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
18580 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
18581 undownloaded faces.
18584 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
18587 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
18588 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
18589 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
18592 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
18593 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
18594 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
18595 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
18597 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
18598 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
18599 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
18601 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
18602 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
18603 operators sprinkled in between.
18605 Perhaps some examples are in order.
18607 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
18608 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
18614 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
18615 short (for some value of ``short'').
18617 Here's a more complex predicate:
18626 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
18627 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
18630 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
18631 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
18632 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
18634 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
18635 you want to do, you can write your own.
18637 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
18638 bound to the value determined by calling
18639 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
18640 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
18641 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
18642 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
18643 predicate to individual groups.
18647 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
18648 lines; default 100.
18651 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
18652 lines; default 200.
18655 True iff the article has a download score less than
18656 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
18659 True iff the article has a download score greater than
18660 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
18663 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
18664 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
18665 checksum and sees whether articles match.
18674 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
18675 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
18676 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
18679 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
18680 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
18681 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
18682 something along the lines of the following:
18685 (defun my-article-old-p ()
18686 "Say whether an article is old."
18687 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
18688 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
18691 with the predicate then defined as:
18694 (not my-article-old-p)
18697 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
18698 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
18702 (require 'gnus-agent)
18703 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
18704 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
18705 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
18708 and simply specify your predicate as:
18714 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
18715 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
18716 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
18717 just don't give a damn.
18719 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
18720 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
18721 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
18722 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
18723 parameters like so:
18726 (agent-predicate . short)
18729 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
18730 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
18731 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
18733 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
18736 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
18739 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
18740 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
18741 predicate is assumed to be a list.
18744 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
18745 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
18746 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
18747 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
18748 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
18749 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
18751 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
18752 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
18753 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
18754 if it's to be specific to that group.
18756 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
18763 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
18764 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
18770 Category specification
18774 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18780 Group/Topic Parameter specification
18783 (agent-score ("from"
18784 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18789 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
18795 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
18796 keywords stated above.
18802 Category specification
18805 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
18811 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
18815 Group Parameter specification
18818 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
18821 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
18826 Use @code{normal} score files
18828 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
18829 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
18830 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
18831 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
18833 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
18834 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
18835 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
18836 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
18840 Category Specification
18847 Group Parameter specification
18850 (agent-score . file)
18855 @node Category Buffer
18856 @subsubsection Category Buffer
18858 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
18859 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
18860 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
18862 The following commands are available in this buffer:
18866 @kindex q (Category)
18867 @findex gnus-category-exit
18868 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
18871 @kindex e (Category)
18872 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
18873 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
18874 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
18877 @kindex k (Category)
18878 @findex gnus-category-kill
18879 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
18882 @kindex c (Category)
18883 @findex gnus-category-copy
18884 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
18887 @kindex a (Category)
18888 @findex gnus-category-add
18889 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
18892 @kindex p (Category)
18893 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
18894 Edit the predicate of the current category
18895 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
18898 @kindex g (Category)
18899 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
18900 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
18901 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
18904 @kindex s (Category)
18905 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
18906 Edit the download score rule of the current category
18907 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
18910 @kindex l (Category)
18911 @findex gnus-category-list
18912 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
18916 @node Category Variables
18917 @subsubsection Category Variables
18920 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
18921 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
18922 Hook run in category buffers.
18924 @item gnus-category-line-format
18925 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
18926 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
18927 Variables}). Valid elements are:
18931 The name of the category.
18934 The number of groups in the category.
18937 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
18938 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
18939 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
18941 @item gnus-agent-short-article
18942 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
18943 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
18945 @item gnus-agent-long-article
18946 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
18947 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
18949 @item gnus-agent-low-score
18950 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
18951 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
18954 @item gnus-agent-high-score
18955 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
18956 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
18959 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
18960 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18961 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
18962 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
18963 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
18964 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
18965 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
18966 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
18970 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18971 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18972 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
18973 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
18974 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
18975 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
18976 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
18981 @node Agent Commands
18982 @subsection Agent Commands
18983 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
18984 @kindex J j (Agent)
18986 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
18987 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
18988 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
18992 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
18993 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
18994 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
19000 @node Group Agent Commands
19001 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
19005 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
19006 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
19007 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
19008 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
19011 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
19012 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
19013 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
19016 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
19017 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
19018 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
19019 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
19022 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
19023 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
19024 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
19025 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
19028 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
19029 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
19030 Add the current group to an Agent category
19031 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
19032 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19035 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
19036 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
19037 Remove the current group from its category, if any
19038 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
19039 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19042 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
19043 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19044 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
19050 @node Summary Agent Commands
19051 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
19055 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
19056 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
19057 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
19060 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
19061 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
19062 Remove the downloading mark from the article
19063 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
19067 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
19068 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
19069 Toggle whether to download the article
19070 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
19074 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
19075 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
19076 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
19079 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
19080 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
19081 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
19082 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
19085 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
19086 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
19087 Download all processable articles in this group.
19088 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
19091 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
19092 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
19093 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
19094 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
19099 @node Server Agent Commands
19100 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
19104 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
19105 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
19106 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
19107 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
19110 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
19111 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
19112 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
19113 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
19118 @node Agent Visuals
19119 @subsection Agent Visuals
19121 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
19122 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
19123 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
19124 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
19125 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
19126 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
19127 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
19128 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
19129 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
19130 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
19132 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
19133 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
19134 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
19135 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
19136 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
19137 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
19138 the download status of each article so that you always know which
19139 articles will be available when unplugged.
19141 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
19142 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
19143 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
19144 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
19145 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
19146 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
19147 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
19148 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
19150 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
19151 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
19152 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
19153 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
19154 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
19155 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
19156 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
19157 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
19158 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
19160 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
19161 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
19162 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
19163 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
19164 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
19165 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
19166 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
19167 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
19168 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
19169 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
19171 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
19172 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
19173 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
19174 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
19175 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
19176 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19178 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
19179 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
19180 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
19181 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
19182 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
19183 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
19184 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
19185 expiring'' articles.
19187 @node Agent as Cache
19188 @subsection Agent as Cache
19190 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
19191 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
19192 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
19193 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
19194 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
19195 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
19196 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
19197 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
19198 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
19200 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
19201 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
19202 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
19203 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
19204 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
19207 @subsection Agent Expiry
19209 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19210 @findex gnus-agent-expire
19211 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
19212 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
19213 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
19214 @cindex agent expiry
19215 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
19218 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
19219 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
19220 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
19221 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
19222 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
19223 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
19224 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
19225 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
19227 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
19228 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
19229 synchronized with the group.
19231 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
19232 prevent expiration in selected groups.
19234 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
19235 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
19236 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
19237 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
19238 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
19239 be kept indefinitely.
19241 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
19242 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
19243 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
19244 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
19246 @node Agent Regeneration
19247 @subsection Agent Regeneration
19249 @cindex agent regeneration
19250 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
19251 @cindex regeneration
19253 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
19254 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
19255 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
19256 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
19257 internal inconsistencies.
19259 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
19260 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
19261 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
19262 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
19263 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
19264 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
19266 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
19267 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
19268 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
19269 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
19270 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
19271 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
19273 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19274 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19275 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
19276 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
19277 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
19278 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
19281 @node Agent and flags
19282 @subsection Agent and flags
19284 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
19285 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
19286 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
19287 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
19288 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
19289 to the flags in its own files.
19291 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
19292 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
19293 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
19295 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19296 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19297 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19298 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19299 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19300 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19302 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
19303 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
19304 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
19305 in the group buffer.
19307 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
19308 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
19309 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
19310 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
19311 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
19312 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
19313 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
19314 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
19316 @node Agent and IMAP
19317 @subsection Agent and IMAP
19319 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
19320 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
19321 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
19322 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
19324 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
19325 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
19330 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
19333 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
19337 @node Outgoing Messages
19338 @subsection Outgoing Messages
19340 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
19341 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
19342 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
19344 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
19345 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
19346 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
19348 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
19349 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
19350 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
19351 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
19354 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
19355 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
19356 ask you to confirm your action (see
19357 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
19359 @node Agent Variables
19360 @subsection Agent Variables
19365 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
19366 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
19367 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
19368 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
19370 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
19371 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
19374 @item gnus-agent-directory
19375 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
19376 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
19377 @file{~/News/agent/}.
19379 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
19380 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
19381 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
19382 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
19383 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
19386 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19387 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19388 Hook run when connecting to the network.
19390 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19391 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19392 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
19394 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19395 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19396 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
19398 @item gnus-agent-cache
19399 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
19400 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
19401 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
19402 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
19404 @item gnus-agent-go-online
19405 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
19406 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
19407 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
19408 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
19409 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
19410 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
19413 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19414 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19415 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
19416 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
19417 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
19418 read. The default is @code{t}.
19420 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19421 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19422 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19423 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19424 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19425 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19426 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19428 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19429 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19430 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
19431 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
19432 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
19433 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
19434 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
19435 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
19436 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
19437 over and over again.
19439 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19440 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19441 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
19442 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
19443 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
19444 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
19445 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
19446 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
19447 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
19448 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
19449 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
19450 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
19453 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
19454 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
19455 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
19456 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
19457 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
19458 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
19459 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
19460 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
19461 is only valid if the Agent is used.
19463 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19464 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19465 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
19466 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
19467 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
19468 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
19470 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
19471 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
19472 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
19473 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
19474 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
19476 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
19477 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
19478 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
19479 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
19480 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
19481 mail. The default is @code{t}.
19483 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19484 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19485 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
19486 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
19487 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
19489 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19490 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19491 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
19492 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
19493 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
19494 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
19495 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
19496 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
19497 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
19498 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
19499 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
19504 @node Example Setup
19505 @subsection Example Setup
19507 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
19508 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
19509 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
19512 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
19513 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
19514 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
19516 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
19517 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
19518 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
19520 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
19521 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
19523 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
19524 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
19525 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
19528 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
19529 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
19532 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
19533 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
19534 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
19535 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
19536 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
19539 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
19540 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
19541 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
19542 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
19543 back all the killed groups.)
19545 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
19546 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
19547 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
19550 @node Batching Agents
19551 @subsection Batching Agents
19552 @findex gnus-agent-batch
19554 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
19555 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
19556 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
19558 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
19559 following incantation:
19563 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
19567 @node Agent Caveats
19568 @subsection Agent Caveats
19570 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
19571 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
19575 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
19577 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
19578 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
19579 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
19581 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
19582 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
19584 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
19588 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
19589 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
19590 locally stored articles.
19597 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
19598 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
19599 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
19602 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
19603 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
19604 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
19605 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
19606 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
19608 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
19609 before generating the summary buffer.
19611 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
19612 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
19613 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
19615 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
19616 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
19617 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
19618 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
19621 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
19622 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
19623 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
19624 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
19625 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
19626 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
19627 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
19628 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
19629 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
19630 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
19631 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
19632 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
19633 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
19634 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
19635 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
19636 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
19640 @node Summary Score Commands
19641 @section Summary Score Commands
19642 @cindex score commands
19644 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
19645 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
19646 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
19647 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
19648 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
19650 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
19651 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
19652 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
19653 score file the current one.
19655 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
19660 @kindex V s (Summary)
19661 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
19662 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
19665 @kindex V S (Summary)
19666 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
19667 Display the score of the current article
19668 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
19671 @kindex V t (Summary)
19672 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
19673 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
19674 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
19675 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
19676 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
19677 score file and edit it.
19680 @kindex V w (Summary)
19681 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
19682 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
19685 @kindex V R (Summary)
19686 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
19687 Run the current summary through the scoring process
19688 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
19689 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
19690 effect you're having.
19693 @kindex V c (Summary)
19694 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
19695 Make a different score file the current
19696 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
19699 @kindex V e (Summary)
19700 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
19701 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
19702 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
19706 @kindex V f (Summary)
19707 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
19708 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
19709 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
19712 @kindex V F (Summary)
19713 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19714 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
19715 after editing score files.
19718 @kindex V C (Summary)
19719 @findex gnus-score-customize
19720 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
19721 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
19725 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
19730 @kindex V m (Summary)
19731 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
19732 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
19733 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
19736 @kindex V x (Summary)
19737 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
19738 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
19739 expunge all articles below this score
19740 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
19743 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
19744 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
19747 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
19748 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
19752 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
19753 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
19755 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
19756 keys are available:
19760 Score on the author name.
19763 Score on the subject line.
19766 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
19769 Score on the @code{References} line.
19775 Score on the number of lines.
19778 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
19781 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
19782 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
19785 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
19786 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
19787 @file{ADAPT} files.)
19796 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
19802 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
19803 what headers you are scoring on.
19815 Substring matching.
19818 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
19847 Greater than number.
19852 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
19853 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
19854 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
19859 Temporary score entry.
19862 Permanent score entry.
19865 Immediately scoring.
19869 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
19870 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
19871 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
19875 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
19876 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
19877 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
19878 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
19880 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
19881 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
19882 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
19883 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
19884 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
19886 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
19887 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
19888 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
19889 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
19890 current score file.
19892 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
19893 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
19894 pretend they are keymaps or not.
19897 @node Group Score Commands
19898 @section Group Score Commands
19899 @cindex group score commands
19901 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
19906 @kindex W e (Group)
19907 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
19908 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
19909 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
19912 @kindex W f (Group)
19913 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19914 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
19915 all the time. This command will flush the cache
19916 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
19920 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
19922 @findex gnus-batch-score
19923 @cindex batch scoring
19925 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
19929 @node Score Variables
19930 @section Score Variables
19931 @cindex score variables
19935 @item gnus-use-scoring
19936 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
19937 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
19938 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
19940 @item gnus-kill-killed
19941 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
19942 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
19943 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
19944 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
19945 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
19946 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
19947 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
19949 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
19950 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
19951 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
19952 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
19953 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
19955 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
19956 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
19957 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
19958 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
19960 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19961 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19962 @cindex score cache
19963 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
19964 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
19965 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
19966 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
19967 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
19968 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
19969 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
19972 @item gnus-save-score
19973 @vindex gnus-save-score
19974 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
19975 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
19976 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19978 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
19979 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
19980 across group visits.
19982 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19983 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19984 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
19985 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
19986 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
19987 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
19988 manually entered data.
19990 @item gnus-summary-default-score
19991 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
19992 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
19994 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
19995 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
19996 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
19997 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
19998 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
19999 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
20001 @item gnus-score-over-mark
20002 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
20003 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
20004 default. Default is @samp{+}.
20006 @item gnus-score-below-mark
20007 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
20008 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
20009 default. Default is @samp{-}.
20011 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
20012 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
20013 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
20014 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
20016 Predefined functions available are:
20019 @item gnus-score-find-single
20020 @findex gnus-score-find-single
20021 Only apply the group's own score file.
20023 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
20024 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
20025 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
20026 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
20027 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
20028 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
20029 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
20030 then a regexp match is done.
20032 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
20033 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
20035 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
20036 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
20037 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
20038 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
20040 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
20041 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
20042 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
20043 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
20044 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
20048 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
20049 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
20050 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
20051 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
20052 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
20053 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
20054 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
20057 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
20058 overall score file, you could use the value
20060 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
20061 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
20064 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
20065 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
20066 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
20067 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
20068 are expired. It's 7 by default.
20070 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
20071 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
20072 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
20073 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
20074 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
20075 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
20076 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
20077 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
20079 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20080 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20081 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
20083 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
20084 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
20085 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
20086 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
20087 threading---according to the current value of
20088 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
20089 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
20090 simplified in this manner.
20095 @node Score File Format
20096 @section Score File Format
20097 @cindex score file format
20099 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
20100 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
20101 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
20103 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
20107 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
20109 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
20111 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
20113 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
20118 (mark-and-expunge -10)
20122 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
20123 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
20124 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
20125 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
20129 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
20130 Scoring}, for a different approach.
20132 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
20133 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
20134 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
20136 Six keys are supported by this alist:
20141 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
20142 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
20143 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
20144 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
20145 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
20146 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
20147 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
20148 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
20149 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
20150 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
20151 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
20152 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
20153 to articles that matches these score entries.
20155 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
20156 score entry has one to four elements.
20160 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
20161 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
20165 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
20166 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
20167 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
20168 is successful. If this element is not present, the
20169 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
20170 instead. This is 1000 by default.
20173 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
20174 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
20175 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
20176 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
20177 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
20180 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
20181 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
20182 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
20183 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
20186 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
20187 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
20188 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
20189 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
20190 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
20191 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
20192 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
20193 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
20194 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
20195 instead, if you feel like.
20198 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
20199 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
20200 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
20201 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
20202 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
20203 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
20207 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
20208 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
20212 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
20213 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
20215 These predicates are true if
20218 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
20221 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
20222 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
20229 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
20230 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
20231 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
20232 it's not. I think.)
20234 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
20235 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
20236 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
20237 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
20240 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
20241 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
20242 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
20243 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
20244 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
20245 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
20246 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
20250 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
20251 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
20252 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
20253 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
20254 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
20255 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
20256 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
20257 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
20260 @item Head, Body, All
20261 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
20265 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
20266 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
20267 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
20268 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
20269 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
20270 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
20271 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
20275 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
20276 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
20277 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
20278 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
20279 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
20280 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
20281 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
20282 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
20283 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
20284 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
20285 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
20289 @cindex score file atoms
20291 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20292 lower than this number will be marked as read.
20295 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20296 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
20298 @item mark-and-expunge
20299 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20300 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
20303 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
20304 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
20305 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
20306 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
20307 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
20310 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
20311 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
20314 @item exclude-files
20315 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
20316 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
20320 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
20321 ignored when handling global score files.
20324 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
20325 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
20326 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
20327 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
20330 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
20331 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
20332 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
20333 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
20335 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
20339 (mark-and-expunge -100)
20342 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
20343 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
20344 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
20345 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
20346 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
20348 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
20349 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
20350 scoring rules exist.
20353 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
20354 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
20355 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
20356 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
20357 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
20358 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
20359 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20360 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
20361 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
20362 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
20363 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
20367 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
20368 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
20369 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
20370 file for a number of groups.
20373 @cindex local variables
20374 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
20375 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
20376 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
20377 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
20378 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
20383 @node Score File Editing
20384 @section Score File Editing
20386 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
20387 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
20388 with a mode for that.
20390 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
20391 additional commands:
20396 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
20397 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
20398 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
20399 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
20402 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
20403 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
20404 Insert the current date in numerical format
20405 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
20406 you were wondering.
20409 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
20410 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
20411 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
20412 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
20413 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
20418 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
20420 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
20421 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
20423 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
20424 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
20427 @node Adaptive Scoring
20428 @section Adaptive Scoring
20429 @cindex adaptive scoring
20431 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
20432 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
20433 stupidity, to be precise.
20435 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
20436 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
20437 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
20438 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
20439 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20440 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
20441 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
20442 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
20443 variable to @code{(word line)}.
20445 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20446 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
20447 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
20448 might look something like this:
20451 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20452 '((gnus-unread-mark)
20453 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
20454 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
20455 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
20456 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
20457 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
20458 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
20459 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
20460 (gnus-ancient-mark)
20461 (gnus-low-score-mark)
20462 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
20465 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
20466 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
20467 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
20468 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
20469 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
20470 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
20473 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
20474 will be applied to each article.
20476 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
20477 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
20478 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
20479 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
20481 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
20482 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
20483 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
20484 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
20486 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
20487 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
20488 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
20489 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
20491 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
20492 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
20493 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
20494 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
20495 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
20496 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
20498 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
20499 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
20500 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
20502 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
20503 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
20504 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
20506 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
20507 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
20508 let you use different rules in different groups.
20510 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
20511 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
20512 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
20515 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
20516 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
20517 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
20518 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
20520 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
20521 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
20522 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
20523 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
20524 the length of the match is less than
20525 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
20526 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
20529 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20530 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
20531 headers. If you adapt on words, the
20532 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
20533 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
20536 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20537 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
20538 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
20539 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
20540 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
20543 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
20544 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
20545 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
20546 score with 30 points.
20548 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
20549 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
20550 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
20551 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
20552 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
20554 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
20555 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
20556 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
20557 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
20558 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
20560 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
20561 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
20562 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
20563 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
20565 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
20566 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
20567 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
20568 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
20570 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
20571 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
20572 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
20573 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
20574 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
20576 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
20577 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
20578 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
20580 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
20581 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
20582 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
20583 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
20586 @node Home Score File
20587 @section Home Score File
20589 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
20590 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
20591 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
20592 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
20594 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
20595 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
20596 could perhaps use the same home score file.
20598 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
20599 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
20604 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
20608 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
20609 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
20613 A list. The elements in this list can be:
20617 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
20618 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
20621 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
20622 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
20623 name of the group as the parameter.
20626 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
20629 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
20634 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
20637 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20638 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
20641 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
20642 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
20644 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
20646 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20647 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
20650 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
20651 Other functions include
20654 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
20655 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
20656 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
20657 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
20661 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
20662 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
20663 their own home score files:
20666 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20667 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
20668 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
20669 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
20670 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
20673 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
20674 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
20675 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
20676 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
20677 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
20679 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
20680 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
20681 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
20682 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
20683 precedence over this variable.
20686 @node Followups To Yourself
20687 @section Followups To Yourself
20689 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
20690 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
20691 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
20692 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
20693 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
20694 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
20698 @item gnus-score-followup-article
20699 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
20700 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
20703 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
20704 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
20705 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
20709 @vindex message-sent-hook
20710 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
20711 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
20713 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
20717 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
20718 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
20722 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20723 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20726 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
20727 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
20732 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
20736 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
20737 is system-dependent.
20740 @node Scoring On Other Headers
20741 @section Scoring On Other Headers
20742 @cindex scoring on other headers
20744 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
20745 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
20746 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
20747 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
20748 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
20750 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
20751 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
20752 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
20753 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
20754 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
20756 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
20759 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
20760 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
20763 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
20764 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
20765 time if you have much mail.
20767 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
20768 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
20774 @section Scoring Tips
20775 @cindex scoring tips
20781 @cindex scoring crossposts
20782 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
20783 the @code{Xref} header.
20785 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
20788 @item Multiple crossposts
20789 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
20790 more than, say, 3 groups:
20793 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
20797 @item Matching on the body
20798 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
20799 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
20800 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
20801 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
20802 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
20803 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
20804 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
20807 @item Marking as read
20808 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
20809 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
20810 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
20814 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
20816 @item Negated character classes
20817 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
20818 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
20819 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
20823 @node Reverse Scoring
20824 @section Reverse Scoring
20825 @cindex reverse scoring
20827 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
20828 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
20829 like this in your score file:
20833 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
20838 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
20839 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
20842 @node Global Score Files
20843 @section Global Score Files
20844 @cindex global score files
20846 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
20847 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
20848 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
20850 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
20851 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
20852 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
20854 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
20855 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
20856 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
20857 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
20858 files are applicable to which group.
20860 To use the score file
20861 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
20862 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
20866 (setq gnus-global-score-files
20867 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
20868 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
20871 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
20873 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
20874 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
20875 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
20876 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
20878 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
20879 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
20881 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
20882 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
20883 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
20884 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
20885 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
20886 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
20888 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
20894 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
20896 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
20898 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
20900 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
20901 lowered out of existence.
20903 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
20904 articles completely.
20907 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
20908 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
20909 old articles for a long time.
20912 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
20913 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
20914 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
20915 holding our breath yet?
20919 @section Kill Files
20922 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
20923 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
20924 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
20926 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
20927 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
20928 files into score files.
20930 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
20931 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
20932 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
20933 that isn't a very good idea.
20935 Normal kill files look like this:
20938 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20939 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
20943 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
20944 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
20946 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
20947 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
20950 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
20955 @kindex M-k (Summary)
20956 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
20957 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
20960 @kindex M-K (Summary)
20961 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
20962 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
20965 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
20970 @kindex M-k (Group)
20971 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
20972 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
20975 @kindex M-K (Group)
20976 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
20977 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
20980 Kill file variables:
20983 @item gnus-kill-file-name
20984 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
20985 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
20986 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
20987 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
20988 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
20989 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
20991 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20992 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20993 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
20994 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
20997 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
20998 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
20999 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
21000 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
21001 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
21002 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
21003 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
21004 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
21005 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
21007 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
21008 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
21009 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
21014 @node Converting Kill Files
21015 @section Converting Kill Files
21017 @cindex converting kill files
21019 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
21020 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
21021 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
21024 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
21025 You can fetch it from
21026 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
21028 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
21029 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
21030 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
21034 @node Advanced Scoring
21035 @section Advanced Scoring
21037 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
21038 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
21039 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
21040 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
21041 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
21043 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
21047 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
21048 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
21049 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
21053 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
21054 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
21056 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
21057 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
21058 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
21059 non-@code{nil} value.
21061 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
21062 operator, and various match operators.
21069 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
21070 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
21071 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
21076 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
21077 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
21078 then this operator will return @code{false}.
21083 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
21084 logical negation of the value of its argument.
21088 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
21089 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
21090 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
21091 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
21092 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
21093 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
21094 the ancestry you want to go.
21096 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
21097 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
21098 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
21099 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
21100 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
21103 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
21104 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
21106 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
21107 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
21110 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
21111 when he's talking about Gnus:
21116 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21117 ("subject" "Gnus"))
21124 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
21128 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21135 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
21136 really don't want to read what he's written:
21140 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21141 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
21145 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
21146 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
21147 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
21154 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
21155 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
21156 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
21157 ("body" "white.*socks"))
21161 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
21162 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
21163 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
21164 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
21167 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21169 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21173 The possibilities are endless.
21175 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
21176 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
21178 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
21179 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
21180 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
21181 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
21182 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
21183 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
21184 @samp{subject}) first.
21186 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
21187 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
21198 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
21199 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
21205 ("subject" "Gnus")))
21212 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
21213 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
21218 @section Score Decays
21219 @cindex score decays
21222 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
21223 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
21224 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
21225 use them in any sensible way.
21227 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
21228 @findex gnus-decay-score
21229 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
21230 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
21231 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
21232 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
21233 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
21234 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
21235 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
21236 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
21237 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
21238 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
21242 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
21243 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
21244 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
21246 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
21248 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
21250 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
21251 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
21252 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
21253 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
21254 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
21256 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
21260 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
21261 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
21262 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
21263 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
21267 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
21270 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
21273 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
21277 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
21278 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
21279 the new score, which should be an integer.
21281 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
21282 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
21287 @include message.texi
21288 @chapter Emacs MIME
21289 @include emacs-mime.texi
21291 @include sieve.texi
21303 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
21304 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
21305 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
21306 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
21307 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
21308 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
21309 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
21310 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
21311 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
21312 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
21313 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
21314 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
21315 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
21316 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
21317 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
21318 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
21319 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
21320 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
21321 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
21322 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
21323 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
21324 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
21328 @node Process/Prefix
21329 @section Process/Prefix
21330 @cindex process/prefix convention
21332 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
21333 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
21335 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
21336 command to be performed on.
21340 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
21341 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
21342 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
21343 with the current one.
21345 @vindex transient-mark-mode
21346 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
21347 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
21349 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
21350 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
21353 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
21354 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
21356 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
21359 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
21360 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
21361 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
21362 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21364 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
21365 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
21366 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
21367 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
21368 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
21369 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
21370 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
21371 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
21373 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
21374 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
21375 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
21376 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
21377 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
21381 @section Interactive
21382 @cindex interaction
21386 @item gnus-novice-user
21387 @vindex gnus-novice-user
21388 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
21389 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
21390 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
21391 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
21394 @item gnus-expert-user
21395 @vindex gnus-expert-user
21396 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
21397 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
21398 matter how strange.
21400 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
21401 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
21402 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
21403 is @code{t} by default.
21405 @item gnus-interactive-exit
21406 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
21407 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21412 @node Symbolic Prefixes
21413 @section Symbolic Prefixes
21414 @cindex symbolic prefixes
21416 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
21417 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
21418 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
21419 rule of 900 to the current article.
21421 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
21422 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
21423 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
21424 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
21425 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
21426 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
21427 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
21429 @kindex M-i (Summary)
21430 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
21431 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
21432 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
21433 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
21434 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
21435 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
21436 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
21437 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
21439 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
21440 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
21441 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
21443 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
21447 @node Formatting Variables
21448 @section Formatting Variables
21449 @cindex formatting variables
21451 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
21452 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
21453 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
21454 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
21455 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
21458 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
21459 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
21460 lots of percentages everywhere.
21463 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
21464 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
21465 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
21466 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
21467 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
21468 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
21469 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
21470 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
21473 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
21474 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
21475 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
21476 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
21477 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
21478 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
21479 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
21480 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
21482 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
21483 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
21485 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
21486 @findex gnus-update-format
21487 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
21488 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
21489 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
21490 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
21494 @node Formatting Basics
21495 @subsection Formatting Basics
21497 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
21498 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
21499 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
21501 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
21502 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
21503 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
21504 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
21505 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
21508 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
21509 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
21510 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
21511 less than 4 characters wide.
21513 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
21514 @samp{%&user-date;}.
21517 @node Mode Line Formatting
21518 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
21520 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
21521 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
21522 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
21523 with the following two differences:
21528 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
21531 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
21532 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
21533 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
21534 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
21535 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
21536 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
21537 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
21542 @node Advanced Formatting
21543 @subsection Advanced Formatting
21545 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
21546 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
21547 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
21548 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
21550 These are the valid modifiers:
21555 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
21559 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
21564 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
21567 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
21572 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
21575 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
21578 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
21581 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
21587 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
21592 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
21593 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
21594 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
21595 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
21596 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
21597 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
21598 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
21600 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
21601 last operation, padding.
21603 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
21604 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
21605 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
21606 @xref{Compilation}.
21609 @node User-Defined Specs
21610 @subsection User-Defined Specs
21612 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
21613 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
21614 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
21615 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
21616 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
21617 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
21618 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
21619 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
21620 should protect against that.
21622 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
21623 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
21625 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
21626 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
21627 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
21628 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
21632 @node Formatting Fonts
21633 @subsection Formatting Fonts
21635 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
21636 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
21637 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
21638 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
21641 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
21642 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
21643 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
21644 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
21645 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
21646 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
21648 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
21649 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
21650 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
21651 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
21652 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
21653 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
21654 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
21655 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
21656 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
21657 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
21658 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
21661 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
21664 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
21665 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
21666 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
21668 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
21669 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
21670 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
21671 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
21672 ;; @r{Set the color.}
21673 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
21674 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
21676 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
21677 (setq gnus-group-line-format
21678 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
21681 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
21682 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
21684 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
21685 mode-line variables.
21687 @node Positioning Point
21688 @subsection Positioning Point
21690 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
21691 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
21692 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
21694 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
21696 @findex gnus-goto-colon
21697 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
21698 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
21700 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
21701 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
21702 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
21707 @subsection Tabulation
21709 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
21710 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
21711 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
21712 about lining up the following text afterwards.
21714 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
21715 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
21717 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
21718 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
21719 This is the soft tabulator.
21721 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
21722 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
21723 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
21726 @node Wide Characters
21727 @subsection Wide Characters
21729 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
21730 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
21731 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
21733 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
21734 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
21735 these countries, that's not true.
21737 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
21738 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
21739 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
21740 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
21744 @node Window Layout
21745 @section Window Layout
21746 @cindex window layout
21748 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
21750 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
21751 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
21752 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
21753 @code{t} by default.
21755 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
21756 glitches. Use at your own peril.
21758 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
21759 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
21760 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
21763 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
21764 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
21765 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
21769 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
21770 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
21771 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
21772 possible names is listed below.
21774 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
21775 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
21778 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
21782 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
21783 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
21784 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
21785 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
21786 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
21787 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
21788 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
21789 size spec per split.
21791 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
21792 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
21793 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
21794 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
21795 present) gets focus.
21797 Here's a more complicated example:
21800 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
21801 (summary 0.25 point)
21802 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
21806 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
21807 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
21808 occupy, not a percentage.
21810 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
21811 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
21812 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
21813 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
21814 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
21817 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
21820 (article (horizontal 1.0
21825 (summary 0.25 point)
21830 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
21831 @code{horizontal} thingie?
21833 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
21834 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
21835 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
21836 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
21837 the screen is to be given to this strip.
21839 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
21840 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
21841 lines from the splits.
21843 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
21848 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
21849 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
21850 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
21851 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
21852 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
21853 size = number | frame-params
21854 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
21858 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
21859 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
21860 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
21861 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
21863 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
21864 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
21865 @cindex window height
21866 @cindex window width
21867 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
21868 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
21869 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
21870 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
21871 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
21872 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
21874 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
21875 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
21876 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
21877 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
21879 @findex gnus-configure-frame
21880 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
21881 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
21882 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
21883 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
21884 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
21885 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
21886 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
21887 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
21888 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
21889 configuration list.
21892 (gnus-configure-frame
21896 (article 0.3 point))
21904 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
21905 @code{frame} split:
21908 (gnus-configure-frame
21911 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
21913 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
21914 (user-position . t)
21915 (left . -1) (top . 1))
21920 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
21921 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
21922 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
21923 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
21924 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
21925 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
21926 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
21927 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
21929 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
21930 be found in its default value.
21932 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
21933 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
21934 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
21938 (message (horizontal 1.0
21939 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
21941 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
21946 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
21947 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
21948 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
21953 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
21954 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
21955 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
21956 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
21957 (name . "Message"))
21958 (message 1.0 point))))
21961 @findex gnus-add-configuration
21962 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
21963 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
21964 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
21965 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
21968 (gnus-add-configuration
21969 '(article (vertical 1.0
21971 (summary .25 point)
21975 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
21976 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
21977 Gnus has been loaded.
21979 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
21980 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
21981 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
21982 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21983 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21985 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21986 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21987 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21990 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21994 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21995 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
22010 (gnus-add-configuration
22013 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22015 (summary 0.16 point)
22018 (gnus-add-configuration
22021 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22022 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
22028 @node Faces and Fonts
22029 @section Faces and Fonts
22034 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
22035 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
22036 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
22041 @section Compilation
22042 @cindex compilation
22043 @cindex byte-compilation
22045 @findex gnus-compile
22047 Remember all those line format specification variables?
22048 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
22049 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
22050 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
22051 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
22052 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
22055 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
22056 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
22057 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
22058 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
22059 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
22060 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
22061 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
22065 @section Mode Lines
22068 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
22069 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
22070 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
22071 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
22072 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
22073 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
22074 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
22077 @cindex display-time
22079 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
22080 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
22081 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
22082 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
22083 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
22084 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
22085 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
22086 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
22089 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
22091 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
22092 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
22094 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
22095 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
22096 (length display-time-string)))))
22099 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
22100 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
22101 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
22102 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
22103 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
22106 @node Highlighting and Menus
22107 @section Highlighting and Menus
22109 @cindex highlighting
22112 @vindex gnus-visual
22113 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
22114 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
22115 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
22118 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
22119 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
22122 @item group-highlight
22123 Do highlights in the group buffer.
22124 @item summary-highlight
22125 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
22126 @item article-highlight
22127 Do highlights in the article buffer.
22129 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
22131 Create menus in the group buffer.
22133 Create menus in the summary buffers.
22135 Create menus in the article buffer.
22137 Create menus in the browse buffer.
22139 Create menus in the server buffer.
22141 Create menus in the score buffers.
22143 Create menus in all buffers.
22146 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
22147 buffers, you could say something like:
22150 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
22153 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
22156 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
22159 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
22160 in all Gnus buffers.
22162 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
22165 @item gnus-mouse-face
22166 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22167 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
22168 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
22172 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
22176 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
22177 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
22178 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
22180 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
22181 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
22182 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
22184 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
22185 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
22186 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
22188 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
22189 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
22190 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
22192 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
22193 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
22194 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
22196 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
22197 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
22198 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
22209 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
22210 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
22211 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
22212 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
22213 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
22217 @vindex gnus-carpal
22218 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
22219 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
22220 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
22225 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22226 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22227 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
22229 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
22230 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
22231 Face used on buttons.
22233 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
22234 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
22235 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
22237 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22238 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22239 Buttons in the group buffer.
22241 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22242 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22243 Buttons in the summary buffer.
22245 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22246 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22247 Buttons in the server buffer.
22249 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22250 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22251 Buttons in the browse buffer.
22254 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
22255 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
22256 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
22264 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
22265 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
22266 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
22267 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
22268 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
22270 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
22271 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
22272 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
22274 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
22275 been idle for thirty minutes:
22278 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
22281 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
22285 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
22288 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
22289 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
22290 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22292 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
22293 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
22294 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
22295 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22297 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
22298 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
22299 @var{idle} minutes.
22301 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
22302 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
22305 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
22306 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
22307 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
22309 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
22310 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
22311 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
22312 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
22314 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
22315 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22317 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
22319 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
22322 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
22323 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
22324 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
22325 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
22326 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
22327 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
22328 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
22329 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
22330 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
22331 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
22332 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
22334 @findex gnus-demon-init
22335 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
22336 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
22337 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
22338 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
22339 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
22341 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
22342 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
22343 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
22352 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
22353 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
22355 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
22356 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
22357 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
22358 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
22361 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
22362 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
22363 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
22364 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
22366 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
22367 this will make spam disappear.
22369 There are some variables to customize, of course:
22372 @item gnus-use-nocem
22373 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
22374 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
22377 You can also set this variable to a positive number as a group level.
22378 In that case, Gnus scans NoCeM messages when checking new news if this
22379 value is not exceeding a group level that you specify as the prefix
22380 argument to some commands, e.g. @code{gnus},
22381 @code{gnus-group-get-new-news}, etc. Otherwise, Gnus does not scan
22382 NoCeM messages if you specify a group level to those commands. For
22383 example, if you use 1 or 2 on the mail groups and the levels on the news
22384 groups remain the default, 3 is the best choice.
22386 @item gnus-nocem-groups
22387 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
22388 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
22391 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
22392 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
22395 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
22396 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
22397 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
22398 people you want to listen to. The default is
22400 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
22401 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
22403 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
22405 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
22406 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
22408 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
22409 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
22410 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
22411 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
22412 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
22413 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
22414 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
22415 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
22416 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
22417 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
22419 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
22420 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
22423 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
22426 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
22427 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
22430 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
22433 The specs are applied left-to-right.
22436 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
22437 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
22439 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
22440 says she is. The default is @code{pgg-verify}, which returns
22441 non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful, otherwise (including
22442 the case the NoCeM message was not signed) returns @code{nil}. If this
22443 is too slow and you don't care for verification (which may be dangerous),
22444 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
22446 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
22447 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
22448 @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if you are willing to add the
22449 @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
22451 @item gnus-nocem-directory
22452 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
22453 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
22454 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
22456 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
22457 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
22458 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
22459 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
22460 might then see old spam.
22462 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
22463 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
22464 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
22465 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
22466 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
22469 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
22470 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
22471 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
22472 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
22476 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
22477 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
22478 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
22479 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
22486 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
22487 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
22488 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
22490 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
22491 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
22492 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
22493 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
22494 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
22495 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
22496 @code{undo} function.
22498 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
22499 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
22500 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
22501 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
22502 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
22503 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
22504 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
22505 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
22506 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
22507 never be totally undoable.
22509 @findex gnus-undo-mode
22510 @vindex gnus-use-undo
22512 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
22513 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
22514 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
22515 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
22519 @node Predicate Specifiers
22520 @section Predicate Specifiers
22521 @cindex predicate specifiers
22523 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
22524 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
22525 to type all that much.
22527 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
22532 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
22533 gnus-article-unread-p)
22536 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
22537 functions all take one parameter.
22539 @findex gnus-make-predicate
22540 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
22541 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
22542 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
22547 @section Moderation
22550 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
22551 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
22552 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
22555 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
22559 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
22562 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
22564 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
22569 You split your incoming mail by matching on
22570 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
22571 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
22574 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
22575 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
22578 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
22579 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
22583 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
22586 (setq gnus-moderated-list
22587 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
22591 @node Fetching a Group
22592 @section Fetching a Group
22593 @cindex fetching a group
22595 @findex gnus-fetch-group
22596 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
22597 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
22598 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
22599 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
22600 It takes the group name as a parameter.
22603 @node Image Enhancements
22604 @section Image Enhancements
22606 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
22607 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
22608 taken advantage of that.
22611 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
22612 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
22613 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
22614 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
22615 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
22623 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
22624 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
22625 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
22629 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
22630 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
22631 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
22639 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
22640 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
22641 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
22642 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
22643 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
22644 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
22645 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends. For XEmacs it's faster if
22646 XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The default action
22647 under Emacs without image support is to fork off the @code{display}
22650 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is from the
22651 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
22652 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
22654 The variable that controls this is the
22655 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
22656 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
22657 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
22658 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
22659 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
22661 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
22669 @vindex gnus-x-face
22670 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
22671 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
22672 default colors are black and white.
22674 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
22675 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
22676 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
22677 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
22678 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
22679 XEmacs. Here are examples:
22682 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
22683 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22684 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
22685 (png . (:ascent 80))))
22687 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
22688 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22689 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
22690 (png . (:relief -2))))
22693 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
22694 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
22695 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
22696 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
22697 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
22698 @samp{libcompface} library.
22701 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
22702 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
22703 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
22704 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
22705 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
22706 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
22708 @findex gnus-random-x-face
22709 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
22710 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
22711 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
22712 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
22713 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
22714 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
22715 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
22716 header data as a string.
22718 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
22719 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
22720 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
22721 randomly generated data.
22723 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
22724 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
22725 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
22726 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
22727 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
22729 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
22730 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22733 (setq message-required-news-headers
22734 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22735 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
22738 Using the last function would be something like this:
22741 (setq message-required-news-headers
22742 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22743 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
22744 (gnus-x-face-from-file
22745 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
22753 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
22755 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
22756 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
22757 represent the author of the message.
22760 @findex gnus-article-display-face
22761 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
22762 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
22765 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
22766 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
22768 Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
22771 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
22773 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
22775 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
22776 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
22778 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
22779 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
22780 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
22782 @findex gnus-face-from-file
22783 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
22784 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
22785 converts the file to Face format by using the
22786 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
22788 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
22789 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22792 (setq message-required-news-headers
22793 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22794 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
22795 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
22800 @subsection Smileys
22805 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
22810 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
22811 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
22813 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
22814 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22817 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
22820 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
22821 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
22822 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
22823 text and maps that to file names.
22825 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
22826 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
22827 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
22828 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
22829 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
22832 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
22837 @item smiley-data-directory
22838 @vindex smiley-data-directory
22839 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
22841 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
22842 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
22843 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
22857 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
22858 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
22859 over your shoulder as you read news.
22861 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
22870 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
22871 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
22872 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
22873 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
22874 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
22875 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
22876 @code{GIF} formats.
22879 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22880 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
22881 point your Web browser at
22882 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
22884 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
22885 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
22887 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
22888 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
22891 @vindex gnus-picon-style
22892 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
22893 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
22894 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
22896 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
22900 @item gnus-picon-databases
22901 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22902 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
22903 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
22904 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
22905 "/usr/local/faces")}.
22907 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
22908 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
22909 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22910 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
22912 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
22913 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
22914 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
22915 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
22917 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
22918 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
22919 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22920 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
22921 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
22923 @item gnus-picon-file-types
22924 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
22925 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
22926 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
22932 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
22935 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22936 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22937 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
22938 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
22939 unusual directory structure.
22941 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22942 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22943 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
22948 @subsubsection Toolbar
22952 @item gnus-use-toolbar
22953 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
22954 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
22955 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
22956 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
22957 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
22958 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
22959 names show. The default is @code{default}.
22961 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
22962 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
22963 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
22964 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
22965 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
22966 The default is that of the default toolbar.
22968 @item gnus-group-toolbar
22969 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
22970 The toolbar in the group buffer.
22972 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
22973 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
22974 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
22976 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22977 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22978 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
22989 @node Fuzzy Matching
22990 @section Fuzzy Matching
22991 @cindex fuzzy matching
22993 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
22994 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
22996 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
22997 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
22998 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
23000 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
23001 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
23002 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
23003 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
23004 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
23007 @node Thwarting Email Spam
23008 @section Thwarting Email Spam
23012 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23014 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
23015 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
23016 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
23017 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
23018 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
23019 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
23020 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
23021 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
23024 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
23025 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
23026 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
23027 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
23028 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
23029 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
23031 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
23034 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
23035 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
23036 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
23037 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
23040 @node The problem of spam
23041 @subsection The problem of spam
23043 @cindex spam filtering approaches
23044 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
23046 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23048 First, some background on spam.
23050 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
23051 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
23052 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
23053 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
23054 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
23055 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
23056 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
23057 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
23058 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
23060 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
23061 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
23062 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
23063 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
23064 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
23065 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
23066 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
23067 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
23068 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
23071 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
23072 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
23073 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
23074 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
23075 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
23076 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
23077 from Bulgarian IPs.
23079 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
23080 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
23081 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
23082 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
23084 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
23085 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
23086 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
23087 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
23089 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
23090 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
23091 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
23092 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
23093 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
23094 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
23095 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
23096 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
23097 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
23099 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
23100 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
23101 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
23102 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
23103 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
23104 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
23105 down for some time because of the incident.
23107 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
23108 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
23109 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
23110 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
23111 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
23112 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
23113 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
23114 to store the database of spam analyses. Statistical analysis on the
23115 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
23116 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
23117 the server that it has misclassified mail.
23119 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
23120 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
23121 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
23122 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
23123 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
23124 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
23125 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
23128 @node Anti-Spam Basics
23129 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
23133 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23135 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
23136 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
23138 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
23139 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
23140 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
23141 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
23142 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
23143 part of the mail address.)
23146 (setq message-default-news-headers
23147 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
23150 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23151 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23155 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
23156 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
23157 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
23162 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
23163 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
23164 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
23165 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
23167 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
23168 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
23169 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
23170 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
23171 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
23172 your fancy split rule in this way:
23177 (to "larsi" "misc")
23181 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
23182 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
23183 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
23184 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
23185 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
23187 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
23188 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
23189 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
23190 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
23192 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
23196 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
23197 @cindex SpamAssassin
23198 @cindex Vipul's Razor
23201 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
23202 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
23203 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
23204 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
23205 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
23206 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
23207 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
23209 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
23210 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
23211 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
23214 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
23215 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
23216 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
23217 Specifiers}) follow.
23221 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
23225 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
23228 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
23229 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
23230 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
23233 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
23237 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23240 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
23241 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
23245 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
23246 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
23247 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
23248 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
23251 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
23253 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
23257 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
23258 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
23262 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
23263 downloaded by default. You need to set
23264 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
23265 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
23267 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
23268 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
23269 spam. And here is the nifty function:
23272 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
23273 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
23275 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
23276 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
23277 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
23281 @subsection Hashcash
23284 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
23285 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
23286 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
23287 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
23288 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
23290 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
23291 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
23292 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
23293 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
23294 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
23295 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
23296 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
23297 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
23298 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
23299 one of them separately.
23302 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
23303 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
23304 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
23305 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
23306 need to install to use this feature, see
23307 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
23308 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
23310 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
23311 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
23312 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
23315 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
23318 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
23322 @item hashcash-default-payment
23323 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
23324 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
23325 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
23328 @item hashcash-payment-alist
23329 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
23330 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
23331 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
23332 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
23333 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
23334 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
23335 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
23336 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
23338 @item hashcash-path
23339 @vindex hashcash-path
23340 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
23341 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
23342 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
23343 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
23344 when you generate hashcash payments.
23348 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
23349 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
23350 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
23351 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
23352 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
23353 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
23354 Hashcash Payments}).
23357 @section Spam Package
23358 @cindex spam filtering
23361 The Spam package provides Gnus with a centralized mechanism for
23362 detecting and filtering spam. It filters new mail, and processes
23363 messages according to whether they are spam or ham. (@dfn{Ham} is the
23364 name used throughout this manual to indicate non-spam messages.)
23367 * Spam Package Introduction::
23368 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
23369 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
23370 * Spam and Ham Processors::
23371 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
23373 * Extending the Spam package::
23374 * Spam Statistics Package::
23377 @node Spam Package Introduction
23378 @subsection Spam Package Introduction
23379 @cindex spam filtering
23380 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
23383 You must read this section to understand how the Spam package works.
23384 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
23386 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
23387 events. See @xref{Extending the Spam package}.
23389 @cindex spam-initialize
23390 @vindex spam-use-stat
23391 To use the Spam package, you @strong{must} first run the function
23392 @code{spam-initialize}:
23398 This autoloads @code{spam.el} and installs the various hooks necessary
23399 to let the Spam package do its job. In order to make use of the Spam
23400 package, you have to set up certain group parameters and variables,
23401 which we will describe below. All of the variables controlling the
23402 Spam package can be found in the @samp{spam} customization group.
23404 There are two ``contact points'' between the Spam package and the rest
23405 of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and leaving a group.
23407 Checking new mail for spam is done in one of two ways: while splitting
23408 incoming mail, or when you enter a group.
23410 The first way, checking for spam while splitting incoming mail, is
23411 suited to mail back ends such as @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap}, where
23412 new mail appears in a single spool file. The Spam package processes
23413 incoming mail, and sends mail considered to be spam to a designated
23414 ``spam'' group. @xref{Filtering Incoming Mail}.
23416 The second way is suited to back ends such as @code{nntp}, which have
23417 no incoming mail spool, or back ends where the server is in charge of
23418 splitting incoming mail. In this case, when you enter a Gnus group,
23419 the unseen or unread messages in that group are checked for spam.
23420 Detected spam messages are marked as spam. @xref{Detecting Spam in
23423 @cindex spam back ends
23424 In either case, you have to tell the Spam package what method to use
23425 to detect spam messages. There are several methods, or @dfn{spam back
23426 ends} (not to be confused with Gnus back ends!) to choose from: spam
23427 ``blacklists'' and ``whitelists'', dictionary-based filters, and so
23428 forth. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
23430 In the Gnus summary buffer, messages that have been identified as spam
23431 always appear with a @samp{$} symbol.
23433 The Spam package divides Gnus groups into three categories: ham
23434 groups, spam groups, and unclassified groups. You should mark each of
23435 the groups you subscribe to as either a ham group or a spam group,
23436 using the @code{spam-contents} group parameter (@pxref{Group
23437 Parameters}). Spam groups have a special property: when you enter a
23438 spam group, all unseen articles are marked as spam. Thus, mail split
23439 into a spam group is automatically marked as spam.
23441 Identifying spam messages is only half of the Spam package's job. The
23442 second half comes into play whenever you exit a group buffer. At this
23443 point, the Spam package does several things:
23445 First, it calls @dfn{spam and ham processors} to process the articles
23446 according to whether they are spam or ham. There is a pair of spam
23447 and ham processors associated with each spam back end, and what the
23448 processors do depends on the back end. At present, the main role of
23449 spam and ham processors is for dictionary-based spam filters: they add
23450 the contents of the messages in the group to the filter's dictionary,
23451 to improve its ability to detect future spam. The @code{spam-process}
23452 group parameter specifies what spam processors to use. @xref{Spam and
23455 If the spam filter failed to mark a spam message, you can mark it
23456 yourself, so that the message is processed as spam when you exit the
23466 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
23467 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
23468 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark
23469 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}).
23473 Similarly, you can unmark an article if it has been erroneously marked
23474 as spam. @xref{Setting Marks}.
23476 Normally, a ham message found in a non-ham group is not processed as
23477 ham---the rationale is that it should be moved into a ham group for
23478 further processing (see below). However, you can force these articles
23479 to be processed as ham by setting
23480 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
23481 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups}.
23483 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
23484 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
23485 The second thing that the Spam package does when you exit a group is
23486 to move ham articles out of spam groups, and spam articles out of ham
23487 groups. Ham in a spam group is moved to the group specified by the
23488 variable @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}, or the group parameter
23489 @code{ham-process-destination}. Spam in a ham group is moved to the
23490 group specified by the variable @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations},
23491 or the group parameter @code{spam-process-destination}. If these
23492 variables are not set, the articles are left in their current group.
23493 If an article cannot not be moved (e.g., with a read-only backend such
23494 as @acronym{NNTP}), it is copied.
23496 If an article is moved to another group, it is processed again when
23497 you visit the new group. Normally, this is not a problem, but if you
23498 want each article to be processed only once, load the
23499 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and set the variable
23500 @code{spam-log-to-registry} to @code{t}. @xref{Spam Package
23501 Configuration Examples}.
23503 Normally, spam groups ignore @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations}.
23504 However, if you set @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only} to
23505 @code{nil}, spam will also be moved out of spam groups, depending on
23506 the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter.
23508 The final thing the Spam package does is to mark spam articles as
23509 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
23511 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
23512 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
23513 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
23515 @node Filtering Incoming Mail
23516 @subsection Filtering Incoming Mail
23517 @cindex spam filtering
23518 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
23521 To use the Spam package to filter incoming mail, you must first set up
23522 fancy mail splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}. The Spam package
23523 defines a special splitting function that you can add to your fancy
23524 split variable (either @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
23525 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on your mail back end):
23531 @vindex spam-split-group
23533 The @code{spam-split} function scans incoming mail according to your
23534 chosen spam back end(s), and sends messages identified as spam to a
23535 spam group. By default, the spam group is a group named @samp{spam},
23536 but you can change this by customizing @code{spam-split-group}. Make
23537 sure the contents of @code{spam-split-group} are an unqualified group
23538 name. For instance, in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server},
23539 the value @samp{spam} means @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The value
23540 @samp{nnimap+server:spam} is therefore wrong---it gives the group
23541 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam}.
23543 @code{spam-split} does not modify the contents of messages in any way.
23545 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
23546 Note for IMAP users: if you use the @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
23547 @code{spam-check-ifile}, and @code{spam-check-stat} spam back ends,
23548 you should also set set the variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body}
23549 to @code{t}. These spam back ends are most useful when they can
23550 ``scan'' the full message body. By default, the nnimap back end only
23551 retrieves the message headers; @code{nnimap-split-download-body} tells
23552 it to retrieve the message bodies as well. We don't set this by
23553 default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and that is not an
23554 appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user. @xref{Splitting
23557 You have to specify one or more spam back ends for @code{spam-split}
23558 to use, by setting the @code{spam-use-*} variables. @xref{Spam Back
23559 Ends}. Normally, @code{spam-split} simply uses all the spam back ends
23560 you enabled in this way. However, you can tell @code{spam-split} to
23561 use only some of them. Why this is useful? Suppose you are using the
23562 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and @code{spam-use-blackholes} spam back
23563 ends, and the following split rule:
23566 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23567 (any "ding" "ding")
23569 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23574 The problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the ding
23575 folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam detected by
23576 SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through, when it's
23577 sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to the ding
23578 list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the invocation
23579 of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
23581 The solution is to let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, and
23582 perform the other @code{spam-split} rules (including a second
23583 invocation of the regex-headers check) after the ding rule. This is
23584 done by passing a parameter to @code{spam-split}:
23589 ;; @r{spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
23590 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23591 (any "ding" "ding")
23592 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
23594 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23599 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
23600 your particular needs, and target the results of those checks to a
23601 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
23602 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
23603 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
23604 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
23605 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
23607 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
23608 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
23609 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
23610 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
23612 @c @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
23613 @c statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
23616 @node Detecting Spam in Groups
23617 @subsection Detecting Spam in Groups
23619 To detect spam when visiting a group, set the group's
23620 @code{spam-autodetect} and @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group
23621 parameters. These are accessible with @kbd{G c} or @kbd{G p}, as
23622 usual (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
23624 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
23625 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
23626 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
23627 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
23629 By default, only unseen articles are processed for spam. You can
23630 force Gnus to recheck all messages in the group by setting the
23631 variable @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages} to @code{t}.
23633 If you use the @code{spam-autodetect} method of checking for spam, you
23634 can specify different spam detection methods for different groups.
23635 For instance, the @samp{ding} group may have @code{spam-use-BBDB} as
23636 the autodetection method, while the @samp{suspect} group may have the
23637 @code{spam-use-blacklist} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods
23638 enabled. Unlike with @code{spam-split}, you don't have any control
23639 over the @emph{sequence} of checks, but this is probably unimportant.
23641 @node Spam and Ham Processors
23642 @subsection Spam and Ham Processors
23643 @cindex spam filtering
23644 @cindex spam filtering variables
23645 @cindex spam variables
23648 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
23649 Spam and ham processors specify special actions to take when you exit
23650 a group buffer. Spam processors act on spam messages, and ham
23651 processors on ham messages. At present, the main role of these
23652 processors is to update the dictionaries of dictionary-based spam back
23653 ends such as Bogofilter (@pxref{Bogofilter}) and the Spam Statistics
23654 package (@pxref{Spam Statistics Filtering}).
23656 The spam and ham processors that apply to each group are determined by
23657 the group's@code{spam-process} group parameter. If this group
23658 parameter is not defined, they are determined by the variable
23659 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups}.
23661 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23662 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
23663 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
23664 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
23665 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
23666 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
23667 by customizing the corresponding variable
23668 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
23669 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
23670 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
23671 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
23672 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
23673 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
23674 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
23677 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
23679 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
23680 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
23681 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
23682 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
23683 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
23684 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
23685 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
23686 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
23687 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
23688 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
23689 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
23690 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
23691 processor which will study them as spam samples.
23693 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
23694 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
23695 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
23696 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
23697 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
23698 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
23699 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
23700 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
23703 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23704 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
23705 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
23706 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
23707 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
23708 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
23709 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
23714 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23715 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
23716 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
23717 you really want to.
23720 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
23721 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
23722 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
23723 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
23724 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
23725 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
23728 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
23729 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
23730 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
23731 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
23732 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
23733 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
23734 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
23735 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
23736 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
23737 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
23738 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
23739 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
23740 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
23741 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
23742 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
23744 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23745 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23747 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23748 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
23749 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
23751 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
23752 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
23754 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
23755 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
23756 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
23757 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
23758 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
23760 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
23761 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
23762 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
23763 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
23764 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
23767 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
23768 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
23769 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
23770 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
23771 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
23772 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
23773 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
23774 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
23775 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
23776 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
23777 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
23778 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
23779 group buffer then you need it here as well.
23781 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23782 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23784 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23785 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
23788 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
23789 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
23790 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
23791 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
23792 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
23793 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
23794 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
23796 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
23797 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
23798 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
23799 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
23801 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
23802 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
23803 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
23804 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
23805 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
23806 from the mail server.
23808 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
23809 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
23810 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
23811 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
23813 @node Spam Package Configuration Examples
23814 @subsection Spam Package Configuration Examples
23815 @cindex spam filtering
23816 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
23817 @cindex spam configuration examples
23820 @subsubheading Ted's setup
23822 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
23824 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
23825 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
23826 (gnus-registry-initialize)
23829 ;; @r{I like @kbd{C-s} for marking spam}
23830 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map "\C-s" 'gnus-summary-mark-as-spam)
23833 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
23835 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
23836 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
23837 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23838 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23839 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
23840 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
23841 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
23842 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
23843 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23844 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
23845 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23846 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
23847 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
23848 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
23849 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23850 (any "ding" "ding")
23851 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
23853 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23856 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
23858 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
23859 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
23860 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
23861 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
23863 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23865 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
23866 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
23867 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
23868 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
23869 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23871 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
23872 ((spam-autodetect . t))
23874 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
23876 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
23877 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
23879 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
23880 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
23881 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
23883 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
23885 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
23886 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
23888 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
23889 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
23890 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
23892 (gnus-ticked-mark))
23893 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
23894 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
23895 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
23897 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
23898 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
23899 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
23903 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
23904 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23906 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
23907 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
23908 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
23909 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
23910 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
23911 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
23912 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
23913 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
23914 @samp{training.spam} folders.
23916 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
23917 does most of the job for me:
23920 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
23921 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
23922 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
23923 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23924 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
23925 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
23926 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
23931 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
23933 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
23934 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
23935 bogofilter or DCC).
23937 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
23938 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
23939 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark
23940 (@code{ham-marks}, @ref{Spam and Ham Processors}). On group exit,
23941 those messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want
23942 to have the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter)
23943 and deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
23945 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
23946 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
23947 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
23948 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
23949 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
23950 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
23952 @item @b{Ham folders:}
23954 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
23955 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
23956 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
23957 @samp{training.spam}.
23960 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
23962 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23964 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
23965 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
23966 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
23970 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
23973 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
23974 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
23975 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
23976 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
23977 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
23979 @node Spam Back Ends
23980 @subsection Spam Back Ends
23981 @cindex spam back ends
23983 The spam package offers a variety of back ends for detecting spam.
23984 Each back end defines a set of methods for detecting spam
23985 (@pxref{Filtering Incoming Mail}, @pxref{Detecting Spam in Groups}),
23986 and a pair of spam and ham processors (@pxref{Spam and Ham
23990 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
23991 * BBDB Whitelists::
23992 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
23993 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
23995 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
23997 * SpamAssassin back end::
23998 * ifile spam filtering::
23999 * Spam Statistics Filtering::
24003 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
24004 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
24005 @cindex spam filtering
24006 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
24007 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
24010 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
24012 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
24013 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
24014 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
24015 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
24020 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
24022 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
24023 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
24024 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24025 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
24026 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24030 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
24032 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
24033 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24034 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
24038 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
24040 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24041 customizing the group parameters or the
24042 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24043 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24044 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
24048 Instead of the obsolete
24049 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
24050 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
24051 the same way, we promise.
24055 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
24057 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24058 customizing the group parameters or the
24059 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24060 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24061 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24066 Instead of the obsolete
24067 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
24068 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
24069 the same way, we promise.
24073 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
24074 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
24075 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
24076 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
24077 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
24079 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
24080 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
24081 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
24082 Emacs regular expression syntax.
24084 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
24085 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
24086 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
24087 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
24088 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
24089 @file{blacklist} respectively.
24091 @node BBDB Whitelists
24092 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
24093 @cindex spam filtering
24094 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
24095 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
24098 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
24100 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24101 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
24102 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
24103 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
24104 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24105 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
24106 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24110 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
24112 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
24113 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24114 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
24115 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
24116 classified as spammers.
24118 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
24119 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
24120 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
24121 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
24126 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
24128 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24129 customizing the group parameters or the
24130 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24131 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24132 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24137 Instead of the obsolete
24138 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
24139 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
24140 the same way, we promise.
24144 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
24145 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
24146 @cindex spam reporting
24147 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24148 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24151 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
24153 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24154 customizing the group parameters or the
24155 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24156 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24157 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
24160 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
24164 Instead of the obsolete
24165 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
24166 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
24167 same way, we promise.
24171 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
24173 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
24174 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
24175 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
24176 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
24177 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
24181 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
24183 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
24184 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
24185 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
24189 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24190 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24191 @cindex spam filtering
24192 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
24195 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
24197 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24198 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
24199 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
24200 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
24201 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
24202 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24207 @subsubsection Blackholes
24208 @cindex spam filtering
24209 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
24212 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
24214 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
24215 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
24216 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
24217 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
24218 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
24219 contains outdated servers.
24221 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
24222 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
24223 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
24224 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
24225 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
24226 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
24230 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
24232 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
24236 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
24238 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
24239 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
24243 @defvar spam-use-dig
24245 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
24246 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
24250 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
24251 ham processor for blackholes.
24253 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
24254 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
24255 @cindex spam filtering
24256 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
24259 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
24261 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
24262 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
24263 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
24264 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
24265 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
24266 message is spam or ham, respectively.
24270 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
24272 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24273 the message, positively identify it as spam.
24277 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
24279 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24280 the message, positively identify it as ham.
24284 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
24285 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
24288 @subsubsection Bogofilter
24289 @cindex spam filtering
24290 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
24293 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
24295 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24298 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
24299 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
24300 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
24301 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
24302 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
24303 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
24305 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
24306 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
24309 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
24310 processing will be turned off.
24312 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
24321 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
24322 Get the Bogofilter spamicity score (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}).
24325 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
24327 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24328 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
24329 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
24330 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
24331 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
24332 installation documents for details.
24334 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
24338 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
24339 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24340 customizing the group parameters or the
24341 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24342 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
24343 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
24347 Instead of the obsolete
24348 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24349 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24350 the same way, we promise.
24353 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
24354 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24355 customizing the group parameters or the
24356 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24357 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24358 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
24359 of non-spam messages.
24363 Instead of the obsolete
24364 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24365 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24366 the same way, we promise.
24369 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
24371 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
24372 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
24373 database directory.
24377 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
24378 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24379 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
24380 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
24381 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
24382 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
24384 @node SpamAssassin back end
24385 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
24386 @cindex spam filtering
24387 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
24390 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
24392 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
24394 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
24395 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
24396 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
24397 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
24400 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
24401 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
24402 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
24403 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
24406 You should not enable this if you use
24407 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
24411 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
24413 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
24414 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
24416 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
24420 @defvar spam-spamassassin-path
24422 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
24423 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
24424 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
24425 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
24429 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
24430 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
24431 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
24432 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
24433 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
24434 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
24435 to test this functionality.
24437 @node ifile spam filtering
24438 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
24439 @cindex spam filtering
24440 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
24443 @defvar spam-use-ifile
24445 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
24446 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
24450 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
24452 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
24453 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
24454 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
24458 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
24460 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
24461 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
24462 the default value of @samp{spam}.
24465 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
24467 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
24468 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
24472 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
24473 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24474 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
24475 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
24478 @node Spam Statistics Filtering
24479 @subsubsection Spam Statistics Filtering
24480 @cindex spam filtering
24481 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
24485 This back end uses the Spam Statistics Emacs Lisp package to perform
24486 statistics-based filtering (@pxref{Spam Statistics Package}). Before
24487 using this, you may want to perform some additional steps to
24488 initialize your Spam Statistics dictionary. @xref{Creating a
24489 spam-stat dictionary}.
24491 @defvar spam-use-stat
24495 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
24496 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24497 customizing the group parameters or the
24498 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24499 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24500 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
24504 Instead of the obsolete
24505 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24506 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24507 the same way, we promise.
24510 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
24511 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24512 customizing the group parameters or the
24513 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24514 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24515 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
24516 of non-spam messages.
24520 Instead of the obsolete
24521 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24522 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24523 the same way, we promise.
24526 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
24527 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
24528 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
24529 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
24530 @code{spam-split} are provided.
24533 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
24534 @cindex spam filtering
24538 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
24539 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
24540 installed separately.
24542 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
24543 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
24544 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
24545 mail as a spam mail or not.
24547 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
24548 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
24549 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
24551 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Spam Package})
24554 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
24555 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
24556 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
24557 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}. @xref{Spam
24558 Package}. In this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is
24559 filtered using SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be
24560 moved to @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham
24561 messages stay in @samp{INBOX}:
24564 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
24565 spam-split-group "Junk"
24566 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
24567 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
24568 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
24571 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
24572 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
24576 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
24577 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
24578 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
24582 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
24583 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
24584 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
24585 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
24586 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
24587 database to live somewhere special, set
24588 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
24591 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
24592 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
24593 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns
24594 the characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
24595 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
24596 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary
24597 buffer and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using
24598 @file{spam.el}'s spam- and ham-processors, which is much more
24599 convenient. For a detailed description of spam- and ham-processors,
24600 @xref{Spam Package}.
24602 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
24603 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24604 customizing the group parameter or the
24605 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24606 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
24607 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
24611 Instead of the obsolete
24612 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24613 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24614 the same way, we promise.
24617 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
24618 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24619 customizing the group parameter or the
24620 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24621 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
24622 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
24627 Instead of the obsolete
24628 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24629 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24630 the same way, we promise.
24633 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
24634 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
24637 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
24638 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
24639 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
24641 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
24642 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
24643 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
24644 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
24645 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
24646 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
24648 @node Extending the Spam package
24649 @subsection Extending the Spam package
24650 @cindex spam filtering
24651 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
24652 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
24654 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
24655 incoming mail, provide the following:
24663 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
24664 "True if blackbox should be used.")
24667 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
24669 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
24670 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
24671 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
24672 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
24673 register/unregister spam and ham.
24678 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
24679 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
24680 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
24681 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
24686 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
24693 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
24694 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
24696 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
24697 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
24698 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
24699 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
24702 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
24703 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
24704 Only applicable to spam groups.")
24706 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
24707 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
24708 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
24717 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
24718 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
24720 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
24721 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
24722 variable customization.
24726 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
24728 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
24729 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
24731 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
24732 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
24738 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
24740 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
24741 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
24742 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
24745 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
24747 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
24748 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
24752 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
24754 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
24755 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
24756 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
24760 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
24762 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
24763 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
24764 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
24767 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
24769 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
24770 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
24774 @code{spam-install-backend}
24776 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
24777 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
24778 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
24781 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
24783 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
24784 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
24785 never install such a back end.
24790 @node Spam Statistics Package
24791 @subsection Spam Statistics Package
24792 @cindex Paul Graham
24793 @cindex Graham, Paul
24794 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
24795 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
24796 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
24798 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
24799 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
24800 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
24801 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
24802 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
24803 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
24804 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
24805 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
24806 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
24809 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
24810 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
24811 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
24812 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
24813 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
24814 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
24815 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
24816 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
24818 The Spam Statistics package adds support to Gnus for this kind of
24819 filtering. It can be used as one of the back ends of the Spam package
24820 (@pxref{Spam Package}), or by itself.
24822 Before using the Spam Statistics package, you need to set it up.
24823 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
24824 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
24825 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
24826 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
24829 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
24830 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
24831 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
24834 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
24835 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
24837 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
24838 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
24839 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
24840 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
24841 need several hundred emails in both collections.
24843 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
24844 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
24845 per mail. Use the following:
24847 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
24848 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
24849 is treated as one spam mail.
24852 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
24853 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
24854 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
24857 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
24858 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
24859 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
24860 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
24861 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
24862 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
24864 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
24865 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
24866 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
24867 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
24868 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
24871 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
24872 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
24873 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
24874 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
24877 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
24878 reset the dictionary.
24880 @defun spam-stat-reset
24881 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
24884 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
24885 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
24886 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
24887 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
24888 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
24889 only non-spam mails.
24891 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
24892 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
24893 to update the dictionary incrementally.
24896 @defun spam-stat-save
24897 Save the dictionary.
24900 @defvar spam-stat-file
24901 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
24902 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
24905 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
24906 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
24908 This section describes how to use the Spam statistics
24909 @emph{independently} of the @xref{Spam Package}.
24911 First, add the following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24914 (require 'spam-stat)
24918 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
24921 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
24922 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
24923 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
24924 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
24926 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
24927 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
24928 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
24929 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
24932 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24933 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24937 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
24938 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
24941 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
24942 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
24943 expression are considered potential spam.
24946 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24947 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24948 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24952 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
24953 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
24954 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
24955 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
24956 mails, when creating the dictionary!
24959 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24960 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24961 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24965 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
24966 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
24967 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
24968 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
24969 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
24973 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24974 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
24975 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24976 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24981 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24982 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24984 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
24986 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
24987 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
24988 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24991 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
24992 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
24993 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24996 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
24997 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
24998 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
24999 already been processed as non-spam.
25002 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
25003 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
25004 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
25005 been processed as spam.
25008 @defun spam-stat-save
25009 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
25010 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25013 @defun spam-stat-load
25014 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
25015 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25018 @defun spam-stat-score-word
25019 Return the spam score for a word.
25022 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
25023 Return the spam score for a buffer.
25026 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
25027 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
25028 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
25031 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
25032 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25035 (require 'spam-stat)
25039 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
25042 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25043 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25044 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25045 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25046 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25047 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25048 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25049 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25050 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25051 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25052 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25053 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25054 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25055 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25058 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
25061 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25062 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25063 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25064 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
25065 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25066 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25070 @section Interaction with other modes
25075 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provided some useful functions for dired
25076 buffers. It is enabled with
25078 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
25083 @findex gnus-dired-attach
25084 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
25085 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
25088 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
25089 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
25090 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
25094 @findex gnus-dired-print
25095 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
25096 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
25099 @node Various Various
25100 @section Various Various
25106 @item gnus-home-directory
25107 @vindex gnus-home-directory
25108 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
25109 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
25111 @item gnus-directory
25112 @vindex gnus-directory
25113 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
25114 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
25115 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
25117 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
25118 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
25119 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
25120 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
25122 @item gnus-default-directory
25123 @vindex gnus-default-directory
25124 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
25125 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
25126 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
25127 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
25128 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
25129 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
25132 @vindex gnus-verbose
25133 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
25134 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
25135 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
25136 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
25137 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
25139 @item gnus-verbose-backends
25140 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
25141 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
25142 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
25144 @item nnheader-max-head-length
25145 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
25146 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
25147 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
25148 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
25149 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
25150 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
25151 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
25152 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
25153 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
25155 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
25156 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
25157 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
25158 read when doing the operation described above.
25160 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25161 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25163 @cindex invalid characters in file names
25164 @cindex characters in file names
25165 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
25166 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
25167 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
25171 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25176 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
25177 Windows (phooey) systems.
25179 @item gnus-hidden-properties
25180 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
25181 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
25182 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
25183 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
25185 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
25186 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
25187 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
25188 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
25189 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
25191 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
25192 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
25193 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
25195 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25196 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25198 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
25199 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
25200 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
25201 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
25204 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
25212 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
25213 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
25215 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
25217 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
25223 Not because of victories @*
25226 but for the common sunshine,@*
25228 the largess of the spring.
25232 but for the day's work done@*
25233 as well as I was able;@*
25234 not for a seat upon the dais@*
25235 but at the common table.@*
25240 @chapter Appendices
25243 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
25244 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
25245 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
25246 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
25247 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
25248 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
25249 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
25250 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
25251 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
25258 @cindex installing under XEmacs
25260 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
25261 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
25262 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
25263 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
25264 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
25265 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
25272 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
25273 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
25275 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
25276 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
25277 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
25278 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
25279 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
25281 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
25282 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
25283 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
25284 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
25285 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
25286 appropriate name, don't you think?)
25288 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
25289 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
25290 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
25291 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
25294 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
25295 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
25296 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
25297 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
25298 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
25299 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
25300 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
25301 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
25302 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
25306 @node Gnus Versions
25307 @subsection Gnus Versions
25309 @cindex September Gnus
25311 @cindex Quassia Gnus
25312 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
25315 @cindex Gnus versions
25317 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
25318 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
25319 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
25321 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
25322 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
25324 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
25325 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
25327 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
25328 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
25330 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
25331 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
25334 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
25335 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
25337 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
25339 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
25340 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
25341 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
25342 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
25343 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
25344 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
25347 @node Other Gnus Versions
25348 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
25351 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
25352 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
25353 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
25354 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
25356 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
25357 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
25358 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
25359 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
25366 What's the point of Gnus?
25368 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
25369 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
25370 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
25371 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
25372 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
25373 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
25374 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
25375 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
25376 keep track of millions of people who post?
25378 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
25379 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
25380 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
25381 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
25382 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
25383 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
25384 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
25385 every one of you to explore and invent.
25387 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
25388 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
25391 @node Compatibility
25392 @subsection Compatibility
25394 @cindex compatibility
25395 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
25396 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
25397 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
25402 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
25406 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
25409 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
25412 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
25413 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
25414 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
25415 important variables have their values copied into their global
25416 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
25417 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
25419 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
25420 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
25421 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
25422 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
25423 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
25427 @cindex highlighting
25428 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
25429 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
25430 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
25431 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
25432 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
25433 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
25436 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
25437 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
25438 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
25439 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
25441 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
25442 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
25443 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
25444 to stop doing it the old way.
25446 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
25448 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
25450 @cindex reporting bugs
25452 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
25453 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
25454 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
25456 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
25457 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
25458 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
25459 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
25464 @subsection Conformity
25466 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
25467 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
25475 There are no known breaches of this standard.
25479 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
25481 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
25482 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
25483 We do have some breaches to this one.
25489 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
25490 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
25491 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
25492 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
25493 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
25498 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
25499 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
25500 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
25501 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
25503 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
25504 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
25505 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
25507 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
25508 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
25510 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
25513 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
25514 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
25515 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
25516 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
25517 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
25520 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
25521 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
25522 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
25523 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
25525 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
25526 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
25528 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
25529 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
25530 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
25531 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
25532 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
25533 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
25534 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
25535 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
25539 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
25540 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
25545 @subsection Emacsen
25551 Gnus should work on:
25559 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
25563 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
25564 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
25565 Emacs versions. Particularly, Gnus 5.10.8 should also work on Emacs
25566 20.7 and XEmacs 21.1.
25568 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
25569 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
25570 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
25574 @node Gnus Development
25575 @subsection Gnus Development
25577 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
25578 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
25579 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
25580 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
25581 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
25582 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
25583 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
25584 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
25586 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
25587 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
25588 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
25589 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
25590 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
25593 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
25594 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
25595 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
25596 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
25597 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
25599 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
25600 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
25601 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
25602 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
25603 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
25604 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
25605 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
25606 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
25607 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
25608 can't be assumed to do so.
25613 @subsection Contributors
25614 @cindex contributors
25616 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
25617 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
25618 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
25619 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
25620 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
25621 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
25622 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
25623 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
25624 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
25625 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
25627 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
25633 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
25636 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
25637 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
25638 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
25639 functionality and stuff.
25642 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
25643 well as numerous other things).
25646 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
25649 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
25652 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
25655 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
25658 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
25659 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
25662 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
25665 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
25668 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
25671 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
25674 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
25677 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
25680 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
25681 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
25684 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
25687 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
25690 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
25693 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
25697 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
25700 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
25703 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
25706 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
25707 well as autoconf support.
25711 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
25712 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
25714 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
25729 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
25731 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
25735 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
25745 Alexei V. Barantsev,
25760 Massimo Campostrini,
25765 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
25766 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
25770 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
25773 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
25779 Michael Welsh Duggan,
25784 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
25788 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
25796 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
25798 Michelangelo Grigni,
25802 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
25804 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
25806 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
25813 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
25814 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
25815 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
25817 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
25827 Peter Skov Knudsen,
25828 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
25830 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
25831 Thor Kristoffersen,
25834 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
25852 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
25853 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
25860 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
25865 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
25869 John McClary Prevost,
25875 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
25880 Christian von Roques,
25883 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
25890 Philippe Schnoebelen,
25892 Randal L. Schwartz,
25906 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
25911 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
25931 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
25932 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
25933 (550kB and counting).
25935 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
25938 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
25939 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
25943 @subsection New Features
25944 @cindex new features
25947 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
25948 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
25949 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
25950 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
25951 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
25952 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
25953 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
25956 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
25957 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
25958 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
25961 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
25963 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
25968 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
25969 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
25972 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
25973 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
25976 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
25979 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
25980 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
25981 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
25984 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
25985 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
25986 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
25987 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
25990 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
25991 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25994 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
25995 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
25996 (@pxref{The Active File}).
25999 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
26000 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
26003 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
26004 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
26005 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26008 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
26009 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
26010 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
26013 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
26014 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
26017 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
26018 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
26021 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
26022 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
26025 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
26026 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26029 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
26030 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
26033 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
26034 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26037 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
26040 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
26041 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
26044 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
26045 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
26048 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
26049 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
26052 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
26055 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
26056 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26059 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
26063 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
26067 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
26068 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
26071 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
26077 @node September Gnus
26078 @subsubsection September Gnus
26082 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
26086 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
26091 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
26092 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
26096 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
26097 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
26101 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
26105 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
26106 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
26109 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
26113 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
26116 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
26119 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
26122 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
26126 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
26127 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
26130 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
26134 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
26138 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
26142 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
26146 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
26149 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
26150 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
26153 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
26157 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
26158 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
26161 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
26164 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
26165 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
26166 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26169 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
26173 The Gnus cache is much faster.
26176 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
26180 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
26181 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
26184 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
26185 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
26188 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
26189 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
26192 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
26193 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
26194 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
26197 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
26198 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
26201 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
26204 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26207 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
26210 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
26213 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
26214 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
26217 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
26221 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
26224 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
26229 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
26232 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
26236 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26239 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
26243 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
26246 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
26249 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
26250 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26253 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
26254 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
26258 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
26259 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
26262 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
26266 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
26267 buffer to allow easier treatment.
26270 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
26273 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
26277 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
26281 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
26282 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
26285 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
26289 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
26290 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26293 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
26294 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26297 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
26301 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26304 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
26307 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
26313 @subsubsection Red Gnus
26315 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
26319 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
26326 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
26329 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
26330 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26333 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
26334 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
26338 Article washing status can be displayed in the
26339 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
26342 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
26345 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
26346 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
26349 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
26353 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
26354 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
26358 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
26359 Server Internals}).
26362 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
26366 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
26369 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
26370 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
26373 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
26374 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
26375 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
26378 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
26379 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26382 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
26383 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
26386 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
26390 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
26391 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26394 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
26395 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26398 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
26402 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
26405 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
26409 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
26410 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26413 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
26414 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26417 A new command for reading collections of documents
26418 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
26419 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
26422 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
26426 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
26427 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
26430 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
26431 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
26432 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
26435 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
26436 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
26440 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
26444 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
26448 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
26453 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
26457 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
26461 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
26462 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
26465 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
26471 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
26473 New features in Gnus 5.6:
26478 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
26479 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
26480 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
26483 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
26484 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
26485 group, which is created automatically.
26488 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
26492 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
26495 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
26496 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
26499 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
26503 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
26506 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
26507 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
26510 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
26513 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
26517 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
26518 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
26521 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
26522 control over simplification.
26525 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
26528 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
26532 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
26535 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
26538 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
26539 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
26540 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
26543 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
26544 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
26547 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
26551 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
26552 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
26555 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
26556 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
26559 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
26563 A history of where mails have been split is available.
26566 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
26569 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
26570 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
26573 A new function for citing in Message has been
26574 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
26577 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
26580 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
26584 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
26585 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
26588 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
26589 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
26592 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
26595 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
26599 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
26600 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
26602 New features in Gnus 5.8:
26607 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
26608 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
26610 If you used procmail like in
26613 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
26614 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
26615 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
26616 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
26619 this now has changed to
26623 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
26627 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
26630 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
26631 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
26634 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
26635 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
26638 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
26639 called to position point.
26642 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
26643 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
26646 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
26647 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
26650 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
26651 subtly different manner.
26654 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
26655 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
26656 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
26659 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
26664 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
26667 New features in Gnus 5.10:
26671 @item Installation changes
26672 @c ***********************
26676 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
26678 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
26679 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
26680 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
26681 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
26682 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
26683 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
26684 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
26685 isn't save in general.
26688 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
26690 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
26691 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
26692 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
26693 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
26694 the second parameter.
26696 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
26697 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
26698 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
26699 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
26700 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
26701 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
26702 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
26703 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
26704 cycle used under Unix systems.
26706 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} and @file{xemacs.mak}
26707 superfluous, so they have been removed.
26710 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
26712 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
26713 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
26716 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
26717 @c CVS. We should find a better place for this item.
26719 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
26721 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
26722 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
26723 lisp directory into load-path.
26725 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
26726 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
26730 @item New packages and libraries within Gnus
26731 @c *****************************************
26736 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
26737 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
26740 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
26742 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
26743 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
26744 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
26745 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
26748 Improved anti-spam features.
26750 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
26751 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
26752 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
26753 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
26754 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
26755 @c FIXME: @xref{Spam Package}?. Should this be under Misc?
26758 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
26760 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
26761 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
26762 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
26763 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
26764 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
26768 @item Changes in group mode
26769 @c ************************
26774 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
26778 Retrieval of charters and control messages
26780 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
26781 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
26784 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
26786 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
26787 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
26788 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
26789 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
26790 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
26793 (setq gnus-parameters
26795 (gnus-show-threads nil)
26796 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
26797 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
26798 (to-group . "\\1"))))
26802 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
26804 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
26805 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
26806 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
26807 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
26808 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
26809 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
26810 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
26811 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
26812 when getting new mail, remove the function.
26815 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
26817 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
26818 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
26819 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
26822 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
26823 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
26825 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
26826 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
26827 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
26829 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
26834 @item Changes in summary and article mode
26835 @c **************************************
26840 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
26841 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
26842 region if the region is active.
26845 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
26846 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
26851 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
26852 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
26853 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
26854 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
26857 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
26862 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
26863 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
26865 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
26866 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
26870 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
26871 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
26874 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
26877 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
26878 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
26881 Warn about email replies to news
26883 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
26884 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
26888 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
26889 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
26893 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
26894 opposed to old but unread messages).
26897 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
26898 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
26901 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
26902 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
26905 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
26906 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
26909 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
26911 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
26912 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
26913 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
26914 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
26918 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
26920 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
26921 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
26922 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
26923 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
26925 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
26926 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
26927 message cited below.
26930 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
26932 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
26936 Face headers handling. @xref{Face}.
26939 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
26940 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
26943 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
26946 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
26948 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
26949 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
26950 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
26951 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
26952 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
26956 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
26958 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
26959 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
26962 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
26964 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
26965 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
26966 local files as external parts.
26968 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
26969 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
26970 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
26971 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
26972 that support editing.
26975 @code{gnus-default-charset}
26977 The default value is determined from the
26978 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
26979 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
26980 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
26983 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
26985 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
26986 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
26987 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
26990 Extended format specs.
26992 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
26993 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
26994 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
26995 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
26996 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
26997 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
27000 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
27001 @c FIXME: Was this a user-visible change?
27003 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
27004 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
27005 out other articles.
27008 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
27010 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
27011 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
27012 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
27013 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
27016 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
27020 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
27021 @c ****************************************************
27028 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
27029 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
27030 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
27033 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
27034 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
27037 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
27038 Gcc articles as read.
27041 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
27042 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
27045 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
27047 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
27048 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
27049 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
27050 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
27051 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
27052 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
27053 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
27054 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
27055 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
27058 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
27060 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
27061 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
27062 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
27063 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
27064 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
27065 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
27068 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
27069 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
27073 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers. @xref{X-Face}.
27076 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
27078 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
27079 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
27080 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
27081 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
27082 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
27083 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
27084 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
27085 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
27086 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
27087 was inserted directly.
27090 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
27092 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
27093 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
27094 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
27095 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
27098 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
27100 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
27102 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
27103 'bbdb-complete-name)
27107 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
27109 Add a new format of match like
27111 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
27112 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27114 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
27116 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
27117 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27121 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
27123 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
27124 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
27125 need add those two headers too.
27128 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
27129 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
27130 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
27134 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
27135 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
27136 inline PGP signed messages. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
27139 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
27141 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
27144 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
27146 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
27150 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
27152 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
27153 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
27154 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
27155 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
27156 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
27157 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
27158 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
27159 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
27162 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
27163 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
27165 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
27166 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
27167 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
27168 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
27171 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
27174 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
27175 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
27178 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to symbol @code{best}.
27180 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
27181 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
27182 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
27183 invalidate the digital signature.
27186 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
27187 decompressed when activated.
27188 @c FIXME: Does this affect article or message mode?
27191 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
27193 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
27194 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
27195 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
27196 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
27197 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
27200 @item You can now drag and drop attachments to the Message buffer.
27201 See @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} and @code{mml-dnd-attach-options}.
27202 @xref{MIME, ,MIME, message, Message Manual}.
27203 @c New in 5.10.9 / 5.11
27207 @item Changes in back ends
27208 @c ***********************
27212 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
27215 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
27218 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
27220 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
27223 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
27225 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
27226 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
27227 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
27228 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
27229 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
27230 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
27231 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
27232 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
27233 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
27234 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
27235 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
27245 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
27246 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
27249 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
27250 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
27251 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
27252 message, Message Manual}).
27255 The tool bars have been updated to use GNOME icons in Group, Summary and
27256 Message mode. You can also customize the tool bars. This is a new
27257 feature in Gnus 5.10.9. (Only for Emacs, not in XEmacs.)
27259 @item The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly
27260 in the group buffer, see the variable @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}.
27261 Its default value depends on your Emacs version. This is a new feature
27266 @item Miscellaneous changes
27267 @c ************************
27274 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
27275 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
27276 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
27277 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
27278 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
27279 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
27280 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
27281 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
27282 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
27283 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
27284 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
27285 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
27286 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
27287 is not needed any more.
27290 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
27292 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
27293 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
27294 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
27299 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
27300 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
27301 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
27305 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
27308 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
27310 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
27317 @subsubsection No Gnus
27320 New features in No Gnus:
27321 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
27323 @include gnus-news.texi
27329 @section The Manual
27333 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
27334 either @code{texi2dvi}
27336 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
27337 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
27339 to get what you hold in your hands now.
27341 The following conventions have been used:
27346 This is a @samp{string}
27349 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
27352 This is a @file{file}
27355 This is a @code{symbol}
27359 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
27363 (setq flargnoze "yes")
27366 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
27369 (setq flumphel 'yes)
27372 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
27373 ever get them confused.
27377 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
27378 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
27379 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
27380 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
27381 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
27382 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
27383 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
27389 @node On Writing Manuals
27390 @section On Writing Manuals
27392 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
27393 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
27394 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
27395 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
27396 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
27397 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
27400 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
27401 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
27402 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
27405 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
27406 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
27411 @section Terminology
27413 @cindex terminology
27418 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
27419 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
27420 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
27421 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
27422 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
27426 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
27427 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
27428 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
27429 not posting, and replying is not following up.
27433 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
27437 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
27442 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
27443 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
27444 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
27445 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
27446 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
27447 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
27448 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
27449 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
27450 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
27453 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
27454 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
27455 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
27456 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
27457 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
27458 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
27460 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
27461 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
27462 access the articles.
27464 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
27465 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
27466 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
27471 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
27472 default, way of getting news.
27476 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
27477 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
27482 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
27483 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
27487 A message that has been posted as news.
27490 @cindex mail message
27491 A message that has been mailed.
27495 A mail message or news article
27499 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
27504 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
27509 A line from the head of an article.
27513 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
27514 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
27516 @item @acronym{NOV}
27517 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
27518 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
27519 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
27520 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
27521 normal @sc{head} format.
27525 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
27526 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
27527 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
27528 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
27529 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
27530 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
27532 @item killed groups
27533 @cindex killed groups
27534 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
27535 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
27537 @item zombie groups
27538 @cindex zombie groups
27539 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
27542 @cindex active file
27543 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
27544 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
27545 is rather large, as you might surmise.
27548 @cindex bogus groups
27549 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
27550 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
27551 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
27554 @cindex activating groups
27555 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
27556 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
27557 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
27561 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
27562 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
27563 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
27567 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
27569 @item select method
27570 @cindex select method
27571 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
27574 @item virtual server
27575 @cindex virtual server
27576 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
27577 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
27578 whole is a virtual server.
27582 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
27583 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
27586 @item ephemeral groups
27587 @cindex ephemeral groups
27588 @cindex temporary groups
27589 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
27590 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
27591 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
27594 @cindex solid groups
27595 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
27596 group buffer are solid groups.
27598 @item sparse articles
27599 @cindex sparse articles
27600 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
27601 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
27605 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
27606 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
27610 @cindex thread root
27611 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
27612 articles in the thread.
27616 An article that has responses.
27620 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
27624 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
27625 specified by RFC 1153.
27628 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
27629 @cindex mail sorting
27630 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
27631 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
27632 incorrectly called mail filtering.
27638 @node Customization
27639 @section Customization
27640 @cindex general customization
27642 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
27643 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
27644 for some quite common situations.
27647 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
27648 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
27649 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
27650 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
27654 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
27655 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
27657 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
27658 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
27659 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
27663 @item gnus-read-active-file
27664 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
27665 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
27666 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
27667 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
27668 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
27670 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
27671 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
27672 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
27673 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
27677 @node Slow Terminal Connection
27678 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
27680 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
27681 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
27682 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
27686 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
27687 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
27688 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
27689 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
27690 horizontal and vertical recentering.
27692 @item gnus-visible-headers
27693 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
27694 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
27695 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
27696 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
27698 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
27700 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
27701 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
27702 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
27705 @item gnus-use-full-window
27706 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
27707 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
27708 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
27709 want to read them anyway.
27711 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
27712 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
27716 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
27717 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
27718 lines, which might save some time.
27722 @node Little Disk Space
27723 @subsection Little Disk Space
27726 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
27727 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
27731 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
27732 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
27733 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
27734 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
27737 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
27738 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
27739 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
27740 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
27743 @item gnus-save-killed-list
27744 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
27745 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
27746 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
27747 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
27753 @subsection Slow Machine
27754 @cindex slow machine
27756 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
27757 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
27759 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
27760 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
27762 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
27763 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
27764 summary buffer faster.
27768 @node Troubleshooting
27769 @section Troubleshooting
27770 @cindex troubleshooting
27772 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
27780 Make sure your computer is switched on.
27783 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
27784 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
27788 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
27789 like @samp{Gnus v5.10.6} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise
27790 you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
27793 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
27794 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
27797 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
27798 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
27799 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
27800 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
27801 something like that.
27804 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
27807 @cindex reporting bugs
27809 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
27811 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
27812 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
27813 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
27814 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
27816 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
27817 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
27818 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
27819 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
27822 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
27823 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
27824 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
27825 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
27826 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
27827 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
27829 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
27830 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
27831 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
27835 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
27836 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
27839 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
27840 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
27841 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
27842 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
27843 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
27844 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
27845 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
27846 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
27847 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
27848 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
27849 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
27850 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
27851 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
27852 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
27857 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
27858 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
27859 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
27860 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
27861 helps isolating the real problem areas).
27863 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
27864 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
27865 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
27866 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
27867 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
27868 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
27869 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
27870 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
27871 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
27872 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
27873 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
27874 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
27875 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
27878 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
27879 @cindex ding mailing list
27880 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
27881 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
27882 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
27883 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
27887 @node Gnus Reference Guide
27888 @section Gnus Reference Guide
27890 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
27891 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
27892 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
27893 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
27896 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
27897 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
27898 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
27899 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
27900 and general methods of operation.
27903 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
27904 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
27905 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
27906 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
27907 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
27908 * Group Info:: The group info format.
27909 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
27910 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
27911 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
27915 @node Gnus Utility Functions
27916 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
27917 @cindex Gnus utility functions
27918 @cindex utility functions
27920 @cindex internal variables
27922 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
27923 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
27924 Below is a list of the most common ones.
27928 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
27929 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
27930 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
27932 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
27933 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
27934 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
27936 @item gnus-group-real-name
27937 @findex gnus-group-real-name
27938 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
27941 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
27942 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
27943 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
27944 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
27946 @item gnus-get-info
27947 @findex gnus-get-info
27948 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
27950 @item gnus-group-unread
27951 @findex gnus-group-unread
27952 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
27956 @findex gnus-active
27957 The active entry for @var{group}.
27959 @item gnus-set-active
27960 @findex gnus-set-active
27961 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
27963 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27964 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27965 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
27968 @item gnus-continuum-version
27969 @findex gnus-continuum-version
27970 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
27971 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
27974 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
27975 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
27976 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
27978 @item gnus-news-group-p
27979 @findex gnus-news-group-p
27980 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
27982 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27983 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27984 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
27986 @item gnus-server-to-method
27987 @findex gnus-server-to-method
27988 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
27990 @item gnus-server-equal
27991 @findex gnus-server-equal
27992 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
27994 @item gnus-group-native-p
27995 @findex gnus-group-native-p
27996 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
27998 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
27999 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
28000 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
28002 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
28003 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
28004 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
28006 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
28007 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
28008 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
28009 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
28011 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
28012 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
28013 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
28015 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
28016 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
28017 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
28019 @item gnus-check-backend-function
28020 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
28021 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
28022 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
28025 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
28029 @item gnus-read-method
28030 @findex gnus-read-method
28031 Prompts the user for a select method.
28036 @node Back End Interface
28037 @subsection Back End Interface
28039 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
28040 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
28041 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
28042 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
28043 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
28044 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
28046 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
28047 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
28048 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
28049 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
28050 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
28051 been opened, the function should fail.
28053 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
28054 name. Take this example:
28058 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
28059 (nntp-port-number 4324))
28062 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
28063 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
28065 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
28066 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
28067 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
28069 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
28070 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
28071 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
28073 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
28074 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
28075 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
28076 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
28077 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
28078 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
28081 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
28082 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
28083 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
28084 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
28087 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
28088 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
28089 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
28090 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
28091 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
28092 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
28093 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
28094 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
28095 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
28096 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
28098 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
28099 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
28100 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
28101 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
28102 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
28103 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
28104 of numbers as long as possible.
28106 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
28107 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
28108 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
28110 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
28113 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
28116 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
28117 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
28118 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
28119 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
28120 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
28121 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
28125 @node Required Back End Functions
28126 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
28130 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
28132 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
28133 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
28134 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
28135 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
28137 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
28138 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
28139 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
28140 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
28142 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
28143 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
28144 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
28145 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
28146 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
28147 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
28148 number, do maximum fetches.
28150 Here's an example HEAD:
28153 221 1056 Article retrieved.
28154 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
28155 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
28156 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
28157 Subject: Re: Something very droll
28158 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
28159 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
28161 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
28162 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
28163 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
28167 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
28168 these in the data buffer.
28170 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
28174 head = error / valid-head
28175 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
28176 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
28177 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
28178 header = <text> eol
28182 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
28184 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
28185 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
28189 nov-buffer = *nov-line
28190 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
28191 field = <text except TAB>
28194 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
28198 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
28200 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
28201 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
28203 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
28204 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
28205 server. In fact, it should do so.
28207 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
28208 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
28211 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
28213 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
28214 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
28217 There should be no data returned.
28220 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
28222 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
28223 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
28224 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
28225 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
28227 There should be no data returned.
28230 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
28232 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
28233 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
28234 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
28235 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
28237 There should be no data returned.
28240 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
28242 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
28244 There should be no data returned.
28247 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
28249 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
28250 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
28251 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
28252 it would be nice if that were possible.
28254 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
28255 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
28256 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
28257 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
28258 into its article buffer.
28260 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
28261 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
28262 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
28263 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
28264 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
28265 on successful article retrieval.
28268 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
28270 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
28271 making @var{group} the current group.
28273 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
28276 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
28279 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
28282 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
28283 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
28284 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
28285 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
28286 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
28287 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
28288 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
28289 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
28290 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
28294 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
28295 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
28296 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
28300 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28302 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
28303 a no-op on most back ends.
28305 There should be no data returned.
28308 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
28310 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
28313 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
28316 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
28317 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
28320 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
28321 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
28322 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
28323 and the highest as 0.
28326 active-file = *active-line
28327 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
28329 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
28332 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
28333 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
28334 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
28337 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
28339 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
28340 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
28341 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
28342 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
28343 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
28344 clear if the posting could not be completed.
28346 There should be no result data from this function.
28351 @node Optional Back End Functions
28352 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
28356 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
28358 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
28359 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
28360 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
28362 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
28363 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
28364 former is in the same format as the data from
28365 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
28366 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
28369 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
28373 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
28375 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
28376 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
28377 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
28378 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
28379 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
28380 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
28381 the network resources).
28383 There should be no result data from this function.
28386 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
28388 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
28389 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
28390 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
28391 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
28392 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
28393 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
28394 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
28395 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
28397 There should be no result data from this function.
28400 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
28402 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
28403 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
28404 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
28405 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
28406 propagate the mark information to the server.
28408 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
28411 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
28414 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
28415 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
28416 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
28417 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
28418 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
28419 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
28420 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
28421 possible, not limit itself to these.
28423 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
28424 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
28425 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
28426 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
28428 An example action list:
28431 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
28432 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
28433 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
28436 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
28437 mark on (currently not used for anything).
28439 There should be no result data from this function.
28441 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
28443 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
28444 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
28445 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
28446 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
28447 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
28449 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
28450 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
28451 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
28454 There should be no result data from this function.
28457 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
28459 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
28460 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
28461 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
28462 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
28463 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
28464 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
28465 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
28466 local if that's practical.
28468 There should be no result data from this function.
28471 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
28473 The result data from this function should be a description of
28477 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
28479 description = <text>
28482 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
28484 The result data from this function should be the description of all
28485 groups available on the server.
28488 description-buffer = *description-line
28492 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
28494 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
28495 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
28496 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
28497 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
28498 in the active buffer format.
28500 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
28501 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
28502 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
28503 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
28504 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
28505 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
28506 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
28509 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28511 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
28513 There should be no return data.
28516 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
28518 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
28519 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
28520 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
28521 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
28522 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
28525 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
28528 There should be no result data returned.
28531 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
28533 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
28534 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
28536 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
28537 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
28538 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
28539 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
28540 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
28541 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
28543 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
28544 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
28547 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
28548 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
28550 There should be no data returned.
28553 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
28555 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
28556 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
28557 this function in short order.
28559 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
28560 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
28562 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
28563 article for that group.
28565 There should be no data returned.
28568 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
28570 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
28571 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
28573 There should be no data returned.
28576 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
28578 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
28579 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
28580 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
28582 There should be no data returned.
28585 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
28587 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
28588 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
28590 There should be no data returned.
28595 @node Error Messaging
28596 @subsubsection Error Messaging
28598 @findex nnheader-report
28599 @findex nnheader-get-report
28600 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
28601 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
28602 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
28603 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
28604 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
28605 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
28608 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
28610 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
28613 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
28614 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
28615 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
28616 takes one argument---the server symbol.
28618 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
28619 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
28620 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
28623 @node Writing New Back Ends
28624 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
28626 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
28627 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
28628 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
28629 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
28630 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
28633 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
28634 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
28635 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
28637 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
28638 package called @code{nnoo}.
28640 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
28641 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
28647 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
28648 parameters. For instance:
28651 (nnoo-declare nndir
28655 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
28656 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
28659 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
28660 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
28661 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
28663 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
28664 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
28665 a function in those back ends.
28668 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
28669 "Where nndir will look for groups."
28670 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
28673 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
28674 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
28675 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
28677 @item nnoo-define-basics
28678 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
28682 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
28686 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
28687 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
28688 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
28690 @item nnoo-map-functions
28691 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
28692 functions from the parent back ends.
28695 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
28696 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28697 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
28700 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
28701 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
28702 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
28703 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
28706 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
28707 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
28708 haven't already been defined.
28714 nnmh-request-newgroups)
28718 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
28719 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
28720 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
28725 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
28728 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
28729 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
28733 (require 'nnheader)
28737 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
28739 (nnoo-declare nndir
28742 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
28743 "Where nndir will look for groups."
28744 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
28746 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
28747 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
28750 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
28752 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
28753 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
28754 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
28756 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
28757 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
28759 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
28761 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
28763 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
28764 (setq nndir-directory
28765 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
28767 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
28768 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
28769 (push `(nndir-current-group
28770 ,(file-name-nondirectory
28771 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
28773 (push `(nndir-top-directory
28774 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
28776 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
28778 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
28779 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28780 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28781 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
28782 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
28786 nnmh-status-message
28788 nnmh-request-newgroups))
28794 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
28795 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
28797 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
28798 @findex gnus-declare-backend
28799 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
28800 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
28801 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
28803 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
28804 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
28809 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
28812 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
28814 The abilities can be:
28818 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
28820 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
28822 This back end supports both mail and news.
28824 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
28827 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
28828 articles and groups.
28830 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
28831 true for almost all back ends.
28832 @item prompt-address
28833 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
28834 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
28835 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
28839 @node Mail-like Back Ends
28840 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
28842 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
28843 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
28844 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
28845 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
28848 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
28849 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
28850 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
28853 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
28854 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
28857 This function takes four parameters.
28861 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
28864 @item exit-function
28865 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
28867 @item temp-directory
28868 Where the temporary files should be stored.
28871 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
28872 performed for one group only.
28875 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
28876 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
28877 find the article number assigned to this article.
28879 The function also uses the following variables:
28880 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
28881 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
28882 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
28883 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
28887 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
28888 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
28892 @node Score File Syntax
28893 @subsection Score File Syntax
28895 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
28896 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
28897 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
28899 Here's a typical score file:
28903 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
28910 BNF definition of a score file:
28913 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
28914 element = rule / atom
28915 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
28916 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
28917 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
28918 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
28920 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
28921 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
28922 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
28923 date-header = "date"
28924 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28925 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28926 score = "nil" / <integer>
28927 date = "nil" / <natural number>
28928 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
28929 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
28930 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
28931 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
28932 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28933 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28934 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
28935 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28936 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
28937 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
28938 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
28939 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
28940 exclude-files / read-only / touched
28941 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
28942 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
28943 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
28944 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
28945 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
28946 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
28947 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
28948 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
28949 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
28950 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
28951 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
28952 eval = "eval" space <form>
28953 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
28956 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
28959 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
28960 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
28961 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
28962 one looong line, then that's ok.
28964 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
28965 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28969 @subsection Headers
28971 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
28972 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
28973 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
28974 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
28976 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
28977 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
28978 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
28979 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
28980 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
28981 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
28982 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
28984 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
28985 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
28986 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
28987 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
28988 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
28990 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
28991 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
28997 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
28998 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
29000 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
29001 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
29002 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
29003 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
29005 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
29009 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
29012 is transformed into
29015 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
29018 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
29019 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
29022 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
29025 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
29026 is slightly tricky:
29029 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
29035 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
29038 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
29044 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
29051 and is equal to the previous range.
29053 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
29054 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
29055 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
29059 range = simple-range / normal-range
29060 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
29061 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
29062 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
29063 number *[ " " contents ]
29066 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
29067 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
29068 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
29069 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
29070 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
29075 @subsection Group Info
29077 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
29078 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
29079 describes the group.
29081 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
29082 second is a more complex one:
29085 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
29087 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
29088 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
29090 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
29093 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
29094 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
29095 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
29096 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
29097 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
29098 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
29099 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
29100 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
29101 this section is about.
29103 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
29104 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
29105 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
29107 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
29110 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
29111 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
29112 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29113 group = quote <string> quote
29114 ralevel = rank / level
29115 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
29116 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
29117 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
29119 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
29120 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
29121 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
29122 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
29125 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
29126 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
29129 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
29130 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
29133 @item gnus-info-group
29134 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
29135 @findex gnus-info-group
29136 @findex gnus-info-set-group
29137 Get/set the group name.
29139 @item gnus-info-rank
29140 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
29141 @findex gnus-info-rank
29142 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
29143 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
29145 @item gnus-info-level
29146 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
29147 @findex gnus-info-level
29148 @findex gnus-info-set-level
29149 Get/set the group level.
29151 @item gnus-info-score
29152 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
29153 @findex gnus-info-score
29154 @findex gnus-info-set-score
29155 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
29157 @item gnus-info-read
29158 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
29159 @findex gnus-info-read
29160 @findex gnus-info-set-read
29161 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
29163 @item gnus-info-marks
29164 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
29165 @findex gnus-info-marks
29166 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
29167 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
29169 @item gnus-info-method
29170 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
29171 @findex gnus-info-method
29172 @findex gnus-info-set-method
29173 Get/set the group select method.
29175 @item gnus-info-params
29176 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
29177 @findex gnus-info-params
29178 @findex gnus-info-set-params
29179 Get/set the group parameters.
29182 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
29183 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
29185 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
29186 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
29187 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
29188 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
29191 @node Extended Interactive
29192 @subsection Extended Interactive
29193 @cindex interactive
29194 @findex gnus-interactive
29196 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
29197 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
29198 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
29201 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
29202 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
29207 The best thing to do would have been to implement
29208 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
29209 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
29210 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
29211 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
29212 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
29213 @code{interactive}.
29215 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
29220 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
29221 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
29225 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
29226 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
29227 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
29230 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
29234 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
29238 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
29244 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
29245 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
29249 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
29250 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
29251 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
29253 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
29254 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
29255 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
29256 Gnus, that's very useful.
29258 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
29259 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
29260 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
29261 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
29262 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
29263 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
29264 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
29265 following function:
29268 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
29272 (,function ,@@args))
29276 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
29277 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
29278 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
29281 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
29282 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
29283 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
29285 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
29286 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
29287 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
29290 @node Various File Formats
29291 @subsection Various File Formats
29294 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
29295 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
29299 @node Active File Format
29300 @subsubsection Active File Format
29302 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
29303 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
29306 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
29309 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
29310 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
29311 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
29312 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
29313 no.general 1000 900 y
29316 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
29319 active = *group-line
29320 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
29321 group = <non-white-space string>
29323 high-number = <non-negative integer>
29324 low-number = <positive integer>
29325 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
29328 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
29329 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
29332 @node Newsgroups File Format
29333 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
29335 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
29336 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
29337 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
29340 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
29341 Here's the definition:
29345 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
29346 group = <non-white-space string>
29348 description = <string>
29353 @node Emacs for Heathens
29354 @section Emacs for Heathens
29356 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
29357 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
29358 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
29359 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
29360 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
29361 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
29362 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
29366 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
29367 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
29372 @subsection Keystrokes
29376 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
29379 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
29382 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
29383 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
29384 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
29385 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
29386 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
29387 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
29389 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
29390 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
29391 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
29392 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
29393 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
29394 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
29395 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
29397 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
29398 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
29399 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
29400 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
29401 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
29402 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
29403 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
29405 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
29406 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
29407 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
29408 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
29409 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
29415 @subsection Emacs Lisp
29417 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
29418 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
29419 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
29420 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
29422 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
29423 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
29424 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
29425 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
29426 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
29427 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
29428 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
29429 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
29430 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
29431 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
29433 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
29434 write the following:
29437 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
29440 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
29441 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
29442 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
29443 change how Gnus works.
29445 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
29446 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
29447 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
29448 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
29449 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
29451 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
29452 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
29453 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
29457 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
29461 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
29464 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
29465 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
29468 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
29471 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
29472 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
29475 @include gnus-faq.texi
29495 @c Local Variables:
29497 @c coding: iso-8859-1
29501 arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819