10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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290 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
291 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
294 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
295 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
296 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
297 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
298 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
299 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
300 License'' in the Emacs manual.
302 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
303 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
304 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
306 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
307 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
308 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
309 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
317 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
319 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
320 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
322 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
323 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
324 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
325 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
326 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
327 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
328 License'' in the Emacs manual.
330 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
331 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
332 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
334 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
335 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
336 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
337 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
345 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
348 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
349 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
350 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
352 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
353 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
354 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
355 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
356 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
357 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
358 License'' in the Emacs manual.
360 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
361 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
362 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
364 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
365 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
366 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
367 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
376 @top The Gnus Newsreader
380 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
381 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
382 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
385 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v0.06.
396 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
397 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
399 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
400 being accused of plagiarism:
402 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
403 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
404 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
405 can even read news with it!
407 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
408 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
409 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
410 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
411 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
417 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
418 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
419 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
420 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
421 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
422 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
423 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
424 * Various:: General purpose settings.
425 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
426 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
427 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
428 * Key Index:: Key Index.
431 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
435 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
436 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
437 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
438 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
439 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
440 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
441 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
442 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
443 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
444 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
445 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
449 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
450 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
451 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
455 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
456 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
457 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
458 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
459 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
460 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
461 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
462 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
463 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
464 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
465 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
466 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
467 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
468 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
469 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
470 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
471 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
475 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
476 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
477 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
481 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
482 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
483 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
484 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
485 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
489 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
490 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
491 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
492 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
493 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
497 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
498 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
499 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
500 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
501 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
503 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
504 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
505 * Threading:: How threads are made.
506 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
507 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
508 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
509 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
510 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
511 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
512 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
513 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
514 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
515 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
516 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
517 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
518 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
519 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
520 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
521 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
522 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
523 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
524 or reselecting the current group.
525 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
526 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
527 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
528 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
530 Summary Buffer Format
532 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
533 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
534 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
535 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
539 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
540 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
542 Reply, Followup and Post
544 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
545 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
546 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
547 * Canceling and Superseding::
551 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
552 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
553 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
555 * Generic Marking Commands::
556 * Setting Process Marks::
560 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
561 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
562 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
566 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
567 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
569 Customizing Threading
571 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
572 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
573 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
574 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
578 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
579 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
580 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
581 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
582 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
583 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
587 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
588 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
589 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
593 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
594 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
595 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
596 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
597 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
598 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
599 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
600 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
601 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
602 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
604 Alternative Approaches
606 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
607 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
609 Various Summary Stuff
611 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
612 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
613 * Summary Generation Commands::
614 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
618 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
619 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
620 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
621 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
622 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
626 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
627 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
628 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
629 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
630 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
631 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
632 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
633 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
637 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
638 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
639 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
640 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
641 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
642 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
643 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
644 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
648 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
649 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
650 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
651 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
652 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
653 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
654 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
658 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
659 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
663 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
664 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
665 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
669 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
670 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
671 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
672 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
673 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
674 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
675 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
676 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
677 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
678 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
679 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
680 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
681 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
685 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
686 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
687 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
689 Choosing a Mail Back End
691 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
692 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
693 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
694 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
695 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
696 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
701 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
702 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
703 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
704 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
705 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
706 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
710 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
711 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
712 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
716 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
717 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
718 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
719 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
720 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
724 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
728 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
729 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
730 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
734 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
735 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
739 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
740 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
741 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
742 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
743 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
744 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
745 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
746 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
747 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
748 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
752 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
753 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
754 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
758 * Group Agent Commands::
759 * Summary Agent Commands::
760 * Server Agent Commands::
764 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
765 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
766 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
767 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
768 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
769 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
770 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
771 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
772 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
773 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
774 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
775 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
776 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
777 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
778 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
779 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
780 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
784 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
785 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
786 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
787 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
791 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
792 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
793 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
797 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
798 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
799 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
800 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
801 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
802 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
803 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
804 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
805 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
806 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
807 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
808 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
809 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
810 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
811 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
812 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
813 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
814 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
815 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
819 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
820 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
821 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
822 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
823 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
824 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
825 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
826 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
830 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
831 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
832 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
833 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
834 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
838 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
839 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
840 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
841 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
842 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
846 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
847 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
848 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
849 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
850 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
851 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
852 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
853 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
854 * Frequently Asked Questions::
858 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
859 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
860 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
861 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
862 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
863 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
864 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
865 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
866 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
870 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
871 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
872 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
873 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
874 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
878 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
879 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
880 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
881 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
885 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
886 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
887 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
888 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
889 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
890 * Group Info:: The group info format.
891 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
892 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
893 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
897 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
898 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
899 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
900 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
901 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
902 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
906 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
907 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
911 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
912 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
918 @chapter Starting Gnus
923 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
924 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
927 @findex gnus-other-frame
928 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
929 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
930 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
932 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
933 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
934 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
936 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
937 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
940 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
941 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
942 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
943 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
944 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
945 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
946 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
947 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
948 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
949 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
950 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
954 @node Finding the News
955 @section Finding the News
958 @vindex gnus-select-method
960 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
961 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
962 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
963 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
966 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
967 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
970 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
973 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
976 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
979 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
980 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
981 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
983 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
985 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
986 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
987 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
988 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
989 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
990 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
992 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
993 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
994 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
995 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
997 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
998 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
999 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1000 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1001 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1002 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1003 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1004 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1005 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1008 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1010 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1011 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1012 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1013 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1014 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1015 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1017 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1019 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1020 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1021 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1022 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1023 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1024 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1027 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1028 you would typically set this variable to
1031 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1035 @node The First Time
1036 @section The First Time
1037 @cindex first time usage
1039 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1040 be subscribed by default.
1042 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1043 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1044 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1045 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1048 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1049 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1050 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1052 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1053 help you with most common problems.
1055 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1056 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1060 @node The Server is Down
1061 @section The Server is Down
1062 @cindex server errors
1064 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1065 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1066 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1068 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1069 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1070 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1071 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1072 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1073 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1074 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1076 @findex gnus-no-server
1077 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1079 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1080 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1081 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1082 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1083 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1084 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1085 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1089 @section Slave Gnusae
1092 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1093 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1094 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1095 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1097 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1098 @code{.newsrc} file.
1100 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1101 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1102 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1103 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1104 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1105 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1106 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1108 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1109 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1110 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1111 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1112 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1113 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1114 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1115 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1117 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1118 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1120 If the @code{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1121 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1122 file. If you answer "yes", the unsaved changes to the master will be
1123 incorporated into the slave. If you answer "no", the slave may see some
1124 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1126 @node Fetching a Group
1127 @section Fetching a Group
1128 @cindex fetching a group
1130 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1131 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1132 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1133 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1134 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1135 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1141 @cindex subscription
1143 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1144 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1145 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1146 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1147 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1148 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1149 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1150 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1151 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1154 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1155 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1156 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1160 @node Checking New Groups
1161 @subsection Checking New Groups
1163 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1164 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1165 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1166 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1167 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1168 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1169 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1170 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1171 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1172 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1174 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1175 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1176 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1177 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1178 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1179 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1180 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1181 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1182 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1183 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1184 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1186 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1187 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1188 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1189 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1190 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1191 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1194 @node Subscription Methods
1195 @subsection Subscription Methods
1197 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1198 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1199 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1201 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1202 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1204 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1208 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1209 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1210 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1211 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1212 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1214 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1215 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1216 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1217 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1219 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1220 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1221 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1223 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1224 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1225 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1226 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1227 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1228 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1229 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1230 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1231 up. Or something like that.
1233 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1234 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1235 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1236 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1237 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1239 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1240 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1241 Kill all new groups.
1243 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1244 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1245 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1246 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1247 topic parameter that looks like
1253 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1256 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1261 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1262 A closely related variable is
1263 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1264 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1265 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1266 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1269 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1270 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1271 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1272 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1275 @node Filtering New Groups
1276 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1278 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1279 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1280 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1283 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1286 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1287 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1288 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1289 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1290 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1291 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1292 subscribing these groups.
1293 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1294 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1296 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1297 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1298 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1299 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1300 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1301 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1302 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1303 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1305 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1306 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1307 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1308 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1309 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1310 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1311 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1312 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1313 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1314 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1317 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1318 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1321 @node Changing Servers
1322 @section Changing Servers
1323 @cindex changing servers
1325 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1326 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1327 very flaky and you want to use another.
1329 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1330 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1334 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1335 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1336 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1337 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1340 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1341 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1342 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1343 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1345 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1346 @findex gnus-change-server
1347 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1348 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1349 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1350 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1351 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1353 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1354 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1355 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1356 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1357 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1359 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1360 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1361 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1362 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1363 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1364 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1366 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1367 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1368 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1369 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1371 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1372 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1373 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1374 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1375 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1376 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1377 cache for all groups).
1381 @section Startup Files
1382 @cindex startup files
1387 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1388 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1390 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1391 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1392 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1393 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1394 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1395 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1396 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1398 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1399 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1400 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1401 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1402 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1403 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1405 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1406 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1407 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1408 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1409 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1410 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1411 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1412 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1413 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1414 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1416 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1417 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1418 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1419 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1420 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1421 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1422 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1423 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1424 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1425 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1426 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1427 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1429 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1430 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1431 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1432 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1434 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1435 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1436 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1437 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1438 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1439 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1440 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1441 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1442 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1443 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1446 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1447 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1449 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1450 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1453 @vindex gnus-init-file
1454 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1455 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1456 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1457 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1458 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1459 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1460 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1461 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1462 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1468 @cindex dribble file
1471 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1472 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1473 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1474 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1475 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1478 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1479 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1482 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1483 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1484 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1486 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1487 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1488 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1489 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1490 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1491 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1493 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1494 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1495 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1498 @node The Active File
1499 @section The Active File
1501 @cindex ignored groups
1503 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1504 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1505 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1507 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1508 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1509 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1510 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1511 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1512 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1513 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1516 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1517 @c if you set it to anything else.
1519 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1521 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1522 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1523 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1525 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1526 you actually subscribe to.
1528 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1529 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1530 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1531 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1533 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1534 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1535 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1536 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1537 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1538 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1540 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1541 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1542 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1545 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1546 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1547 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1548 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1549 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1550 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1552 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1553 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1555 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1556 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1558 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1559 secondary select methods.
1562 @node Startup Variables
1563 @section Startup Variables
1567 @item gnus-load-hook
1568 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1569 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1570 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1571 times you start Gnus.
1573 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1574 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1575 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1577 @item gnus-startup-hook
1578 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1579 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1581 @item gnus-started-hook
1582 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1583 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1586 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1587 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1588 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1589 generating the group buffer.
1591 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1592 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1593 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1594 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1595 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1596 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1597 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1598 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1600 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1601 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1602 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1603 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1604 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1605 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1607 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1608 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1609 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1611 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1612 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1613 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1615 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1616 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1617 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1618 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1624 @chapter Group Buffer
1625 @cindex group buffer
1627 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1629 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1630 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1631 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1632 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1633 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1634 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1635 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1636 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1637 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1638 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1639 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1640 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1641 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1642 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1643 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1644 @c human rights at 9...
1647 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1648 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1649 long as Gnus is active.
1653 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1654 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1655 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1656 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1657 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1658 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1659 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1660 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1666 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1667 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1668 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1669 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1670 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1671 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1672 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1673 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1674 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1675 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1676 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1677 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1678 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1679 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1680 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1681 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1682 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1686 @node Group Buffer Format
1687 @section Group Buffer Format
1690 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1691 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1692 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1696 @node Group Line Specification
1697 @subsection Group Line Specification
1698 @cindex group buffer format
1700 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1701 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1703 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1706 25: news.announce.newusers
1707 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1712 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1713 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1714 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1715 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1717 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1718 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1719 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1720 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1721 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1722 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1724 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1726 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1727 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1728 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1729 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1730 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1732 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1733 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1734 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1736 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1741 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1744 Whether the group is subscribed.
1747 Level of subscribedness.
1750 Number of unread articles.
1753 Number of dormant articles.
1756 Number of ticked articles.
1759 Number of read articles.
1762 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1763 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1765 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1766 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1767 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1768 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1769 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1770 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1771 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1772 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1775 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1778 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1787 Newsgroup description.
1790 @samp{m} if moderated.
1793 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1802 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1806 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1809 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1810 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1811 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1812 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1813 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1816 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1818 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1822 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1825 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1829 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1830 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1831 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1832 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1833 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1834 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1839 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1840 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1841 group, or a bogus native group.
1844 @node Group Modeline Specification
1845 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1846 @cindex group modeline
1848 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1849 The mode line can be changed by setting
1850 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1851 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1855 The native news server.
1857 The native select method.
1861 @node Group Highlighting
1862 @subsection Group Highlighting
1863 @cindex highlighting
1864 @cindex group highlighting
1866 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1867 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1868 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1869 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1870 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1872 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1876 (cond (window-system
1877 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1878 (defface my-group-face-1
1879 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1880 (defface my-group-face-2
1881 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1882 (defface my-group-face-3
1883 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1884 (defface my-group-face-4
1885 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1886 (defface my-group-face-5
1887 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1889 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1890 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1891 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1892 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1893 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1894 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1897 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1899 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1906 The number of unread articles in the group.
1910 Whether the group is a mail group.
1912 The level of the group.
1914 The score of the group.
1916 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1918 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1919 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1921 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1922 topic being inserted.
1925 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1926 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1927 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1929 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1930 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1931 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1932 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1933 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1936 @node Group Maneuvering
1937 @section Group Maneuvering
1938 @cindex group movement
1940 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1941 expected, hopefully.
1947 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1948 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1949 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1955 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1956 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1957 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1961 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1962 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1966 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1967 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1971 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1972 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1973 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1977 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1978 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1979 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1982 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1988 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1989 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1990 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1995 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1996 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1997 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2001 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2002 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2003 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2006 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2007 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2008 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2009 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2013 @node Selecting a Group
2014 @section Selecting a Group
2015 @cindex group selection
2020 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2021 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2022 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2023 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2024 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2025 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2026 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2027 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2028 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2029 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2031 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2032 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2033 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2035 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2036 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2041 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2042 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2043 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2044 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2045 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2049 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2050 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2051 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2052 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2053 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2054 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2055 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2056 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2057 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2058 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2061 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2062 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2063 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2064 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2065 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2068 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2069 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2070 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2071 doing any processing of its contents
2072 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2073 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2074 manner will have no permanent effects.
2078 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2079 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2080 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2081 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2082 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2083 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2084 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2085 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2088 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2089 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2090 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2091 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2092 Which article this is is controlled by the
2093 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2099 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2102 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2105 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2107 @item unseen-or-unread
2108 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2109 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2113 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2117 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2118 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2120 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2121 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2122 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2123 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2127 @node Subscription Commands
2128 @section Subscription Commands
2129 @cindex subscription
2137 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2138 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2139 Toggle subscription to the current group
2140 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2146 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2147 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2148 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2149 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2155 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2156 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2157 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2163 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2164 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2167 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2168 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2169 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2170 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2171 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2177 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2178 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2182 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2183 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2186 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2187 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2188 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2189 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2190 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2191 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2192 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2193 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2194 @file{.newsrc} file.
2198 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2208 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2209 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2210 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2211 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2212 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2213 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2218 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2219 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2220 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2224 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2225 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2226 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2228 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2229 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2230 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2231 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2232 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2233 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2240 @section Group Levels
2244 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2245 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2246 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2247 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2248 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2250 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2256 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2257 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2258 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2259 prompted for a level.
2262 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2263 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2264 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2265 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2266 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2267 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2268 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2269 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2270 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2271 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2272 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2273 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2274 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2275 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2276 reasons of efficiency.
2278 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2279 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2281 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2282 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2283 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2284 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2285 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2286 groups are hidden, in a way.
2288 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2289 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2290 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2291 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2292 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2293 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2295 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2296 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2297 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2298 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2299 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2300 list of killed groups.)
2302 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2303 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2304 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2306 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2307 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2308 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2309 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2310 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2311 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2312 relevant valid ranges.
2314 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2315 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2316 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2317 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2318 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2319 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2322 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2323 one with the best level.
2325 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2326 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2327 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2330 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2331 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2332 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2333 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2336 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2337 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2338 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2339 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2341 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2342 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2343 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2344 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2345 to 5. The default is 6.
2349 @section Group Score
2354 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2355 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2356 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2359 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2360 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2361 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2362 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2363 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2364 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2365 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2366 least significant part.))
2368 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2369 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2370 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2371 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2372 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2373 action after each summary exit, you can add
2374 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2375 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2376 slow things down somewhat.
2379 @node Marking Groups
2380 @section Marking Groups
2381 @cindex marking groups
2383 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2384 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2385 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2386 bidding on those groups.
2388 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2389 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2390 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2398 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2399 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2405 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2406 Remove the mark from the current group
2407 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2411 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2412 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2416 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2417 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2421 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2422 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2426 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2427 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2428 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2431 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2433 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2434 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2435 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2436 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2437 the command to be executed.
2440 @node Foreign Groups
2441 @section Foreign Groups
2442 @cindex foreign groups
2444 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2445 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2446 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2447 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2454 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2455 @cindex making groups
2456 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2457 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2458 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2462 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2463 @cindex renaming groups
2464 Rename the current group to something else
2465 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2466 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2472 @findex gnus-group-customize
2473 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2477 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2478 @cindex renaming groups
2479 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2480 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2484 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2485 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2486 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2490 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2491 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2492 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2496 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2498 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2499 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2504 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2505 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2509 @cindex (ding) archive
2510 @cindex archive group
2511 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2512 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2513 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2514 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2515 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2516 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2517 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2521 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2523 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2524 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2525 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2526 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2530 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2532 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2533 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2534 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2538 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2539 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2541 Make a group based on some file or other
2542 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2543 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2544 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2545 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2546 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2547 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2548 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2549 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2550 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2554 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2555 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2556 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2557 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2561 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2566 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2567 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2568 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2569 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2570 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2571 @xref{Web Searches}.
2573 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2574 to a particular group by using a match string like
2575 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2578 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2579 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2580 This function will delete the current group
2581 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2582 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2583 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2584 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2585 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2589 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2590 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2591 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2595 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2596 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2597 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2600 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2603 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2604 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2605 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2606 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2607 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2608 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2612 @node Group Parameters
2613 @section Group Parameters
2614 @cindex group parameters
2616 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2617 Here's an example group parameter list:
2620 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2624 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2625 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2626 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2627 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2629 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2630 is an alist of regexps and values.
2632 The following group parameters can be used:
2637 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2640 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2643 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2644 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2645 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2646 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2647 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2649 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2650 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2651 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2652 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2653 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2654 list address instead.
2656 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2660 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2663 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2666 It is totally ignored
2667 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2668 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2670 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2671 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2672 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2673 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2674 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2676 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2677 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2678 sending the message.
2680 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2681 @cindex Mail List Groups
2682 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2683 entering summary buffer.
2685 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2690 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2691 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2692 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information
2693 will help it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To headers for your
2694 posts to these lists.
2696 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2697 directly uses this group parameter.
2701 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2702 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2703 of whether it has any unread articles.
2705 @item broken-reply-to
2706 @cindex broken-reply-to
2707 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2708 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2709 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2710 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2711 broken behavior. So there!
2715 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2716 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2720 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2721 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2722 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2727 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2728 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2729 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2730 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2731 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2732 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2733 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2734 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2735 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept artciles.
2739 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2740 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2741 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2743 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2746 @cindex total-expire
2747 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2748 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2749 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2750 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2753 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2757 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2758 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2759 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2760 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2761 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2762 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2765 @cindex score file group parameter
2766 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2767 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2768 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2771 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2772 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2773 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2774 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2777 @cindex admin-address
2778 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2779 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2780 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2781 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2785 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2786 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2790 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2793 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2794 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2797 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2801 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2803 Here are some examples:
2807 Display only unread articles.
2810 Display everything except expirable articles.
2812 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2813 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2817 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2818 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2819 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2820 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2821 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2825 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2826 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2827 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2831 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2832 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2833 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2838 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2839 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2840 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2842 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2844 @item ignored-charsets
2845 @cindex ignored-charset
2846 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2847 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2848 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2850 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2853 @cindex posting-style
2854 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2855 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2856 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2857 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2858 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2860 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2861 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2862 like this in the group parameters:
2867 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2872 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2873 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2877 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2878 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2879 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2880 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2881 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2885 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2886 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2887 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2888 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2890 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2891 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2892 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2893 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2896 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2897 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2901 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2904 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2905 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2906 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2907 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2908 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2909 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2910 @code{eval}ed there.
2912 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2913 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2914 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2915 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2916 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2917 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2918 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2919 parameters for the group.
2922 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2923 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2924 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2925 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2926 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2930 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2931 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2932 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2933 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2934 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2936 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2937 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2941 (setq gnus-parameters
2943 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2944 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2945 (gnus-summary-line-format
2946 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2950 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2954 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2958 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2961 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2962 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2965 @node Listing Groups
2966 @section Listing Groups
2967 @cindex group listing
2969 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2977 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2978 List all groups that have unread articles
2979 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2980 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2981 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2982 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2989 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2990 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2991 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2992 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2993 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2994 unsubscribed groups).
2998 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2999 List all unread groups on a specific level
3000 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3001 with no unread articles.
3005 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3006 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3007 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3008 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3013 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3014 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3018 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3019 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3020 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3024 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3025 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3029 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3030 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3031 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3032 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3033 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3034 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3035 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3036 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3040 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3041 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3042 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3046 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3047 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3048 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3052 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3053 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3057 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3058 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3062 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3063 List groups limited within the current selection
3064 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3068 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3069 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3073 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3074 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3078 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3079 @cindex visible group parameter
3080 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3081 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3082 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3083 get the same effect.
3085 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3086 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3087 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3088 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3089 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3092 @node Sorting Groups
3093 @section Sorting Groups
3094 @cindex sorting groups
3096 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3097 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3098 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3099 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3100 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3101 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3106 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3107 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3108 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3110 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3111 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3112 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3114 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3115 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3116 Sort by group level.
3118 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3119 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3120 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3122 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3123 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3124 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3125 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3127 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3128 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3129 Sort by number of unread articles.
3131 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3132 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3133 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3135 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3136 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3137 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3142 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3143 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3147 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3148 some sorting criteria:
3152 @kindex G S a (Group)
3153 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3154 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3155 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3158 @kindex G S u (Group)
3159 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3160 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3161 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3164 @kindex G S l (Group)
3165 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3166 Sort the group buffer by group level
3167 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3170 @kindex G S v (Group)
3171 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3172 Sort the group buffer by group score
3173 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3176 @kindex G S r (Group)
3177 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3178 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3179 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3182 @kindex G S m (Group)
3183 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3184 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3185 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3189 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3190 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3192 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3193 commands will sort in reverse order.
3195 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3199 @kindex G P a (Group)
3200 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3201 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3202 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3205 @kindex G P u (Group)
3206 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3207 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3208 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3211 @kindex G P l (Group)
3212 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3213 Sort the groups by group level
3214 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3217 @kindex G P v (Group)
3218 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3219 Sort the groups by group score
3220 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3223 @kindex G P r (Group)
3224 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3225 Sort the groups by group rank
3226 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3229 @kindex G P m (Group)
3230 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3231 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3232 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3236 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3240 @node Group Maintenance
3241 @section Group Maintenance
3242 @cindex bogus groups
3247 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3248 Find bogus groups and delete them
3249 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3253 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3254 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3255 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3256 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3257 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3261 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3262 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3263 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3264 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3265 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3266 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3269 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3270 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3271 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3272 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3277 @node Browse Foreign Server
3278 @section Browse Foreign Server
3279 @cindex foreign servers
3280 @cindex browsing servers
3285 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3286 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3287 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3288 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3291 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3292 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3293 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3294 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3296 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3301 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3302 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3306 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3307 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3310 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3311 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3312 Enter the current group and display the first article
3313 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3316 @kindex RET (Browse)
3317 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3318 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3322 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3323 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3324 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3330 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3331 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3335 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3336 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3337 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3342 @section Exiting Gnus
3343 @cindex exiting Gnus
3345 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3350 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3351 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3352 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3353 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3357 @findex gnus-group-exit
3358 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3359 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3363 @findex gnus-group-quit
3364 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3365 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3368 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3369 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3370 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3371 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3372 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3377 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3378 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3379 trying to customize meta-variables.
3384 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3385 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3386 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3392 @section Group Topics
3395 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3396 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3397 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3398 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3399 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3400 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3404 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3405 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3416 2: alt.religion.emacs
3419 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3421 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3422 13: comp.sources.unix
3425 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3427 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3428 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3429 is a toggling command.)
3431 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3432 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3433 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3434 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3437 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3438 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3439 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3442 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3446 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3447 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3448 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3449 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3450 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3454 @node Topic Commands
3455 @subsection Topic Commands
3456 @cindex topic commands
3458 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3459 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3460 definitions slightly.
3462 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3463 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3464 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3465 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3466 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3467 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3469 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3476 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3477 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3478 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3482 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3484 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3485 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3486 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3487 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3490 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3491 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3492 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3493 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3497 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3498 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3499 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3500 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3506 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3507 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3508 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3512 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3513 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3514 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3517 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3518 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3519 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3520 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3521 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3523 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3524 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3528 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3529 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3536 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3538 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3539 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3540 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3541 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3542 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3543 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3547 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3553 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3554 Move the current group to some other topic
3555 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3556 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3560 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3561 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3565 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3566 Copy the current group to some other topic
3567 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3568 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3572 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3573 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3574 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3578 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3579 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3580 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3584 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3585 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3586 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3587 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3588 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3589 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3590 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3593 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3594 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3598 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3599 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3600 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3604 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3605 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3606 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3610 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3611 Toggle hiding empty topics
3612 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3616 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3617 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3618 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3621 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3622 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3623 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3624 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3627 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3628 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3629 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3630 expiry process (if any)
3631 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3635 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3636 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3639 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3640 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3641 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3645 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3646 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3647 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3650 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3651 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3652 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3655 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3656 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3657 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3661 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3662 @cindex group parameters
3663 @cindex topic parameters
3665 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3666 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3671 @node Topic Variables
3672 @subsection Topic Variables
3673 @cindex topic variables
3675 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3676 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3678 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3679 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3680 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3693 Number of groups in the topic.
3695 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3697 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3700 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3701 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3702 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3705 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3706 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3708 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3709 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3710 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3714 @subsection Topic Sorting
3715 @cindex topic sorting
3717 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3723 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3724 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3725 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3726 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3729 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3730 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3731 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3732 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3735 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3736 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3737 Sort the current topic by group level
3738 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3741 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3742 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3743 Sort the current topic by group score
3744 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3747 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3748 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3749 Sort the current topic by group rank
3750 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3753 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3754 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3755 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3756 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3759 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3760 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3761 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3762 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3766 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3769 @node Topic Topology
3770 @subsection Topic Topology
3771 @cindex topic topology
3774 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3780 2: alt.religion.emacs
3783 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3785 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3786 13: comp.sources.unix
3789 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3790 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3791 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3796 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3797 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3801 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3802 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3803 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3804 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3805 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3806 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3808 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3809 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3810 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3813 @node Topic Parameters
3814 @subsection Topic Parameters
3815 @cindex topic parameters
3817 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3818 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3819 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3821 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3826 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3827 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3828 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3831 @item subscribe-level
3832 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3833 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3834 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3838 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3839 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3840 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3841 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3847 2: alt.religion.emacs
3851 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3853 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3854 13: comp.sources.unix
3858 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3859 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3860 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3861 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3862 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3863 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3865 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3866 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3867 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3868 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3869 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3871 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3872 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3873 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3874 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3875 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3876 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3877 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3878 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3881 @node Misc Group Stuff
3882 @section Misc Group Stuff
3885 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3886 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3887 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3888 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3889 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3896 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3897 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3898 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3902 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3903 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3904 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3905 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3906 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3907 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3908 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3912 @findex gnus-group-mail
3913 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3914 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3915 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3916 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3920 @findex gnus-group-news
3921 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3922 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3923 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3925 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3926 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3927 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3928 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3929 for this to work though.
3933 Variables for the group buffer:
3937 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3938 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3939 is called after the group buffer has been
3942 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3943 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3944 is called after the group buffer is
3945 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3948 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3949 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3950 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3951 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3953 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3954 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3955 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3956 whether they are empty or not.
3958 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3959 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3960 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3961 non-ASCII group names.
3965 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3966 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3969 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3970 @cindex UTF-8 group names
3971 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3972 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
3973 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
3974 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
3978 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3979 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3984 @node Scanning New Messages
3985 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3986 @cindex new messages
3987 @cindex scanning new news
3993 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3994 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3995 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3996 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3997 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3998 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4003 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4004 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4005 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4006 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4007 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4008 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4009 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4011 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4012 @cindex activating groups
4014 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4015 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4020 @findex gnus-group-restart
4021 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4022 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4023 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4027 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4028 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4030 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4031 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4035 @node Group Information
4036 @subsection Group Information
4037 @cindex group information
4038 @cindex information on groups
4045 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4046 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4049 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4050 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4051 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4052 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4053 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4054 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4055 for fetching the file.
4057 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4058 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4062 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4064 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4065 @cindex describing groups
4066 @cindex group description
4067 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4068 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4069 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4073 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4074 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4075 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4082 @findex gnus-version
4083 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4087 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4088 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4091 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4094 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4095 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4099 @node Group Timestamp
4100 @subsection Group Timestamp
4102 @cindex group timestamps
4104 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4105 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4106 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4109 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4112 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4114 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4115 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4118 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4119 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4122 This will result in lines looking like:
4125 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4126 0: custom 19961002T012713
4129 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4130 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4134 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4135 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4138 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4139 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4143 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4144 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4145 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4146 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4148 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4154 @subsection File Commands
4155 @cindex file commands
4161 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4162 @vindex gnus-init-file
4163 @cindex reading init file
4164 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4165 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4169 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4170 @cindex saving .newsrc
4171 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4172 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4173 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4176 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4177 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4178 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4183 @node Sieve Commands
4184 @subsection Sieve Commands
4185 @cindex group sieve commands
4187 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4188 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4189 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4190 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4191 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4193 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4194 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4195 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4196 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4197 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4198 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4199 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4200 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4201 regenerate the Sieve script.
4203 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4204 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4205 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4206 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4207 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4208 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4209 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4210 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4211 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4212 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4215 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4216 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4221 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4227 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4228 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4229 @cindex generating sieve script
4230 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4231 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4235 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4236 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4237 @cindex updating sieve script
4238 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4239 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4240 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4245 @node Summary Buffer
4246 @chapter Summary Buffer
4247 @cindex summary buffer
4249 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4250 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4252 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4253 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4255 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4258 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4259 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4260 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4261 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4262 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4263 * Delayed Articles::
4264 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4265 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4266 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4267 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4268 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4269 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4270 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4271 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4272 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4273 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4274 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4275 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4276 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4277 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4278 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4279 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4280 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4281 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4282 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4283 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4284 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4285 or reselecting the current group.
4286 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4287 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4288 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4289 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4293 @node Summary Buffer Format
4294 @section Summary Buffer Format
4295 @cindex summary buffer format
4299 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4300 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4301 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4307 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4308 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4309 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4310 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4313 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4314 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4315 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4316 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4317 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4318 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4319 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4320 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4321 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4322 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4323 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4326 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4327 'mail-extract-address-components)
4330 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4331 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4332 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4333 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4336 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4337 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4339 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4340 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4341 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4342 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4343 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4345 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4346 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4347 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4348 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4349 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4350 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4352 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%) %s\n}.
4354 The following format specification characters and extended format
4355 specification(s) are understood:
4361 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4362 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4364 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4365 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4366 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4368 Full @code{From} header.
4370 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4372 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
4373 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
4375 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4376 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4377 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4378 may be more thorough.
4380 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4383 Number of lines in the article.
4385 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4386 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4388 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4390 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4393 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4394 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4396 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4397 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4399 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4400 for adopted articles.
4402 One space for each thread level.
4404 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4406 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4409 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4410 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4411 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4414 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4416 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4417 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4418 default level. If the difference between
4419 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4420 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4428 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4430 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4436 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4437 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4439 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4440 article has any children.
4446 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4447 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4449 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4450 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4451 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4452 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4453 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4454 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4457 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4458 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4459 There can only be one such area.
4461 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4462 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4463 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4464 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4465 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4466 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4468 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4469 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4471 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4474 @node To From Newsgroups
4475 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4479 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4480 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4481 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4482 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4483 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4487 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4488 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4489 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4493 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4494 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4497 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4498 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4501 @findex gnus-extra-header
4502 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4503 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4504 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4507 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4511 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4512 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4513 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4514 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4515 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4516 headers are used instead.
4520 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4521 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4522 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4523 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4526 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4527 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4528 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4529 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4531 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4535 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4537 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4538 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4539 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4540 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4544 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4547 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4548 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4555 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4556 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4559 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4560 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4562 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4563 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4564 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4565 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4567 Here are the elements you can play with:
4573 Unprefixed group name.
4575 Current article number.
4577 Current article score.
4581 Number of unread articles in this group.
4583 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4586 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4587 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4588 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4589 and no unselected ones.
4591 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4592 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4594 Subject of the current article.
4596 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4598 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4600 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4602 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4604 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4606 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4610 @node Summary Highlighting
4611 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4615 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4616 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4617 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4618 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4619 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4621 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4622 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4623 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4624 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4626 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4627 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4628 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4629 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4631 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4632 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4633 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4634 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4635 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4636 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4639 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4640 ((> score default) . bold))
4642 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4643 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4647 @node Summary Maneuvering
4648 @section Summary Maneuvering
4649 @cindex summary movement
4651 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4652 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4654 None of these commands select articles.
4659 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4660 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4661 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4662 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4663 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4667 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4668 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4669 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4670 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4671 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4674 @kindex G g (Summary)
4675 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4676 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4677 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4680 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4681 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4682 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4683 to the group buffer.
4685 Variables related to summary movement:
4689 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4690 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4691 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4692 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4693 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4694 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4695 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4696 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4697 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
4698 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4699 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4700 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4701 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4702 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4704 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4705 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4706 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4707 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4708 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4709 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4710 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4712 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4714 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4715 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4716 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4717 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4718 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4720 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4721 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4722 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4723 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4724 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4725 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4726 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4727 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4730 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4731 the given number of lines from the top.
4736 @node Choosing Articles
4737 @section Choosing Articles
4738 @cindex selecting articles
4741 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4742 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4746 @node Choosing Commands
4747 @subsection Choosing Commands
4749 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4750 and they all select and display an article.
4752 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4753 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4757 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4758 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4759 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4760 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4765 @kindex G n (Summary)
4766 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4767 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4768 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4773 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4774 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4775 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4780 @kindex G N (Summary)
4781 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4782 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4787 @kindex G P (Summary)
4788 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4789 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4792 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4793 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4794 Go to the next article with the same subject
4795 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4798 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4799 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4800 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4801 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4805 @kindex G f (Summary)
4807 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4808 Go to the first unread article
4809 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4813 @kindex G b (Summary)
4815 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4816 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4817 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4818 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4823 @kindex G l (Summary)
4824 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4825 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4828 @kindex G o (Summary)
4829 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4831 @cindex article history
4832 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4833 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4834 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4835 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4836 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4837 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4842 @kindex G j (Summary)
4843 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4844 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4845 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4850 @node Choosing Variables
4851 @subsection Choosing Variables
4853 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4856 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4857 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4858 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4859 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4860 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4861 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4863 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4864 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4865 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4866 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4868 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4869 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4870 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4871 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4872 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4873 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4874 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4875 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4876 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4877 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4878 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4879 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4880 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4881 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4886 @node Paging the Article
4887 @section Scrolling the Article
4888 @cindex article scrolling
4893 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4894 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4895 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4896 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4897 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4900 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4901 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4902 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4905 @kindex RET (Summary)
4906 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4907 Scroll the current article one line forward
4908 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4911 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4912 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4913 Scroll the current article one line backward
4914 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4918 @kindex A g (Summary)
4920 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4921 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4922 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4923 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4924 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4925 the way it came from the server.
4927 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4928 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4929 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4932 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4937 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4942 @kindex A < (Summary)
4943 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4944 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4945 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4950 @kindex A > (Summary)
4951 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4952 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4956 @kindex A s (Summary)
4958 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4959 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4960 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4964 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4965 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4970 @node Reply Followup and Post
4971 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4974 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4975 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4976 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4977 * Canceling and Superseding::
4981 @node Summary Mail Commands
4982 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4984 @cindex composing mail
4986 Commands for composing a mail message:
4992 @kindex S r (Summary)
4994 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4995 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4996 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4997 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4998 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5003 @kindex S R (Summary)
5004 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5005 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5006 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5007 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5008 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5011 @kindex S w (Summary)
5012 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5013 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5014 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5015 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5016 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5019 @kindex S V (Summary)
5020 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5021 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5022 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5023 the process/prefix convention.
5026 @kindex S v (Summary)
5027 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5028 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5029 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5030 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5031 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5032 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5036 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5037 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5038 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5039 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5040 Forward the current article to some other person
5041 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5042 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5043 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5044 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5045 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5046 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5047 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5048 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5049 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime}
5055 @kindex S m (Summary)
5056 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5057 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5058 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5059 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5060 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5065 @kindex S i (Summary)
5066 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5067 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5068 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5069 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5071 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5072 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5073 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5074 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5075 for this to work though.
5078 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5079 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5080 @cindex bouncing mail
5081 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5082 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5083 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5084 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5085 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5086 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5087 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5088 very well fail, though.
5091 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5092 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5093 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5094 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5095 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5096 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5097 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5098 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5099 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5100 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5102 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5103 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5104 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5105 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5106 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5108 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5109 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5112 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5113 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5114 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5115 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5116 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5119 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5120 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5121 @cindex crossposting
5122 @cindex excessive crossposting
5123 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5124 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5126 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5127 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5128 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5129 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5130 command understands the process/prefix convention
5131 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5135 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5136 Manual}, for more information.
5139 @node Summary Post Commands
5140 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5142 @cindex composing news
5144 Commands for posting a news article:
5150 @kindex S p (Summary)
5151 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5152 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5153 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5154 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5155 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5160 @kindex S f (Summary)
5161 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5162 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5163 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5167 @kindex S F (Summary)
5169 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5170 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5171 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5172 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5173 process/prefix convention.
5176 @kindex S n (Summary)
5177 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5178 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5179 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5182 @kindex S N (Summary)
5183 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5184 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5185 message through mail and include the original message
5186 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5187 the process/prefix convention.
5190 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5191 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5192 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5193 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5194 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5195 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5196 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5197 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5198 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5199 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5200 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5201 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5202 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section.
5205 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5206 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5208 @cindex making digests
5209 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5210 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5211 process/prefix convention.
5214 @kindex S u (Summary)
5215 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5216 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5217 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5218 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5221 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5222 Manual}, for more information.
5225 @node Summary Message Commands
5226 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5230 @kindex S y (Summary)
5231 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5232 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5233 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5234 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5235 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5240 @node Canceling and Superseding
5241 @subsection Canceling Articles
5242 @cindex canceling articles
5243 @cindex superseding articles
5245 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5246 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5248 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5250 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5252 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5253 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5254 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5255 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5256 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5257 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5259 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5260 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5263 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5264 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5265 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5267 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5268 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5269 your original article.
5271 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5273 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5274 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5275 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5278 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5279 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5280 have posted almost the same article twice.
5282 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5283 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5284 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5285 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5286 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5287 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5288 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5289 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5290 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5291 canceled/superseded.
5293 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5295 @node Delayed Articles
5296 @section Delayed Articles
5297 @cindex delayed sending
5298 @cindex send delayed
5300 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5301 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5302 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5303 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5306 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5309 @findex gnus-delay-article
5310 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5311 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5312 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5313 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5317 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5318 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5319 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5320 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5323 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5324 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5325 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5328 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5329 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5330 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5331 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5332 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5333 that means a time tomorrow.
5336 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5337 couple of variables:
5340 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5341 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5342 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5343 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5345 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5346 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5347 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5348 formats described above.
5350 @item gnus-delay-group
5351 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5352 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5353 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5354 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5356 @item gnus-delay-header
5357 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5358 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5359 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5360 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5363 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5364 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5365 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5366 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5367 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5369 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5370 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5371 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5372 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5373 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5374 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5377 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5378 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5379 By default, this function installs the @kbd{C-c C-j} key binding in
5380 Message mode and @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5381 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts two optional arguments,
5382 @code{no-keymap} and @code{no-check}. If @code{no-keymap} is non-nil,
5383 the @kbd{C-c C-j} binding is not intalled. If @code{no-check} is
5384 non-nil, @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed.
5386 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to change the
5387 keymap but not to change @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. Presumably, you
5388 want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles. Just don't
5389 forget to set that up :-)
5393 @node Marking Articles
5394 @section Marking Articles
5395 @cindex article marking
5396 @cindex article ticking
5399 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5401 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5402 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5403 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5405 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5408 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5409 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5410 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5414 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5418 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5419 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5420 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5424 @node Unread Articles
5425 @subsection Unread Articles
5427 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5432 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5433 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5435 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5436 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5437 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5438 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5439 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5440 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5441 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5444 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5445 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5447 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5448 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5449 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5450 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5454 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5455 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5457 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5462 @subsection Read Articles
5463 @cindex expirable mark
5465 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5470 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5471 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5472 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5475 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5476 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5479 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5480 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5481 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5484 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5485 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5488 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5489 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5492 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5493 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5496 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5497 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5500 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5501 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5504 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5505 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5508 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5509 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5513 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5514 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5515 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5519 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5520 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5522 One more special mark, though:
5526 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5527 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5529 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5530 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5531 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5532 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5538 @subsection Other Marks
5539 @cindex process mark
5542 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5548 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5549 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5550 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5551 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5552 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5555 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5556 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5557 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5558 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5560 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5561 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5562 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5564 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5565 Articles that are ``recently'' arrived in the group will be marked
5566 with an @samp{N} in the second column (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Most
5567 back end doesn't support the mark, in which case it's not shown.
5570 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5571 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5572 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5575 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5576 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5577 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5578 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5581 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5582 Articles that according to the back end haven't been seen by the user
5583 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5584 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all back ends support this
5585 mark, in which case it simply never appear.
5588 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5589 Articles that haven't been seen by the user before are marked with a
5590 @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5593 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5594 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5595 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5596 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5597 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5600 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5601 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5602 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5603 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5604 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5605 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5609 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5610 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5611 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5613 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5614 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5615 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5619 @subsection Setting Marks
5620 @cindex setting marks
5622 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5627 @kindex M c (Summary)
5628 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5629 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5630 @cindex mark as unread
5631 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5632 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5638 @kindex M t (Summary)
5639 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5640 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5641 @xref{Article Caching}.
5646 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5647 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5648 Mark the current article as dormant
5649 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5653 @kindex M d (Summary)
5655 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5656 Mark the current article as read
5657 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5661 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5662 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5663 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5668 @kindex M k (Summary)
5669 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5670 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5671 and then select the next unread article
5672 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5676 @kindex M K (Summary)
5677 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5678 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5679 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5680 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5683 @kindex M C (Summary)
5684 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5685 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5686 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5689 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5690 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5691 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5692 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5695 @kindex M H (Summary)
5696 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5697 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5698 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5701 @kindex M h (Summary)
5702 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5703 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5704 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5707 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5708 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5709 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5710 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5713 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5714 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5715 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5716 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5720 @kindex M e (Summary)
5722 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5723 Mark the current article as expirable
5724 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5727 @kindex M b (Summary)
5728 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5729 Set a bookmark in the current article
5730 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5733 @kindex M B (Summary)
5734 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5735 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5736 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5739 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5740 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5741 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5742 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5745 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5746 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5747 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5748 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5751 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5752 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5753 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5754 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5755 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5758 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5759 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5760 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5761 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5762 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5763 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5764 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5765 The default is @code{t}.
5768 @node Generic Marking Commands
5769 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5771 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5772 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5773 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5774 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5775 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5778 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5779 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5782 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5783 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5784 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5785 to list in this manual.
5787 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5788 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5789 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5790 article, you could say something like:
5793 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5794 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5795 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5801 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5802 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5806 @node Setting Process Marks
5807 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5808 @cindex setting process marks
5815 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5816 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5817 Mark the current article with the process mark
5818 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5819 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5823 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5824 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5825 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5826 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5829 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5830 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5831 Remove the process mark from all articles
5832 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5835 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5836 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5837 Invert the list of process marked articles
5838 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5841 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5842 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5843 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5844 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5847 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5848 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5849 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5850 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5853 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5854 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5855 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5858 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5859 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5860 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5861 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5864 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5865 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5866 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5867 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5870 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5871 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5872 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5873 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5876 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5877 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5878 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5881 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5882 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5883 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5884 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5887 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5888 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5889 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5892 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5893 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5894 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5895 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5898 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5899 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5900 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5901 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5904 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5905 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5906 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5907 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5910 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5911 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5912 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5913 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5917 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5918 set process marks based on article body contents.
5925 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5926 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5927 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5930 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5931 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5932 additional articles.
5938 @kindex / / (Summary)
5939 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5940 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5941 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
5945 @kindex / a (Summary)
5946 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5947 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5948 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
5952 @kindex / x (Summary)
5953 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5954 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5955 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5956 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
5961 @kindex / u (Summary)
5963 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5964 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5965 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5966 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5967 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5970 @kindex / m (Summary)
5971 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5972 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5973 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5976 @kindex / t (Summary)
5977 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5978 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5979 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5980 articles younger than that number of days.
5983 @kindex / n (Summary)
5984 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5985 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5986 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5987 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5990 @kindex / w (Summary)
5991 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5992 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5993 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5997 @kindex / v (Summary)
5998 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5999 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6000 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6003 @kindex / p (Summary)
6004 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-parameter
6005 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6006 group parameter predicate
6007 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-parameter}). See @pxref{Group
6008 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6012 @kindex M S (Summary)
6013 @kindex / E (Summary)
6014 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6015 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6016 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6019 @kindex / D (Summary)
6020 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6021 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6022 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6025 @kindex / * (Summary)
6026 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6027 Include all cached articles in the limit
6028 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6031 @kindex / d (Summary)
6032 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6033 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6034 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6037 @kindex / M (Summary)
6038 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6039 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6042 @kindex / T (Summary)
6043 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6044 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6047 @kindex / c (Summary)
6048 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6049 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6050 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6053 @kindex / C (Summary)
6054 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6055 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6056 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6057 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6060 @kindex / N (Summary)
6061 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6062 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6063 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6066 @kindex / o (Summary)
6067 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6068 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6069 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6077 @cindex article threading
6079 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6080 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6081 hierarchical fashion.
6083 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6084 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6085 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6086 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6087 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6088 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6089 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6091 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6095 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6098 A tree-like article structure.
6101 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6104 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6105 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6106 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6107 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6108 called loose threads.
6110 @item thread gathering
6111 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6113 @item sparse threads
6114 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6115 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6121 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6122 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6126 @node Customizing Threading
6127 @subsection Customizing Threading
6128 @cindex customizing threading
6131 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6132 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6133 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6134 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6139 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6142 @cindex loose threads
6145 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6146 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6147 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6148 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6149 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6150 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6152 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6153 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6154 There are four possible values:
6158 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6159 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6160 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6161 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6162 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6167 @cindex adopting articles
6172 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6173 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6174 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6175 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6178 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6179 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6180 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6181 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6182 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6183 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6184 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6187 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6188 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6189 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6193 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6194 display them after one another.
6197 Don't gather loose threads.
6200 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6201 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6202 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6203 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6204 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6205 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6206 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6207 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6208 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6209 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6210 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6212 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6213 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6214 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6217 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6218 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6219 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6220 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6221 simplification is used.
6223 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6224 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6225 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6226 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6228 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6230 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6236 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6237 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6238 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6239 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6244 (mapconcat 'identity
6245 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6247 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6250 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6253 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6254 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6255 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6256 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6257 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6258 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6260 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6263 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6264 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6265 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6267 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6268 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6271 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6272 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6273 Remove excessive whitespace.
6276 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6279 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6280 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6281 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6282 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6283 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6284 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6285 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6286 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6288 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6289 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6290 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6291 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6292 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6293 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6294 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6295 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6296 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6300 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6301 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6302 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6303 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6305 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6306 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6307 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6310 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6314 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6315 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6321 @node Filling In Threads
6322 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6325 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6326 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6327 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6328 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6329 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6330 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6331 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6332 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6333 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6334 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6335 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6336 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6339 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6340 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6341 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6343 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6344 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6345 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6346 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6347 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6348 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6349 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6350 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6351 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6352 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6353 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6354 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6355 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6356 @code{nil} by default.
6358 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6359 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6360 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6361 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6362 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6363 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6364 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6366 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6367 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6368 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6373 @node More Threading
6374 @subsubsection More Threading
6377 @item gnus-show-threads
6378 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6379 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6380 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6381 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6382 slower and more awkward.
6384 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6385 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6386 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6389 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6390 Avaliable predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6391 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6396 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6397 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6398 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6401 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6402 unread, but you get my drift.)
6405 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6406 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6407 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6408 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6409 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6410 threads are expunged.
6412 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6413 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6414 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6417 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6418 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6419 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6420 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6421 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6422 result in a new thread.
6424 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6425 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6426 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6429 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6430 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6431 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6432 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6433 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6434 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6435 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6436 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6437 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6438 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6439 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6444 @node Low-Level Threading
6445 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6449 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6450 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6451 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6453 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6454 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6455 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6456 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6457 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6458 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6459 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6460 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6461 meaningful. Here's one example:
6464 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6466 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6467 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6469 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6471 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6478 @node Thread Commands
6479 @subsection Thread Commands
6480 @cindex thread commands
6486 @kindex T k (Summary)
6487 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6488 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6489 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6490 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6491 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6496 @kindex T l (Summary)
6497 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6498 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6499 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6500 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6503 @kindex T i (Summary)
6504 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6505 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6506 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6509 @kindex T # (Summary)
6510 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6511 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6512 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6515 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6516 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6517 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6518 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6521 @kindex T T (Summary)
6522 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6523 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6526 @kindex T s (Summary)
6527 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6528 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6529 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6532 @kindex T h (Summary)
6533 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6534 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6537 @kindex T S (Summary)
6538 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6539 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6542 @kindex T H (Summary)
6543 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6544 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6547 @kindex T t (Summary)
6548 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6549 Re-thread the current article's thread
6550 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6551 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6554 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6555 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6556 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6557 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6561 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6562 understand the numeric prefix.
6567 @kindex T n (Summary)
6569 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6571 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6572 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6573 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6576 @kindex T p (Summary)
6578 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6580 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6581 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6582 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6585 @kindex T d (Summary)
6586 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6587 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6590 @kindex T u (Summary)
6591 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6592 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6595 @kindex T o (Summary)
6596 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6597 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6600 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6601 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6602 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6603 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6604 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6605 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6606 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6607 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6608 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6609 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6610 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6611 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6615 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6616 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6618 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6619 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6620 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6621 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6622 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6623 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6624 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6625 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6626 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6627 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6628 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6629 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6631 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6632 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6633 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6634 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6635 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6636 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date} and
6637 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6639 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6640 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6641 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6643 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6644 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6645 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6646 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6647 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6648 ascending article order.
6650 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6651 by number, you could do something like:
6654 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6655 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6656 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6657 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6660 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6661 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6662 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6663 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6664 which the articles arrived.
6666 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6670 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6672 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6673 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6676 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6677 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6678 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6679 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6682 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6683 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6684 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6685 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6686 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6687 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6688 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
6689 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
6690 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
6691 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
6692 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6693 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
6694 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6696 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6700 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6701 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6702 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6707 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6708 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6709 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6710 @cindex article pre-fetch
6713 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6714 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6715 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6716 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6717 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6719 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6720 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6722 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6723 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6724 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6725 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6726 connection is blocked.
6728 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6729 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6730 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6731 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6733 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6734 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6735 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6736 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6739 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6742 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6743 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6744 happen automatically.
6746 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6747 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6748 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6749 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6750 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6751 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6752 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6754 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6755 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6756 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6757 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6758 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6759 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6760 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6761 data structure as the only parameter.
6763 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6766 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6767 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6768 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6769 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6772 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6775 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6776 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
6777 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6779 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6780 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6781 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6782 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6786 Remove articles when they are read.
6789 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6792 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6794 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6795 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6796 @c from the next group.
6799 @node Article Caching
6800 @section Article Caching
6801 @cindex article caching
6804 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6805 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6806 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6807 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6808 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6810 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6812 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6813 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6814 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6815 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6816 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6817 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6818 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6819 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6821 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6822 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6823 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6824 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6825 as dormant, and don't worry.
6827 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6829 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6830 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6831 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6832 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6833 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6834 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6835 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6836 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6837 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6838 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6840 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6841 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6842 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6843 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6844 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6845 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6846 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6847 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6848 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6849 not then be downloaded by this command.
6851 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6852 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6853 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6854 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6855 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6856 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6858 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6859 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6860 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6861 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6862 variables, the group is not cached.
6864 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6865 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6866 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6867 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6868 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6869 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
6870 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6871 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6872 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6875 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
6876 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
6877 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
6878 where, isn't that cool?
6880 @node Persistent Articles
6881 @section Persistent Articles
6882 @cindex persistent articles
6884 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6885 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6886 useful in my opinion.
6888 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6889 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6890 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6891 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6892 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6893 the expiry going on at the news server.
6895 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6896 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6897 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6903 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6904 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6907 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6908 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6909 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6910 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6914 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6916 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6917 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6918 interested in persistent articles:
6921 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6925 @node Article Backlog
6926 @section Article Backlog
6928 @cindex article backlog
6930 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6931 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6932 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
6933 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6934 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6935 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6936 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
6937 increase memory usage some.
6939 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6940 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
6941 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6942 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
6943 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6944 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6945 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6947 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6950 @node Saving Articles
6951 @section Saving Articles
6952 @cindex saving articles
6954 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6955 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6956 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6957 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6958 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6960 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6961 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
6962 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6964 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6965 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6966 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6967 deleted before saving.
6973 @kindex O o (Summary)
6975 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6976 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6977 Save the current article using the default article saver
6978 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6981 @kindex O m (Summary)
6982 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6983 Save the current article in mail format
6984 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6987 @kindex O r (Summary)
6988 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6989 Save the current article in rmail format
6990 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6993 @kindex O f (Summary)
6994 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6995 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6996 Save the current article in plain file format
6997 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7000 @kindex O F (Summary)
7001 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7002 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7003 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7006 @kindex O b (Summary)
7007 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7008 Save the current article body in plain file format
7009 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7012 @kindex O h (Summary)
7013 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7014 Save the current article in mh folder format
7015 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7018 @kindex O v (Summary)
7019 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7020 Save the current article in a VM folder
7021 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7025 @kindex O p (Summary)
7027 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7028 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7029 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7032 @kindex O P (Summary)
7033 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7034 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7035 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7036 external program Muttprint (see
7037 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7038 options to use is controlled by the variable
7039 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7043 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7044 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7045 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7046 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7047 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7048 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7049 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7050 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7051 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7052 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7053 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7054 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7058 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7059 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7060 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7061 functions below, or you can create your own.
7065 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7066 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7067 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7068 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7069 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7070 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7071 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7073 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7074 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7075 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7076 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7077 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7078 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7080 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7081 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7082 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7083 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7084 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7085 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7086 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7088 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7089 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7090 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7091 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7092 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7093 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7095 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7096 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7097 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7098 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7099 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7101 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7102 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7103 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7104 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7105 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7108 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7109 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7110 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7111 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7112 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7114 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7115 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7116 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7117 reader to use this setting.
7120 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7121 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7122 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7123 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7126 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7127 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7128 available functions that generate names:
7132 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7133 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7134 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7136 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7137 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7138 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7140 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7141 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7142 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7144 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7145 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7146 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7148 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7149 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7150 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7153 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7154 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7155 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7156 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7157 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7161 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7162 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7163 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7164 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7167 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7168 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7169 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7170 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7171 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7172 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7173 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7174 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7175 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7177 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7178 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7179 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7180 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7182 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7183 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7184 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7187 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7188 lots of mail groups called things like
7189 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7190 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7191 following will do just that:
7194 (defun my-save-name (group)
7195 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7196 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7198 (setq gnus-split-methods
7199 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7204 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7205 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7206 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7207 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7208 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7209 all the files in the top level directory
7210 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7211 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7212 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7213 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7215 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7216 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7217 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7218 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7219 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7222 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7226 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7227 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7228 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7231 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7232 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7233 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7234 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7237 @node Decoding Articles
7238 @section Decoding Articles
7239 @cindex decoding articles
7241 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7242 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7245 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7246 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7247 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7248 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7249 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7250 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7254 @cindex article series
7255 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7256 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7257 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7258 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7259 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7261 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7262 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7263 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7265 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7266 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7267 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7269 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7270 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7271 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7274 @node Uuencoded Articles
7275 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7277 @cindex uuencoded articles
7282 @kindex X u (Summary)
7283 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7284 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7285 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7288 @kindex X U (Summary)
7289 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7290 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7291 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7294 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7295 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7296 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7299 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7300 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7301 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7302 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7306 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7307 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7308 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7309 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7310 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7312 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7313 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7314 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7315 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7318 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7319 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7320 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7321 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7322 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7323 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7327 @node Shell Archives
7328 @subsection Shell Archives
7330 @cindex shell archives
7331 @cindex shared articles
7333 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7334 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7335 some commands to deal with these:
7340 @kindex X s (Summary)
7341 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7342 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7345 @kindex X S (Summary)
7346 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7347 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7350 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7351 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7352 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7355 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7356 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7357 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7358 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7362 @node PostScript Files
7363 @subsection PostScript Files
7369 @kindex X p (Summary)
7370 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7371 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7374 @kindex X P (Summary)
7375 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7376 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7377 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7380 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7381 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7382 View the current PostScript series
7383 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7386 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7387 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7388 View and save the current PostScript series
7389 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7394 @subsection Other Files
7398 @kindex X o (Summary)
7399 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7400 Save the current series
7401 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7404 @kindex X b (Summary)
7405 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7406 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7407 doesn't really work yet.
7411 @node Decoding Variables
7412 @subsection Decoding Variables
7414 Adjective, not verb.
7417 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7418 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7419 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7423 @node Rule Variables
7424 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7425 @cindex rule variables
7427 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7428 variables are of the form
7431 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7438 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7439 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7441 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7442 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7445 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7446 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7449 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7450 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7451 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7452 user and default view rules.
7454 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7455 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7456 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7461 @node Other Decode Variables
7462 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7465 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7467 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7468 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7469 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7470 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7471 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7475 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7476 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7479 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7480 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7481 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7484 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7485 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7486 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7487 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7488 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7491 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7492 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7493 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7495 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7496 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7497 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7498 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7499 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7502 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7503 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7504 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7506 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7507 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7508 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7509 looking for files to display.
7511 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7512 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7513 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7516 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7517 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7518 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7521 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7522 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7523 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7526 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7527 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7528 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7531 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7532 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7533 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7534 decoded articles as unread.
7536 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7537 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7538 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7539 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7541 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7542 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7543 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7545 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7546 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7548 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7549 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7550 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7551 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7553 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7554 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7555 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7556 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7557 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7558 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7559 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7560 simply dropped them.
7565 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7566 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7570 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7571 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7572 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7573 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7574 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7575 for you when you post the article.
7577 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7578 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7579 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7580 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7582 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7583 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7584 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7585 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7586 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7587 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7588 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7590 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7591 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7592 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7593 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7594 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7595 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7596 Default is @code{t}.
7602 @subsection Viewing Files
7603 @cindex viewing files
7604 @cindex pseudo-articles
7606 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7607 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7608 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7609 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7610 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7611 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7612 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7614 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7615 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7616 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7617 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7619 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7620 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7621 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7623 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7624 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7625 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7626 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7627 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7629 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7630 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7631 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7632 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7633 a list of parameters to that command.
7635 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7636 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7637 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7639 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7640 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7641 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7644 @node Article Treatment
7645 @section Article Treatment
7647 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7648 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7649 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7650 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7651 these articles easier.
7654 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7655 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7656 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7657 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7658 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7659 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7660 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7661 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7662 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7663 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7667 @node Article Highlighting
7668 @subsection Article Highlighting
7669 @cindex highlighting
7671 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7672 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7677 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7678 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7679 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7680 Do much highlighting of the current article
7681 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7682 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7685 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7686 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7687 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7688 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7689 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7690 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7691 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7692 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7693 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7694 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7695 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7696 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7699 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7700 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7701 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7703 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7706 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7708 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7709 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7710 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7712 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7713 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7714 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7716 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7717 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7718 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7719 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7720 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7721 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7723 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7724 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7725 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7727 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7728 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7729 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7731 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7732 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7733 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7734 that it's a citation.
7736 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7737 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7738 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7740 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7741 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7742 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7744 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7745 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7746 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7747 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7753 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7754 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7755 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7756 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7757 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7758 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7759 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7760 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7765 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7768 @node Article Fontisizing
7769 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7771 @cindex article emphasis
7773 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7774 @kindex W e (Summary)
7775 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7776 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7777 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7778 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7780 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7781 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7782 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7783 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7784 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7785 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7786 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7787 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7791 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7792 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7793 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7802 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7803 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7804 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7805 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7806 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7807 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7808 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7809 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7810 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7811 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7812 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7813 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7814 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7816 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7817 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7818 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7822 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7825 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7827 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7828 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7829 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7830 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7832 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7835 @node Article Hiding
7836 @subsection Article Hiding
7837 @cindex article hiding
7839 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7840 too much cruft in most articles.
7845 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7846 @findex gnus-article-hide
7847 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7848 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7849 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7852 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7853 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
7854 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7858 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7859 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7860 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7861 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7864 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7865 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7866 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7870 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7871 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7872 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7873 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7874 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7875 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7876 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7877 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7881 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7882 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7883 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7884 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7889 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7890 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7891 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7892 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7893 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7894 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7895 articles that have signatures in them do:
7897 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7899 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7901 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7902 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7904 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7907 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7912 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7913 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7914 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7915 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7918 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7919 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7922 @cindex stripping advertisements
7923 @cindex advertisements
7924 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7925 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7926 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7927 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7928 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7929 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7930 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7931 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7932 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7933 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
7937 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7938 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7939 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7940 customizing the hiding:
7944 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7945 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7946 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7947 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7948 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7949 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7950 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7955 Starting point of the hidden text.
7957 Ending point of the hidden text.
7959 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7961 Number of lines of hidden text.
7964 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7965 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7966 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7967 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7968 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7973 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7974 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7976 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7977 following two variables:
7980 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7981 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7982 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7983 50), hide the cited text.
7985 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7986 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7987 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7992 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7993 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7994 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7995 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7996 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7997 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8001 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8002 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8003 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8005 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8006 citation customization.
8008 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8012 @node Article Washing
8013 @subsection Article Washing
8015 @cindex article washing
8017 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8018 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8020 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8021 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8024 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8025 articles by default.
8030 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8031 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8035 @kindex W l (Summary)
8036 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8037 Remove page breaks from the current article
8038 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8042 @kindex W r (Summary)
8043 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8044 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8045 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8046 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8047 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8048 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8050 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8051 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8052 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8053 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8057 @kindex W t (Summary)
8059 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8060 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8061 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8064 @kindex W v (Summary)
8065 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
8066 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8067 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
8070 @kindex W o (Summary)
8071 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8072 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8075 @kindex W d (Summary)
8076 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8077 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8079 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8081 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8082 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8083 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8084 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8087 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8088 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8089 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8090 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8093 @kindex W w (Summary)
8094 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8095 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8097 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8101 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8102 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8103 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8106 @kindex W C (Summary)
8107 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8108 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8109 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8112 @kindex W c (Summary)
8113 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8114 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8115 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8116 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8117 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8120 @kindex W q (Summary)
8121 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8122 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8123 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8124 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8125 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8126 readable to me. Note that the this is usually done automatically by
8127 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8128 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8129 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8132 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8133 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8134 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8135 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8136 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
8137 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8138 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8140 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8143 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8144 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8145 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8146 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8147 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8150 @kindex W u (Summary)
8151 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8152 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8153 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8154 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8155 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8158 @kindex W h (Summary)
8159 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8160 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that the this is
8161 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8162 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8164 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8166 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8167 The default is to use w3 to convert the @sc{html}, but this is
8168 controlled by the @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable.
8169 Pre-defined functions you can use include:
8172 @item gnus-article-wash-html-with-w3
8173 @findex gnus-article-wash-html-with-w3
8174 Use w3 (this is the default).
8176 @item gnus-article-wash-html-with-w3m
8177 @findex gnus-article-wash-html-with-w3m
8178 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8183 @kindex W b (Summary)
8184 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8185 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8186 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8189 @kindex W B (Summary)
8190 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8191 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8192 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8195 @kindex W p (Summary)
8196 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8197 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8198 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8199 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8200 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8201 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8202 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8205 @kindex W s (Summary)
8206 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8207 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8208 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8211 @kindex W W H (Summary)
8212 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
8213 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8214 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
8217 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8218 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8219 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8220 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8223 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8224 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8225 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8226 lines with a single empty line.
8227 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8230 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8231 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8232 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8233 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8236 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8237 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8238 Do all the three commands above
8239 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8242 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8243 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8244 Remove all blank lines
8245 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8248 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8249 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8250 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8251 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8254 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8255 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8256 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8257 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8261 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8264 @node Article Header
8265 @subsection Article Header
8267 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8272 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8273 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8274 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8277 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8278 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8279 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8280 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8283 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8284 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-header
8285 Fold all the message headers
8286 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8291 @node Article Buttons
8292 @subsection Article Buttons
8295 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8296 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8297 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8298 button on these references.
8300 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8301 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
8302 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
8307 @item gnus-button-alist
8308 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8309 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8312 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8318 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
8319 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
8320 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
8323 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8324 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8325 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8328 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8329 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8330 avoid false matches.
8333 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8336 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8337 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8341 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8344 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8347 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8348 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8349 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8350 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8351 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8354 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8357 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8359 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8360 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8361 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8362 default values of the variables above.
8364 @item gnus-article-button-face
8365 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8366 Face used on buttons.
8368 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8369 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8370 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8374 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8378 @subsection Article Date
8380 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8381 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8382 when the article was sent.
8387 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8388 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8389 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8390 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8393 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8394 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8396 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8397 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8400 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8401 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8402 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8405 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8406 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8407 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8408 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8411 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8412 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8413 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8414 @findex format-time-string
8415 Display the date using a user-defined format
8416 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8417 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8418 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8419 for a list of possible format specs.
8422 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8423 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8424 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8425 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8426 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8427 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8430 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8433 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8434 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8437 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8438 into wonderful absurdities.
8440 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8443 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8446 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8447 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8451 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8452 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8453 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8454 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8455 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8456 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8457 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8461 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8462 preferred format automatically.
8465 @node Article Display
8466 @subsection Article Display
8471 These commands add various frivolous display gimmics to the article
8472 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8474 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8475 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8477 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8478 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8480 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8481 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8483 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8488 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8489 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8490 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8491 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8494 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8495 @findex gnus-smiley-smiley
8496 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8499 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8500 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8501 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8504 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8505 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8506 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8507 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8510 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8511 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8512 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8513 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8516 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8517 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8518 Remove all images from the article buffer
8519 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8525 @node Article Signature
8526 @subsection Article Signature
8528 @cindex article signature
8530 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8531 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8532 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8533 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8534 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8535 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8536 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8537 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8538 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8541 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8542 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8543 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8544 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8545 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8546 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8547 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8548 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8551 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8554 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8555 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8556 signature when displaying articles.
8560 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8563 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8566 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8567 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8569 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8570 in question is not a signature.
8573 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8574 listed above. Here's an example:
8577 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8578 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8581 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8582 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8583 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8584 signature after all.
8587 @node Article Miscellania
8588 @subsection Article Miscellania
8592 @kindex A t (Summary)
8593 @findex gnus-article-babel
8594 Translate the article from one language to another
8595 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8601 @section @sc{mime} Commands
8602 @cindex MIME decoding
8604 @cindex viewing attachments
8606 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8607 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8613 @kindex K v (Summary)
8614 View the @sc{mime} part.
8617 @kindex K o (Summary)
8618 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8621 @kindex K c (Summary)
8622 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8625 @kindex K e (Summary)
8626 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8629 @kindex K i (Summary)
8630 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8633 @kindex K | (Summary)
8634 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8637 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8642 @kindex K b (Summary)
8643 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8644 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8648 @kindex K m (Summary)
8649 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8650 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8651 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8652 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8653 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8656 @kindex X m (Summary)
8657 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8658 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8659 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8660 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8663 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8664 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
8665 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8666 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8669 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8670 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8671 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8674 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8675 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8676 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8678 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8679 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8680 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8681 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
8682 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
8683 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8686 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8687 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8688 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8695 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8696 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8697 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8698 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8701 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8704 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8708 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8709 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8710 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8711 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8712 displayed or this variable is overriden by
8713 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8716 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8717 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8718 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8719 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8720 displayed. This variable overrides
8721 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8723 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8724 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8725 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} to the default value.
8727 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8728 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8729 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8730 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8731 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8732 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8733 save all jpegs into some directory).
8735 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8738 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8739 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8741 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8742 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8743 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8744 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8745 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8748 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8749 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8750 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8752 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8753 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8754 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8755 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8757 Ready-made functions include@*
8758 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8759 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8760 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8761 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
8762 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
8763 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
8764 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
8765 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
8766 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8767 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8768 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8769 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8771 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
8772 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
8774 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
8775 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
8776 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
8779 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8780 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8781 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8782 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
8786 to your @file{.gnus} file.
8795 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8796 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8797 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8798 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8799 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8800 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8801 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8803 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8804 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8805 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
8806 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8808 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8809 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
8810 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8811 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8812 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
8813 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8814 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
8815 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
8817 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8818 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8819 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8820 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8821 quoted-printable header encoding.
8823 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8824 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8825 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8829 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8832 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8833 means encode all charsets),
8835 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8836 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8837 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8844 @cindex coding system aliases
8845 @cindex preferred charset
8847 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8849 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8850 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8853 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8854 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8857 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8858 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8860 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8863 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8866 This will almost do the right thing.
8868 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8872 (codepage-setup 1251)
8873 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8877 @node Article Commands
8878 @section Article Commands
8885 @kindex A P (Summary)
8886 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8887 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8888 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8889 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
8890 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
8891 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
8896 @node Summary Sorting
8897 @section Summary Sorting
8898 @cindex summary sorting
8900 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8901 can't really see why you'd want that.
8906 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
8907 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
8908 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
8911 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
8912 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
8913 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
8916 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
8917 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
8918 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
8921 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
8922 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
8923 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8926 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8927 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8928 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8931 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8932 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8933 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8936 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8937 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8938 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8941 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
8942 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
8943 Sort using the default sorting method
8944 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
8947 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8948 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8949 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8950 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8951 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8955 @node Finding the Parent
8956 @section Finding the Parent
8957 @cindex parent articles
8958 @cindex referring articles
8963 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8964 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8965 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8966 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8967 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8968 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8969 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8970 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8971 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8973 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8974 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8975 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
8976 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8977 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8981 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8982 @kindex A R (Summary)
8983 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8984 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8987 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8988 @kindex A T (Summary)
8989 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8990 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8991 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8992 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8993 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8994 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8995 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8997 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8998 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8999 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9000 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9001 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9002 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9005 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9006 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9008 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9009 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9010 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9011 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9012 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9013 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9014 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9017 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9018 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9019 by giving this command a prefix.
9021 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9022 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9023 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9024 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9025 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9026 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9029 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9030 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9031 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9034 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9035 then ask Deja if that fails:
9038 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9040 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
9043 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9044 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9045 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9046 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9047 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9048 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9049 support this at all.
9052 @node Alternative Approaches
9053 @section Alternative Approaches
9055 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9056 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9059 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9060 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9065 @subsection Pick and Read
9066 @cindex pick and read
9068 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9069 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9070 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9071 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9073 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9074 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9075 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9076 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9077 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9078 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9080 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9085 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9086 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9087 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9088 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9089 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9090 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9091 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9092 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9095 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9096 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9097 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9098 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9102 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9103 Unpick the thread or article
9104 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9105 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9106 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9107 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9108 the thread or article at that line.
9112 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9113 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9114 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9115 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9116 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9117 will still be visible when you are reading.
9121 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9122 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9123 which is mapped to the same function
9124 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9126 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9129 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9132 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9133 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9135 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9136 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9137 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9139 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9140 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9141 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9142 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9143 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9144 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9145 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9149 @subsection Binary Groups
9150 @cindex binary groups
9152 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9153 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9154 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9155 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9156 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9157 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9158 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9161 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9162 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9163 command, when you have turned on this mode
9164 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9166 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9167 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9171 @section Tree Display
9174 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9175 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9176 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9177 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9180 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9183 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9184 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9185 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9187 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9188 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9189 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9190 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9191 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9193 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9194 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9195 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9196 default is @code{modeline}.
9198 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9199 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9200 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9201 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9202 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9203 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9204 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9210 The name of the poster.
9212 The @code{From} header.
9214 The number of the article.
9216 The opening bracket.
9218 The closing bracket.
9223 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9225 Variables related to the display are:
9228 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9229 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9230 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9231 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9232 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9233 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9235 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9236 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9237 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9238 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9242 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9243 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9244 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9245 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9246 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9247 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9248 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9249 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9250 other windows displayed next to it.
9252 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9256 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9257 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9260 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9261 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9262 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9263 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9264 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9265 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9266 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9270 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9273 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9283 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9287 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9288 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9290 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9292 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9297 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9298 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9299 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9302 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9303 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9304 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9305 (gnus-add-configuration
9309 (summary 0.75 point)
9314 @xref{Window Layout}.
9317 @node Mail Group Commands
9318 @section Mail Group Commands
9319 @cindex mail group commands
9321 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9322 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9324 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9325 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9330 @kindex B e (Summary)
9331 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9332 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9333 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9334 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9335 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9338 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9339 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9340 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9341 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9342 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9343 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9346 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9347 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9348 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9349 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9350 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9351 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9354 @kindex B m (Summary)
9356 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9357 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9358 Move the article from one mail group to another
9359 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9360 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9363 @kindex B c (Summary)
9365 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9366 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9367 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9368 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9369 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9372 @kindex B B (Summary)
9373 @cindex crosspost mail
9374 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9375 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9376 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9377 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9378 be properly updated.
9381 @kindex B i (Summary)
9382 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9383 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9384 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9385 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9388 @kindex B r (Summary)
9389 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9390 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9391 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9392 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9393 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9394 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9395 (which is the default).
9399 @kindex B w (Summary)
9401 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9402 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9403 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9404 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9405 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9406 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9409 @kindex B q (Summary)
9410 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9411 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9412 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9413 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9416 @kindex B t (Summary)
9417 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9418 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9419 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9422 @kindex B p (Summary)
9423 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9424 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9425 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9426 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9427 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9428 article from your news server (or rather, from
9429 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9430 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9431 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9432 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9433 just not have arrived yet.
9437 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9438 @cindex moving articles
9439 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9440 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9441 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9442 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9443 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9444 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9445 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9448 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9449 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9450 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9451 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9455 @node Various Summary Stuff
9456 @section Various Summary Stuff
9459 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9460 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9461 * Summary Generation Commands::
9462 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9466 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9467 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9468 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9470 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9471 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9472 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9473 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9474 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9475 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9478 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9479 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9480 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9481 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9482 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9484 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9485 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9486 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9489 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9490 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9491 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9492 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9493 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9494 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9495 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
9496 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9497 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9498 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9500 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9501 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9502 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9503 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9504 list of articles to be selected.
9506 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9507 the list in one particular group:
9510 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9511 (if (string= group "some.group")
9512 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9516 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9517 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9518 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9519 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9520 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9521 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9522 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9523 buffers. For example:
9526 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9527 '(message-use-followup-to
9528 (gnus-visible-headers .
9529 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9535 @node Summary Group Information
9536 @subsection Summary Group Information
9541 @kindex H f (Summary)
9542 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9543 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9544 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9545 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9546 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9547 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9548 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9549 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9550 be used for fetching the file.
9553 @kindex H d (Summary)
9554 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9555 Give a brief description of the current group
9556 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9557 rereading the description from the server.
9560 @kindex H h (Summary)
9561 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9562 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9563 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9566 @kindex H i (Summary)
9567 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9568 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9572 @node Searching for Articles
9573 @subsection Searching for Articles
9578 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9579 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9580 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9581 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9584 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9585 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9586 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9587 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9591 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9592 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9593 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9594 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9595 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9596 search backward instead.
9598 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9599 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9602 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9603 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9604 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9605 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9608 @node Summary Generation Commands
9609 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9614 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9615 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9616 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9619 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9620 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9621 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9622 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9627 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9628 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9634 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9635 @kindex A D (Summary)
9636 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9637 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9638 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9639 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9640 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9641 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9642 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9643 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9647 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9648 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9649 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9650 several documents into one biiig group
9651 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9652 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9653 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9654 command understands the process/prefix convention
9655 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9658 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9659 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9660 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9661 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9662 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9663 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9667 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9668 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9669 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9672 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9673 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9674 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9675 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9678 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9679 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9680 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9681 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9686 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9687 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9688 @cindex summary exit
9689 @cindex exiting groups
9691 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9692 group and return you to the group buffer.
9698 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9700 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9701 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9702 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9703 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9704 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9705 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9706 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9707 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9708 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9709 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9710 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9714 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9716 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9717 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9718 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9722 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9724 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9725 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9726 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9727 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9730 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9731 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9732 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9733 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
9736 @kindex Z n (Summary)
9737 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
9738 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
9739 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
9742 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9743 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9744 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9745 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9746 all articles, both read and unread.
9750 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9751 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9752 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9753 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9754 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9755 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9756 articles, both read and unread.
9759 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9760 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9761 Exit the group and go to the next group
9762 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9765 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9766 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9767 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9768 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9771 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9772 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9773 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9774 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9775 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9776 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9779 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9780 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9781 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9782 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9784 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9785 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9786 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9787 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9788 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9789 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
9790 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
9791 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
9792 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
9793 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
9794 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9795 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9797 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9799 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9800 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9801 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9802 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9803 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9804 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9805 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9806 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9807 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9810 @node Crosspost Handling
9811 @section Crosspost Handling
9815 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9816 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9817 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9818 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9819 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9820 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9823 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9824 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9825 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9826 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9827 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9829 @cindex cross-posting
9832 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9833 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9834 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9835 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9836 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9837 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9838 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9839 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9840 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9841 the cross reference mechanism.
9843 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9844 @cindex overview.fmt
9845 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
9846 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
9847 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
9848 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
9849 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9850 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9853 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9854 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9855 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9860 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9863 @node Duplicate Suppression
9864 @section Duplicate Suppression
9866 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
9867 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
9868 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
9869 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
9874 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
9875 is evil and not very common.
9878 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
9879 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9882 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9883 different @sc{nntp} servers.
9886 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
9889 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
9890 well, but these four are the most common situations.
9892 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
9893 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
9894 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
9895 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
9896 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
9897 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
9898 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
9901 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
9902 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
9903 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
9904 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
9905 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
9909 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
9910 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
9911 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
9913 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
9914 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
9915 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
9916 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
9917 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
9918 session are suppressed.
9920 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
9921 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
9922 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
9923 suppression list. The default is 10000.
9925 @item gnus-duplicate-file
9926 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
9927 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
9928 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
9931 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
9932 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
9933 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
9934 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
9935 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
9936 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
9937 to you to figure out, I think.
9942 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
9943 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
9944 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
9948 To handle PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or gpg.el as
9949 well as a OpenPGP implementation (such as GnuPG).
9952 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
9953 or newer is recommended.
9957 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
9958 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
9961 @item mm-verify-option
9962 @vindex mm-verify-option
9963 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
9964 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
9965 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9967 @item mm-decrypt-option
9968 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
9969 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
9970 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
9971 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9976 @section Mailing List
9978 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
9979 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
9980 possibly using @kbd{A M} in the summary buffer, or say:
9983 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
9986 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
9991 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
9992 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
9993 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
9996 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
9997 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
9998 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10001 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10002 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10003 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10007 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10008 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10009 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10012 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10013 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10014 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10017 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10018 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10019 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10023 @node Article Buffer
10024 @chapter Article Buffer
10025 @cindex article buffer
10027 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10028 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10029 tell Gnus otherwise.
10032 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10033 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10034 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10035 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10036 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10040 @node Hiding Headers
10041 @section Hiding Headers
10042 @cindex hiding headers
10043 @cindex deleting headers
10045 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10046 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10048 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10049 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10050 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10051 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10052 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10053 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10054 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10055 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10056 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10058 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10062 @item gnus-visible-headers
10063 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10064 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10065 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10066 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10068 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10069 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10072 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10075 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10078 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10079 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10080 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10081 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10082 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10083 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10085 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10086 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10089 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10092 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10095 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10096 variable will have no effect.
10100 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10101 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10102 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10103 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10104 the headers are to be displayed.
10106 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10107 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10110 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10113 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10114 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10116 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10117 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10118 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10119 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10120 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10121 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10122 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10125 These conditions are:
10128 Remove all empty headers.
10130 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10131 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10133 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10134 @code{From} header.
10136 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10139 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10140 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10142 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10145 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10147 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10150 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10153 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10154 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10157 This is also the default value for this variable.
10161 @section Using MIME
10164 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10165 while people stand around yawning.
10167 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10168 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10170 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10171 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10172 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10174 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10175 @findex gnus-display-mime
10176 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10177 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10178 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10179 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
10181 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10185 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10186 @item RET (Article)
10187 @kindex RET (Article)
10188 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10189 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
10190 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If builtin viewers can not display
10191 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10192 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10193 object is displayed inline.
10195 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10196 @item M-RET (Article)
10197 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10199 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10200 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10202 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10204 @kindex t (Article)
10205 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10206 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10208 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10210 @kindex C (Article)
10211 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10212 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10214 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10216 @kindex o (Article)
10217 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10218 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10220 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10221 @item C-o (Article)
10222 @kindex C-o (Article)
10223 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10224 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10225 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10226 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10227 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10228 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10230 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10232 @kindex c (Article)
10233 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10234 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
10236 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10238 @kindex p (Article)
10239 Print the @sc{mime} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10240 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10241 @file{.mailcap} file.
10243 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10245 @kindex i (Article)
10246 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10247 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10248 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10249 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10250 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10253 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10255 @kindex E (Article)
10256 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10257 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10258 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10260 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10262 @kindex e (Article)
10263 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10264 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10266 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10268 @kindex | (Article)
10269 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10271 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10273 @kindex . (Article)
10274 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10275 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10279 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10280 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10283 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10284 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10285 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10286 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10287 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10288 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10289 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10290 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10291 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10293 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10295 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10298 @node Customizing Articles
10299 @section Customizing Articles
10300 @cindex article customization
10302 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10303 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10304 called automatically when you select the articles.
10306 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10307 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10308 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10309 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10311 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10312 for sensible values.
10316 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10319 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10322 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10325 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10328 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10332 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10333 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10334 regexps in the list.
10337 A list where the first element is not a string:
10339 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10340 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10341 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10345 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10350 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10351 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10352 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10353 considered to contain just a single part.
10355 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10356 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10357 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10358 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10359 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10360 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10361 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10363 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10364 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10365 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10366 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10369 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10370 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10372 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10374 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10375 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10376 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10377 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10378 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10379 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10380 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10381 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10382 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10383 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10385 @xref{Article Washing}.
10387 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10388 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10389 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10390 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10391 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10392 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10393 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10395 @xref{Article Date}.
10397 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10398 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10399 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10403 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10405 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10407 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10408 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10409 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10413 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10417 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10418 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10419 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10420 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10421 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10422 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10423 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10424 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10426 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10428 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10429 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10430 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10432 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10434 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10435 @item gnus-treat-translate
10436 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10438 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10439 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10440 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10446 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10447 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10448 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10449 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10450 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10454 @node Article Keymap
10455 @section Article Keymap
10457 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10458 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10459 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10460 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10463 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10468 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10469 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10470 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10473 @kindex DEL (Article)
10474 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10475 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10478 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10479 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10480 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10481 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10482 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10485 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10486 @findex gnus-article-mail
10487 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10488 given a prefix, include the mail.
10491 @kindex s (Article)
10492 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10493 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10494 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10497 @kindex ? (Article)
10498 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10499 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10500 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10503 @kindex TAB (Article)
10504 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10505 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10506 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10509 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10510 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10511 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10514 @kindex R (Article)
10515 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10516 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10517 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10518 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10522 @kindex F (Article)
10523 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10524 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10525 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10526 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10534 @section Misc Article
10538 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10539 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10540 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10541 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10544 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10545 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10547 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10548 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10550 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10551 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10552 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10553 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10554 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10555 the contents of the article buffer.
10557 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10558 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10559 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10561 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10562 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10563 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10564 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10566 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10567 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10568 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10569 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10570 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10576 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10577 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10578 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10583 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10586 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10589 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10590 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10591 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10594 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10597 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10600 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10605 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10609 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10611 @item gnus-break-pages
10612 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10613 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10614 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10615 paging will not be done.
10617 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10618 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10619 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10624 @node Composing Messages
10625 @chapter Composing Messages
10626 @cindex composing messages
10629 @cindex sending mail
10634 @cindex using s/mime
10635 @cindex using smime
10637 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10638 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10639 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10640 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10641 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10642 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10645 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10646 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
10647 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10648 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10649 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10650 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10651 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10652 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10655 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10656 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10662 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10665 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10666 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10667 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10668 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
10670 @item gnus-add-to-list
10671 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10672 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10673 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10678 @node Posting Server
10679 @section Posting Server
10681 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10682 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10684 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10686 It can be quite complicated.
10688 @vindex gnus-post-method
10689 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
10690 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
10691 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
10692 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
10693 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
10694 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
10695 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
10696 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
10697 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10700 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10703 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10704 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10705 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10706 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10708 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10709 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10711 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10712 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10715 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
10716 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
10718 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
10719 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
10720 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
10721 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
10722 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
10723 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
10724 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
10725 package correctly. An example:
10728 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
10729 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
10732 Other possible choises for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
10733 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
10734 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
10736 @node Mail and Post
10737 @section Mail and Post
10739 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
10743 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
10744 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
10745 @cindex mailing lists
10747 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
10748 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
10749 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
10750 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
10751 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
10752 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
10753 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
10754 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
10755 still a pain, though.
10759 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
10760 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
10761 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
10764 @findex ispell-message
10766 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
10769 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
10770 you're in, you could say something like the following:
10773 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
10777 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
10778 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
10780 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
10783 Modify to suit your needs.
10786 @node Archived Messages
10787 @section Archived Messages
10788 @cindex archived messages
10789 @cindex sent messages
10791 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
10792 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
10793 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
10794 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
10797 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
10798 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
10799 use to store sent messages. The default is:
10802 (nnfolder "archive"
10803 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
10804 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
10805 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
10806 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
10809 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
10810 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
10811 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
10812 directory chosen, you could say something like:
10815 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
10816 '(nnfolder "archive"
10817 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
10818 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
10819 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
10822 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
10824 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
10825 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
10826 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
10828 This variable can be used to do the following:
10833 Messages will be saved in that group.
10835 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
10836 message will not be stored in the select method given by
10837 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
10838 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
10839 has the default value shown above. Then setting
10840 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
10841 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
10842 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
10846 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
10848 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
10849 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
10852 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
10857 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
10859 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
10862 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
10864 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
10867 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
10869 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10870 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
10871 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
10872 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
10875 More complex stuff:
10877 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10878 '((if (message-news-p)
10883 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
10884 messages in one file per month:
10887 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
10888 '((if (message-news-p)
10890 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
10893 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
10894 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
10896 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
10897 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
10898 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
10899 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
10900 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
10901 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
10902 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
10903 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
10904 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
10905 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
10907 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
10908 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
10909 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
10910 this will disable archiving.
10913 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
10914 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
10915 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
10916 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
10917 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
10920 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
10921 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
10922 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
10925 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
10926 but the latter is the preferred method.
10928 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
10929 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
10930 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
10932 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
10933 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
10934 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
10935 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
10936 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
10937 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
10938 changed in the future.
10943 @node Posting Styles
10944 @section Posting Styles
10945 @cindex posting styles
10948 All them variables, they make my head swim.
10950 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
10951 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
10952 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
10955 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
10956 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
10957 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
10958 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
10959 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
10964 (signature "Peace and happiness")
10965 (organization "What me?"))
10967 (signature "Death to everybody"))
10968 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
10969 (organization "Emacs is it")))
10972 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
10973 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
10974 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
10975 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
10976 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
10977 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
10978 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
10979 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
10981 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
10982 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
10983 If it is the form @code{(header MATCH REGEXP)}, then Gnus will look in
10984 the original article for a header whose name is MATCH and compare that
10985 REGEXP. MATCH and REGEXP are strings. If it's a function symbol, that
10986 function will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol,
10987 then the variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list
10988 will be @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil}
10989 value, then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
10991 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
10992 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
10993 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
10994 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
10995 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
10996 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
10997 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
10998 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
10999 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11000 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11003 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11004 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11005 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11006 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11007 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11008 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11009 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11010 references chars lines xref extra.
11012 @vindex message-reply-headers
11014 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11015 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11016 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11018 @findex message-mail-p
11019 @findex message-news-p
11021 So here's a new example:
11024 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11026 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11028 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11029 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11031 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11032 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11033 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11034 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11035 (signature my-news-signature))
11036 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11037 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11038 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11039 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
11040 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11041 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11042 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11043 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11044 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11045 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11047 (From (save-excursion
11048 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11049 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11051 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11054 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11055 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11056 if you fill many roles.
11063 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11064 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11065 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11066 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11067 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11069 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11070 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11071 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11072 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11073 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11077 @vindex nndraft-directory
11078 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11079 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11080 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11081 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11082 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11083 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11085 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11086 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11089 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11090 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11091 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11092 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11093 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11094 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11095 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11096 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11097 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11098 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11099 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11100 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11101 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11102 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11104 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11105 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11106 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11108 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11109 @kindex D e (Draft)
11110 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11111 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11112 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11114 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11117 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11118 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11119 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11120 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11121 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11122 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11123 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11126 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11127 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11128 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11131 @node Rejected Articles
11132 @section Rejected Articles
11133 @cindex rejected articles
11135 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11136 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11137 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11138 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11140 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11141 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11142 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11143 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11144 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11146 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11147 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11148 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11150 @node Signing and encrypting
11151 @section Signing and encrypting
11153 @cindex using s/mime
11154 @cindex using smime
11156 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11157 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11158 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11159 (@pxref{Security}).
11161 For PGP, Gnus supports two external libraries, @sc{gpg.el} and
11162 @sc{Mailcrypt}, you need to install at least one of them. The
11163 @sc{s/mime} support in Gnus requires the external program OpenSSL.
11165 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11166 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11167 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11172 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11173 @findex mml-secure-sign-smime
11175 Digitally sign current @sc{mime} part using @sc{s/mime}.
11178 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11179 @findex mml-secure-sign-pgp
11181 Digitally sign current @sc{mime} part using PGP.
11184 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11185 @findex mml-secure-sign-pgp
11187 Digitally sign current @sc{mime} part using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11190 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11191 @findex mml-secure-encrypt-smime
11193 Digitally encrypt current @sc{mime} part using @sc{s/mime}.
11196 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11197 @findex mml-secure-encrypt-pgp
11199 Digitally encrypt current @sc{mime} part using PGP.
11202 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11203 @findex mml-secure-encrypt-pgpmime
11205 Digitally encrypt current @sc{mime} part using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11209 Also @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}.
11211 @node Select Methods
11212 @chapter Select Methods
11213 @cindex foreign groups
11214 @cindex select methods
11216 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11217 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11218 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11219 personal mail group.
11221 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11222 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11223 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11224 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11225 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11226 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11228 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11229 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11231 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11234 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11235 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11236 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11237 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11238 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11240 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11243 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11244 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11245 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11246 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11247 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11248 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11249 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11250 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11254 @node Server Buffer
11255 @section Server Buffer
11257 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11258 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11259 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11260 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11261 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11262 back end represents a virtual server.
11264 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11265 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11266 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11267 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11269 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11270 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11271 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11272 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11273 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11274 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11275 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11277 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11278 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11281 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11282 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11283 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11284 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11285 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11286 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11287 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11290 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11291 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11294 @node Server Buffer Format
11295 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11296 @cindex server buffer format
11298 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11299 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11300 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11301 variable, with some simple extensions:
11306 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11309 The name of this server.
11312 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11315 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11318 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11319 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11320 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11321 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11331 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11334 @node Server Commands
11335 @subsection Server Commands
11336 @cindex server commands
11342 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11343 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11347 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11348 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11351 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11352 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11353 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11357 @findex gnus-server-exit
11358 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11362 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11363 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11367 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11368 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11372 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11373 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11377 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11378 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11382 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11383 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11384 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11389 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11390 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11391 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11392 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11397 @node Example Methods
11398 @subsection Example Methods
11400 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11403 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11406 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11412 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11413 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11416 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11417 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11419 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11420 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11424 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11427 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11428 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11430 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11431 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11432 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11436 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11439 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11442 Here's the method for a public spool:
11446 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11447 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11453 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11454 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11455 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11456 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11457 should probably look something like this:
11461 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11462 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11463 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11464 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11467 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11468 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11469 configuration to the example above:
11472 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11475 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11476 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11477 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11481 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11482 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11483 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11484 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11487 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11488 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11489 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11490 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11493 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11494 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11496 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11497 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11499 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11500 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11501 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11503 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11505 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11506 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11507 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11508 will contain the following:
11518 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11519 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11520 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11523 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11524 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11525 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11528 @node Server Variables
11529 @subsection Server Variables
11531 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11532 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11533 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11534 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11535 won't change the "derived" variables.
11537 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11538 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11539 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11540 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11541 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11542 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11543 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11544 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11545 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11549 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11550 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11551 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11555 @node Servers and Methods
11556 @subsection Servers and Methods
11558 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11559 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11560 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11561 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11565 @node Unavailable Servers
11566 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11568 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11569 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11570 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11571 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11572 actually the case or not.
11574 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11575 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11576 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11577 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11578 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11579 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11580 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11581 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11583 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11584 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11586 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11587 with the following commands:
11593 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11594 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11595 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11599 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11600 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11601 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11605 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11606 Mark the current server as unreachable
11607 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11610 @kindex M-o (Server)
11611 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11612 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11613 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11616 @kindex M-c (Server)
11617 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11618 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11619 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11623 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11624 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11625 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11631 @section Getting News
11632 @cindex reading news
11633 @cindex news back ends
11635 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11636 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11637 or it can read from a local spool.
11640 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11641 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11646 @subsection @sc{nntp}
11649 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11650 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11651 server as the, uhm, address.
11653 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11654 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11655 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11656 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11658 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11659 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11660 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11662 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11667 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11668 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11669 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11671 @cindex authentification
11672 @cindex nntp authentification
11673 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11674 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11675 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11676 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11677 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11678 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11679 present in this hook.
11681 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11682 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11683 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11684 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
11685 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
11686 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
11687 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
11688 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
11689 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
11690 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
11691 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
11692 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
11696 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
11699 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
11701 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
11702 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
11703 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
11704 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
11705 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
11706 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
11707 @samp{force} is explained below.
11711 Here's an example file:
11714 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
11715 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
11718 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
11719 have to be first, for instance.
11721 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
11722 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
11723 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
11724 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
11725 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
11726 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
11727 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
11729 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
11730 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
11736 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
11737 previously mentioned.
11739 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
11741 @item nntp-server-action-alist
11742 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
11743 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
11744 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
11745 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
11748 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
11749 '(("innd" (ding))))
11752 You probably don't want to do that, though.
11754 The default value is
11757 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
11758 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
11759 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
11762 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
11763 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
11765 @item nntp-maximum-request
11766 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
11767 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
11768 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
11769 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
11770 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
11771 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
11772 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
11774 @item nntp-connection-timeout
11775 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
11776 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
11777 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
11778 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
11779 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
11780 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
11781 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
11782 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
11783 no timeouts are done.
11785 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
11786 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
11787 @c @cindex PPP connections
11788 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
11789 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
11790 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
11791 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
11792 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
11793 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
11794 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
11795 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
11796 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
11797 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
11799 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
11800 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
11801 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
11802 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
11803 @c described above.
11805 @item nntp-server-hook
11806 @vindex nntp-server-hook
11807 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
11810 @item nntp-buggy-select
11811 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
11812 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
11814 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
11815 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
11816 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
11817 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
11820 @item nntp-xover-commands
11821 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
11824 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
11825 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
11829 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
11830 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
11831 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
11832 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
11833 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
11834 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
11835 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
11836 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
11837 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
11838 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
11839 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
11841 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
11842 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
11843 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
11845 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11846 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
11847 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
11848 server closes connection.
11850 @item nntp-record-commands
11851 @vindex nntp-record-commands
11852 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
11853 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
11854 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
11855 that doesn't seem to work.
11857 @item nntp-open-connection-function
11858 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
11859 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
11860 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
11861 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
11862 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
11863 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
11864 indirect ones (two pre-made).
11866 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
11867 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
11868 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
11869 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
11870 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
11871 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
11872 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
11875 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
11878 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
11879 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
11883 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
11884 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
11885 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
11889 @node Direct Functions
11890 @subsubsection Direct Functions
11891 @cindex direct connection functions
11893 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
11894 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
11895 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
11896 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11899 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
11900 @item nntp-open-network-stream
11901 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
11904 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
11905 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
11906 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
11907 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
11908 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
11909 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
11910 define a server as follows:
11913 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
11915 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
11917 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
11918 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
11919 (nntp-port-number "snews")
11920 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
11923 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
11924 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
11925 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
11926 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
11927 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
11928 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
11929 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
11930 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
11934 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11935 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
11936 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
11939 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
11940 session, which is not a good idea.
11944 @node Indirect Functions
11945 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
11946 @cindex indirect connection functions
11948 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
11949 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
11950 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
11951 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
11952 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
11953 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11956 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11957 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11958 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
11959 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
11960 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
11962 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11965 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
11966 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
11967 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
11968 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
11971 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11972 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11973 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
11974 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
11976 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11979 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
11980 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
11981 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
11984 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
11985 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
11986 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
11987 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
11989 @item nntp-via-user-password
11990 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
11991 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
11993 @item nntp-via-envuser
11994 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
11995 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
11996 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
11997 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
11999 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12000 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12001 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12002 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12009 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12014 @item nntp-via-user-name
12015 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12016 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12018 @item nntp-via-address
12019 @vindex nntp-via-address
12020 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12025 @node Common Variables
12026 @subsubsection Common Variables
12028 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12029 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12034 @item nntp-pre-command
12035 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12036 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
12037 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
12038 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
12039 wrapper for instance.
12042 @vindex nntp-address
12043 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12045 @item nntp-port-number
12046 @vindex nntp-port-number
12047 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
12049 @item nntp-end-of-line
12050 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12051 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12052 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12053 using a non native connection function.
12055 @item nntp-telnet-command
12056 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12057 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12058 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12059 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12061 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12062 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12063 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12070 @subsection News Spool
12074 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12075 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12076 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12079 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12080 anything else) as the address.
12082 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12083 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12084 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12085 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12089 @item nnspool-inews-program
12090 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12091 Program used to post an article.
12093 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12094 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12095 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12097 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12098 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12099 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12100 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12102 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12103 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12104 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12105 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12107 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12108 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12109 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12111 @item nnspool-active-file
12112 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12113 The path to the active file.
12115 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12116 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12117 The path to the group descriptions file.
12119 @item nnspool-history-file
12120 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12121 The path to the news history file.
12123 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12124 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12125 The path to the active date file.
12127 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12128 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12129 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12132 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12133 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12135 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12136 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12137 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12143 @section Getting Mail
12144 @cindex reading mail
12147 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12151 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12152 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12153 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12154 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12155 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12156 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12157 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12158 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12159 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12160 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12161 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12162 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12163 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12167 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12168 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12170 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12171 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12172 of a culture shock.
12174 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12175 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12177 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12178 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12179 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12180 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12182 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12184 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12185 deleted? How awful!
12187 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12188 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12189 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12190 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12193 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12194 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12195 they want to treat a message.
12197 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12198 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12199 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12200 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12201 archived somewhere else.
12203 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12204 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12205 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12206 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12207 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12209 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12210 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12211 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12213 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12214 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12217 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12218 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12219 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12220 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12221 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12223 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12224 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12225 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12226 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12227 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12228 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12232 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12233 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12235 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12236 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12237 and things will happen automatically.
12239 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12240 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
12243 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12246 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12247 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12248 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12249 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12250 like any other group.
12252 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12255 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12256 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12257 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12261 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12262 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12263 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12266 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12267 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12268 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12271 @node Splitting Mail
12272 @subsection Splitting Mail
12273 @cindex splitting mail
12274 @cindex mail splitting
12276 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12277 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12278 to be split into groups.
12281 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12282 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12283 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12284 ("mail.other" "")))
12287 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12288 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12289 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12290 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12291 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12292 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12293 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12296 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12299 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12300 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12301 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12302 mail belongs in that group.
12304 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12305 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12306 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12307 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12308 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12309 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12311 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12312 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12313 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12314 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12315 thinks should carry this mail message.
12317 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12318 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12319 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12320 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12322 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12323 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12324 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12325 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12326 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12328 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12331 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12332 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12333 links. If that's the case for you, set
12334 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12335 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12337 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12338 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12339 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12340 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12341 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12342 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12345 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12346 Header lines longer than the value of
12347 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12350 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12351 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12352 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12353 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12354 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12355 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12356 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12357 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12358 month's rent money.
12362 @subsection Mail Sources
12364 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12365 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12369 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12370 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12371 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12375 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12376 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12378 @cindex mail server
12381 @cindex mail source
12383 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12384 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12389 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12392 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12393 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12394 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12397 The following mail source types are available:
12401 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12407 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12408 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
12411 An example file mail source:
12414 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12417 Or using the default path:
12423 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12424 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12425 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12428 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12432 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12435 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12439 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12442 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12444 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12447 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12451 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
12452 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
12453 That is, mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in the
12454 group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12455 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12456 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus
12457 to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you
12458 want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12464 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12468 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12472 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12473 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12474 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12475 predicate are considered.
12479 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12483 An example directory mail source:
12486 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12491 Get mail from a POP server.
12497 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12498 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12501 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12502 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12503 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12504 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12505 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12508 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12512 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12516 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12517 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12520 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12523 The valid format specifier characters are:
12527 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12528 included in this string.
12531 The name of the server.
12534 The port number of the server.
12537 The user name to use.
12540 The password to use.
12543 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12544 corresponding keywords.
12547 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12548 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12551 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12552 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12555 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12556 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12559 @item :authentication
12560 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12561 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12566 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12567 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12569 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12570 default user name, and default fetcher:
12576 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12579 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12580 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12583 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
12586 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
12590 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
12591 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
12592 contains exactly one mail.
12598 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
12599 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
12602 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
12603 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
12605 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
12606 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
12607 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
12610 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
12611 from locking problems).
12615 Two example maildir mail sources:
12618 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
12619 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
12623 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
12628 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
12629 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
12630 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
12631 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
12634 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
12635 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
12641 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
12642 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12645 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
12646 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
12649 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
12653 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
12657 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
12658 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
12659 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
12660 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
12662 @item :authentication
12663 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
12664 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
12665 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
12666 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
12669 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
12670 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
12671 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
12677 The valid format specifier characters are:
12681 The name of the server.
12684 User name from `imap-default-user'.
12687 The port number of the server.
12690 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12691 corresponding keywords.
12694 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
12695 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
12698 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
12699 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
12700 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
12701 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
12702 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
12703 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
12706 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
12707 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
12708 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
12709 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
12712 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
12713 after finishing the fetch.
12717 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
12720 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
12722 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
12726 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
12727 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
12728 @uref{www.my-deja.com}.
12730 NOTE: Now @uref{mail.yahoo.com} provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
12733 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
12734 required for url "4.0pre.46".
12736 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
12742 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
12743 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
12746 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
12750 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
12754 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
12755 folder after finishing the fetch.
12759 An example webmail source:
12762 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
12764 :password "secret")
12769 @item Common Keywords
12770 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
12776 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
12777 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
12781 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
12786 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
12787 useful when you use local mail and news.
12792 @subsubsection Function Interface
12794 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
12795 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
12796 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
12797 consider the following mail-source setting:
12800 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
12801 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
12804 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
12805 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
12806 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
12807 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
12808 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
12810 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
12813 @node Mail Source Customization
12814 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
12816 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
12817 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
12821 @item mail-source-crash-box
12822 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
12823 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
12824 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
12826 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
12827 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
12828 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
12830 @item mail-source-directory
12831 @vindex mail-source-directory
12832 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
12833 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
12834 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
12837 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
12838 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
12839 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
12840 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
12841 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
12842 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
12844 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
12845 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
12846 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
12848 @item mail-source-movemail-program
12849 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
12850 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
12851 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
12856 @node Fetching Mail
12857 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
12859 @vindex mail-sources
12860 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
12861 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
12862 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
12863 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
12865 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
12866 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
12869 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
12870 mail server, you'd say something like:
12875 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12876 :password "secret")))
12879 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
12883 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
12884 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12887 :password "secret")))
12891 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
12892 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
12893 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
12894 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
12895 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
12896 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
12900 @node Mail Back End Variables
12901 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
12903 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
12907 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
12908 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
12909 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
12910 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
12912 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
12913 @item nnmail-split-hook
12914 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
12915 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
12916 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
12917 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
12918 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
12919 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
12920 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
12921 in the buffer will show up in any files.
12922 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
12925 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12926 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12927 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12928 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12929 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
12930 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
12931 starting to handle the new mail) and
12932 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
12933 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
12934 default file modes the new mail files get:
12937 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
12938 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
12940 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
12941 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
12944 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
12945 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
12946 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
12947 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
12948 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
12949 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
12950 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
12952 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
12953 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
12954 @findex delete-file
12955 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
12957 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12958 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12959 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
12960 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
12961 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
12966 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
12967 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
12968 @cindex mail splitting
12969 @cindex fancy mail splitting
12971 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
12972 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
12973 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
12974 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
12975 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
12976 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
12978 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
12981 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
12982 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
12983 ;; from real errors.
12984 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
12986 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
12987 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
12988 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
12989 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
12990 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
12991 ;; Other mailing lists...
12992 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
12993 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
12994 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
12995 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
12996 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
12997 ;; message was really cross-posted.
12998 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
12999 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13001 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13002 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13006 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13007 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13008 the five possible split syntaxes:
13013 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13014 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13018 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13019 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13020 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13021 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13022 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13023 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13024 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13025 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13028 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13029 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13030 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13031 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13034 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13035 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13038 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13039 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13042 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13043 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13044 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13045 function should return a @var{split}.
13048 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13049 body of the messages:
13052 (defun split-on-body ()
13054 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13055 (goto-char (point-min))
13056 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13060 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13061 when the @code{:} function is run.
13064 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13065 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
13066 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
13070 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13074 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13075 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13076 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13077 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13078 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13080 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13081 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13082 are expanded as specified by the variable
13083 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13084 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13087 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13088 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13089 when all this splitting is performed.
13091 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13092 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13093 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13096 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13099 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13100 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13102 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13103 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13104 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13105 groupings 1 through 9.
13107 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13108 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13109 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13110 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13111 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13112 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13113 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13114 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13115 it once per thread.
13117 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13118 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13119 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13122 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
13123 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13124 ;; other splits go here
13128 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13129 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13130 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13131 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13132 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13133 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13134 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13135 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13136 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13137 unless the group name matches the regexp
13138 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13139 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13140 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13141 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13142 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13143 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13144 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13145 messages goes into the new group.
13148 @node Group Mail Splitting
13149 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13150 @cindex mail splitting
13151 @cindex group mail splitting
13153 @findex gnus-group-split
13154 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13155 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13156 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13157 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13158 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13159 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13160 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13161 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13163 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13164 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13165 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13166 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13168 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13169 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13170 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13171 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13172 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13173 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13174 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13176 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13177 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13178 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13179 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13180 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13181 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13182 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13184 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13185 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13186 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13187 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13188 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13189 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13190 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13191 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13192 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13193 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13194 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13195 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13196 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13198 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13203 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13204 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13206 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13207 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13208 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13209 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13211 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13214 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13215 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13216 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13219 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13220 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13221 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13225 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13226 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13227 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13231 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13234 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13235 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13236 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13237 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13238 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13239 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13240 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13241 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13242 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13244 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13245 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13246 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13247 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13248 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13249 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13250 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13251 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13252 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13254 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13255 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13256 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13257 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13258 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13259 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
13262 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13265 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13266 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13267 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13268 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13269 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13272 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13273 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13274 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13275 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13277 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13278 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13279 @cindex incorporating old mail
13280 @cindex import old mail
13282 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13283 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13284 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13287 Doing so can be quite easy.
13289 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13290 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13291 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13292 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13293 your @code{nnml} groups.
13299 Go to the group buffer.
13302 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13303 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13306 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
13309 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13310 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13313 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13314 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13317 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13318 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13319 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13320 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13321 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13323 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13324 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13325 using the new mail back end.
13328 @node Expiring Mail
13329 @subsection Expiring Mail
13330 @cindex article expiry
13332 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13333 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13334 different approach to mail reading.
13336 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13337 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13338 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13339 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13340 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13341 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13344 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13345 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
13346 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13347 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13348 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13349 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13350 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13351 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13353 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13354 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
13355 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
13356 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
13357 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
13358 column in the summary buffer.
13360 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13361 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13362 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13363 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13366 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13368 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13369 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13370 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13373 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13374 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13375 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13376 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13377 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13379 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13380 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13383 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13384 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13387 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13388 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13390 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13391 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13392 don't really mix very well.
13394 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13395 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13396 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13397 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13400 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13401 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13402 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13403 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13406 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13408 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13410 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13412 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13414 ((string= group "important")
13420 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13421 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13423 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13424 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13425 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13428 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13429 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13431 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13432 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13433 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13434 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13435 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13436 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13437 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13438 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13439 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13440 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13441 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13442 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13443 name or @code{delete}.
13445 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13447 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13450 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13451 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13452 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13453 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13454 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13457 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13458 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13459 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13460 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13461 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13464 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13465 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13466 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13467 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13468 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13469 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13471 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13472 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13473 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13474 easier for procmail users.
13476 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13477 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13478 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13479 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13480 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13481 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13482 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13483 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13484 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13485 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13486 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13487 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13488 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13491 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13493 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13494 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13495 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13496 auto-expire turned on.
13500 @subsection Washing Mail
13501 @cindex mail washing
13502 @cindex list server brain damage
13503 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13505 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13506 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13507 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13508 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13509 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13510 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13512 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13513 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13514 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13517 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13518 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13519 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13520 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13523 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13524 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13525 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13526 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13527 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13530 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13531 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13532 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13533 Emacs running on MS machines.
13537 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13538 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13539 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13540 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
13543 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13544 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13545 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
13546 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
13548 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13549 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13550 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
13551 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
13552 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
13553 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
13554 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
13557 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
13558 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
13561 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
13562 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
13565 This can also be done non-destructively with
13566 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
13568 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
13569 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
13570 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
13572 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13573 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13575 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
13576 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
13577 @code{References} headers.
13581 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13582 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13583 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
13587 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
13588 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
13589 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
13596 @subsection Duplicates
13598 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
13599 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
13600 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
13601 @cindex duplicate mails
13602 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
13603 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
13604 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
13605 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
13606 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
13607 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
13608 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
13609 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
13610 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
13611 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
13612 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
13613 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
13614 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
13616 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
13617 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
13618 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
13619 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
13621 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
13624 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
13625 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
13629 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
13630 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
13631 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
13632 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
13633 (any mail "mail.misc")
13640 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13641 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
13646 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
13647 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
13648 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
13649 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
13650 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
13653 @node Not Reading Mail
13654 @subsection Not Reading Mail
13656 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
13657 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
13658 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
13660 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
13661 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
13662 mail, which should help.
13664 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13665 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13666 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13667 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13668 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13669 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
13670 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
13671 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
13672 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
13673 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
13674 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
13676 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
13677 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
13681 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
13682 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
13684 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
13685 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
13686 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
13688 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
13689 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
13690 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
13691 Spool}). You might notice that only five back ends are listed below;
13692 @code{nnmaildir}'s documentation has not yet been completely
13693 incorporated into this manual. Until it is, you can find it at
13694 @uref{http://multivac.cwru.edu./nnmaildir/}.
13697 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
13698 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
13699 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
13700 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
13701 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
13702 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
13706 @node Unix Mail Box
13707 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
13709 @cindex unix mail box
13711 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13712 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13713 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
13714 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
13715 which group it belongs in.
13717 Virtual server settings:
13720 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
13721 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
13722 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
13725 @item nnmbox-active-file
13726 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
13727 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
13728 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
13730 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
13731 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
13732 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
13733 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
13738 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
13742 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13743 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13744 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
13745 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
13746 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
13748 Virtual server settings:
13751 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
13752 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
13753 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
13755 @item nnbabyl-active-file
13756 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
13757 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
13758 @file{~/.rmail-active}
13760 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13761 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
13762 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
13768 @subsubsection Mail Spool
13770 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
13772 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
13773 format. It should be used with some caution.
13775 @vindex nnml-directory
13776 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
13777 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
13778 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
13779 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
13781 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
13784 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
13785 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
13786 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
13787 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
13788 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
13789 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
13790 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
13791 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
13793 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
13794 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
13795 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
13796 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
13798 @cindex self contained nnml servers
13799 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
13800 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
13801 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
13802 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
13803 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
13804 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
13805 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
13806 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
13809 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
13810 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
13811 them next time it starts.
13813 Virtual server settings:
13816 @item nnml-directory
13817 @vindex nnml-directory
13818 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
13819 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
13822 @item nnml-active-file
13823 @vindex nnml-active-file
13824 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
13825 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
13827 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
13828 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
13829 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
13830 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
13832 @item nnml-get-new-mail
13833 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
13834 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
13837 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
13838 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
13839 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
13840 default is @code{nil}.
13842 @item nnml-nov-file-name
13843 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
13844 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
13846 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
13847 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
13848 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
13850 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
13851 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
13852 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
13853 default is @code{nil}.
13855 @item nnml-marks-file-name
13856 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
13857 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
13859 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
13860 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
13861 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
13866 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
13867 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
13868 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
13869 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
13870 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
13871 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
13872 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
13877 @subsubsection MH Spool
13879 @cindex mh-e mail spool
13881 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
13882 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
13883 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
13884 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
13886 Virtual server settings:
13889 @item nnmh-directory
13890 @vindex nnmh-directory
13891 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
13892 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
13895 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
13896 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
13897 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
13901 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
13902 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
13903 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
13904 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
13905 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
13906 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
13907 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
13912 @subsubsection Mail Folders
13914 @cindex mbox folders
13915 @cindex mail folders
13917 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
13918 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
13919 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
13922 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
13923 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
13924 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
13925 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
13926 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
13927 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
13928 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
13929 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
13930 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
13931 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
13932 @code{nnfolder} directory).
13934 Virtual server settings:
13937 @item nnfolder-directory
13938 @vindex nnfolder-directory
13939 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
13940 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
13943 @item nnfolder-active-file
13944 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
13945 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
13947 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
13948 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
13949 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
13950 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
13952 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
13953 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
13954 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
13957 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
13958 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
13959 @cindex backup files
13960 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
13961 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
13962 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
13963 your @file{.emacs} file:
13966 (defun turn-off-backup ()
13967 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
13969 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
13972 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
13973 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
13974 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
13975 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
13976 extract some information from it before removing it.
13978 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
13979 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
13980 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
13981 default is @code{nil}.
13983 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
13984 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
13985 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
13987 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
13988 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
13989 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
13990 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
13992 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
13993 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
13994 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
13995 default is @code{nil}.
13997 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
13998 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
13999 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14001 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14002 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14003 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14004 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14009 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14010 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14011 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14012 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14013 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14014 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14017 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14018 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14020 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14021 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14022 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14023 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14024 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14026 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14027 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14028 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14029 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14030 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14031 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14032 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14033 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14036 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14037 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14038 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14039 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14044 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14045 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14046 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14047 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14048 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14049 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14050 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14051 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14052 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14053 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14054 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14055 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14056 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14061 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14062 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14063 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14064 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14065 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14066 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14067 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14068 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14069 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14070 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14071 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14072 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14073 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14074 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14076 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14077 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14082 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14083 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14084 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14085 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14086 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14087 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14088 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14089 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14090 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14091 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14092 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14093 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14094 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14095 provided by the active file and overviews.
14097 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14098 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
14099 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14100 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14101 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14104 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14105 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
14110 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
14111 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
14112 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
14113 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14114 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14115 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14116 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14120 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14121 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14122 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14123 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14124 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14125 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14126 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14127 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14128 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14130 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14131 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14132 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14133 friendly mail back end all over.
14137 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14138 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14139 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14140 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14141 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14142 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14143 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14144 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14147 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14148 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14149 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14150 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14151 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14152 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14153 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14154 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14155 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14156 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will undergo
14157 treatment such as duplicate checking.
14159 An article will not necessarily keep the same number across Gnus
14160 sessions; articles are renumbered starting from 1 for each Gnus session
14161 (more precisely, each time you open the @code{nnmaildir} server). This
14162 way, you don't get gaps in your article number ranges, and when entering
14163 large groups, Gnus is likely to give a more accurate article count. The
14164 price is that @code{nnmaildir} doesn't work with the cache or agent.
14165 This will probably be changed in the future.
14167 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14168 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14169 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
14170 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
14171 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
14174 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
14175 parameters slightly different from those of other mail backends.
14177 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
14178 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
14179 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
14180 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
14181 parameter to somthing small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
14182 would) to make it use less memory.
14184 Startup and shutdown are likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than
14185 with other backends. Everything in between is likely to be faster,
14186 depending in part on your filesystem.
14188 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
14189 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived backend.
14194 @node Browsing the Web
14195 @section Browsing the Web
14197 @cindex browsing the web
14201 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
14202 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
14203 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
14204 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
14205 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
14206 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
14207 even know what a news group is.
14209 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14210 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14211 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14212 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14213 you mad in the end.
14215 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14218 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14219 interfaces to these sources.
14223 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14224 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14225 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14226 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14227 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14228 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14231 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14233 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14234 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14235 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14236 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14237 though, you should be ok.
14239 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14240 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14241 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14242 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14243 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14245 @node Archiving Mail
14246 @subsection Archiving Mail
14247 @cindex archiving mail
14248 @cindex backup of mail
14250 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
14251 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
14252 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
14253 marks is fairly simple.
14255 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14256 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
14259 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
14260 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
14261 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
14262 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
14263 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
14264 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
14265 might interfer with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
14266 before you restore the data.
14268 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
14269 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
14270 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
14271 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
14272 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
14273 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
14274 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
14275 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
14276 is unnecessary in that case.
14279 @subsection Web Searches
14283 @cindex InReference
14284 @cindex Usenet searches
14285 @cindex searching the Usenet
14287 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14288 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14289 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14290 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14291 searches without having to use a browser.
14293 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14294 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14295 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14296 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14297 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14299 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14300 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14301 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14302 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14303 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14304 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14305 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14306 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14307 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14308 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14311 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14312 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14313 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14314 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14315 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14316 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14318 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14319 to use @code{nnweb}.
14321 Virtual server variables:
14326 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14327 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
14331 @vindex nnweb-search
14332 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14334 @item nnweb-max-hits
14335 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14336 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14339 @item nnweb-type-definition
14340 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14341 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14342 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14347 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14351 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14354 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14357 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14361 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14368 @subsection Slashdot
14372 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14373 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14374 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14376 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14377 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14380 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14381 '((nnslashdot "")))
14384 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14385 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14386 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14387 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14388 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14391 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14392 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14394 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14395 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14396 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14397 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14398 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14399 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14402 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14405 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14406 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14407 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14408 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14409 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14410 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14411 but much, much slower than untreaded.
14413 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14414 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14415 The login name to use when posting.
14417 @item nnslashdot-password
14418 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14419 The password to use when posting.
14421 @item nnslashdot-directory
14422 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14423 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14424 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14426 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14427 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14428 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14429 news articles and comments. The default is
14430 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14432 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14433 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14434 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14436 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14438 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14439 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14440 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14442 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14444 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14445 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14446 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14448 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14449 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14450 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14451 updated. The default is 0.
14458 @subsection Ultimate
14460 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14462 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14463 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14464 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14465 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14467 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14468 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14469 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14470 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14471 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14472 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14473 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14475 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14478 @item nnultimate-directory
14479 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14480 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14481 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14486 @subsection Web Archive
14488 @cindex Web Archive
14490 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14491 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14492 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14493 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14496 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14497 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14498 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14499 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14500 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14501 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14502 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14504 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14507 @item nnwarchive-directory
14508 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14509 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14510 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14512 @item nnwarchive-login
14513 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14514 The account name on the web server.
14516 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14517 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14518 The password for your account on the web server.
14526 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14527 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14528 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14531 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14532 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
14535 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
14538 @item nnrss-directory
14539 @vindex nnrss-directory
14540 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
14541 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
14545 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
14546 the summary buffer.
14549 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
14550 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
14552 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
14554 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
14555 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
14558 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
14561 (require 'browse-url)
14563 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
14565 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
14568 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
14569 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
14571 (browse-url (cdr url))
14572 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
14574 (eval-after-load "gnus"
14575 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
14576 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
14577 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
14580 @node Customizing w3
14581 @subsection Customizing w3
14587 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
14588 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
14589 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
14591 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
14592 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
14593 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
14596 (eval-after-load "w3"
14598 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
14599 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
14600 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
14601 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
14603 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
14606 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
14607 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
14616 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14617 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14618 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14619 specify the network address of the server.
14621 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14622 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14623 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14624 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
14625 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
14627 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
14628 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
14629 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
14630 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
14632 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14633 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
14634 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14635 usage explained in this section.
14637 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14638 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
14639 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
14642 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14643 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14644 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14646 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14647 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14648 ; a UW server running on localhost
14650 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14651 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14652 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14653 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14654 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14655 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14656 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14657 (nnimap-stream network))
14658 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14660 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14661 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14662 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14665 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14670 @item nnimap-address
14671 @vindex nnimap-address
14673 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14674 server name if not specified.
14676 @item nnimap-server-port
14677 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14678 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14680 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
14683 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14684 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
14687 @item nnimap-list-pattern
14688 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
14689 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
14690 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
14691 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
14692 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
14693 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
14695 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
14696 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
14697 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
14700 Example server specification:
14703 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14704 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
14705 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
14708 @item nnimap-stream
14709 @vindex nnimap-stream
14710 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
14711 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
14712 of SSL/TLS. (@sc{imap} over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
14713 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
14715 Example server specification:
14718 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14719 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14722 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14726 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
14727 @samp{imtest} program.
14729 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
14731 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14732 SSL)@. Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14735 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL@. Requires OpenSSL (the program
14736 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
14737 library @samp{ssl.el}.
14739 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14741 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14744 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
14745 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
14746 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
14747 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
14748 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
14749 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
14750 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
14751 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
14752 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
14755 @vindex imap-ssl-program
14756 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
14757 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
14758 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
14759 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
14760 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
14761 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
14762 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
14763 distribution, for instance).
14765 @vindex imap-shell-program
14766 @vindex imap-shell-host
14767 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
14768 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
14770 @item nnimap-authenticator
14771 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
14773 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
14774 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
14776 Example server specification:
14779 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14780 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
14783 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
14787 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
14788 external program @code{imtest}.
14790 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
14793 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
14794 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
14796 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
14798 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
14800 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
14803 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
14805 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
14806 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
14807 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
14808 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
14809 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
14810 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
14813 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
14814 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
14815 running in circles yet?
14817 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
14818 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
14821 The possible options are:
14826 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
14829 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
14830 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
14831 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
14832 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
14834 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
14839 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
14840 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
14842 If non-nil, marks dormant articles as ticked (as well), for other
14843 @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will naturally still
14844 (only) be marked as ticked. This is to make dormant articles stand
14845 out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap} clients. (In other
14846 words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap} has only one.)
14848 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
14849 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
14852 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
14853 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14854 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
14855 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14858 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
14859 as ticked for other users.
14861 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
14863 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
14865 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
14866 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
14867 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
14868 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
14870 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
14871 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
14872 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
14873 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
14875 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
14876 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
14878 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
14879 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
14880 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
14886 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
14887 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
14888 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
14893 @node Splitting in IMAP
14894 @subsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
14895 @cindex splitting imap mail
14897 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
14898 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
14899 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
14900 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
14901 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
14905 Here are the variables of interest:
14909 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
14910 @cindex splitting, crosspost
14912 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
14914 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
14915 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
14917 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
14919 @item nnimap-split-inbox
14920 @cindex splitting, inbox
14922 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
14924 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
14925 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
14929 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
14930 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
14933 No nnmail equivalent.
14935 @item nnimap-split-rule
14936 @cindex Splitting, rules
14937 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
14939 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
14942 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
14943 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
14944 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
14945 Neither did I, we need examples.
14948 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14950 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
14951 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
14952 ("INBOX.private" "")))
14955 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
14956 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
14957 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
14959 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
14960 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
14964 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
14967 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14968 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
14969 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
14970 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
14972 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
14973 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
14974 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
14975 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
14976 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
14977 them every time you fetch new mail.)
14979 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
14980 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
14981 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
14983 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
14984 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
14985 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14987 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
14989 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
14990 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
14991 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
14994 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14995 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
14996 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
14997 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
14998 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
14999 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15002 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15003 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15004 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15005 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15006 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15007 group/function elements.
15009 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15011 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15013 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15015 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15016 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15018 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15019 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15020 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15023 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15024 @cindex splitting, fancy
15025 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15026 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15028 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15029 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15030 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15032 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15033 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15034 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15035 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15040 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15041 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15044 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15048 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
15049 @subsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15050 @cindex editing imap acls
15051 @cindex Access Control Lists
15052 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15054 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
15056 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
15057 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
15058 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
15061 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
15062 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
15063 editing window with detailed instructions.
15065 Some possible uses:
15069 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
15070 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
15071 follow the list without subscribing to it.
15073 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
15074 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
15075 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
15079 @node Expunging mailboxes
15080 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
15084 @cindex Manual expunging
15086 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
15088 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
15089 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
15090 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
15092 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
15097 @node Other Sources
15098 @section Other Sources
15100 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
15101 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
15105 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
15106 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
15107 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
15108 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
15109 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
15113 @node Directory Groups
15114 @subsection Directory Groups
15116 @cindex directory groups
15118 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
15119 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
15122 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
15123 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
15124 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
15125 back end to read directories. Big deal.
15127 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
15128 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
15129 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
15130 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
15131 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
15133 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
15135 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
15136 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
15137 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
15138 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
15141 @node Anything Groups
15142 @subsection Anything Groups
15145 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
15146 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
15147 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
15150 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
15151 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
15152 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
15153 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
15154 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
15155 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
15156 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
15157 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
15158 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
15159 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
15162 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
15163 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
15164 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
15165 in the article buffer, just as usual.
15167 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
15168 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
15169 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
15170 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
15172 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
15173 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
15174 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
15175 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
15176 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
15177 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
15178 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
15179 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
15184 @item nneething-map-file-directory
15185 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
15186 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
15187 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
15189 @item nneething-exclude-files
15190 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
15191 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
15192 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
15194 @item nneething-include-files
15195 @vindex nneething-include-files
15196 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
15197 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
15199 @item nneething-map-file
15200 @vindex nneething-map-file
15201 Name of the map files.
15205 @node Document Groups
15206 @subsection Document Groups
15208 @cindex documentation group
15211 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15212 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15219 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15224 The standard Unix mbox file.
15226 @cindex MMDF mail box
15228 The MMDF mail box format.
15231 Several news articles appended into a file.
15234 @cindex rnews batch files
15235 The rnews batch transport format.
15236 @cindex forwarded messages
15239 Forwarded articles.
15242 Netscape mail boxes.
15245 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
15247 @item standard-digest
15248 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15251 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
15253 @item lanl-gov-announce
15254 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
15256 @item rfc822-forward
15257 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
15260 The Outlook mail box.
15263 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
15266 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
15269 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
15272 An RFC934-forwarded message.
15278 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
15281 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15287 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15288 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15289 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15292 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15293 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15294 group. And that's it.
15296 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15297 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15298 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15299 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15300 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15301 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15302 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15303 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15304 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15305 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15307 Virtual server variables:
15310 @item nndoc-article-type
15311 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15312 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15313 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15314 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15315 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
15316 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
15318 @item nndoc-post-type
15319 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15320 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15321 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15326 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15330 @node Document Server Internals
15331 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15333 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15334 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15335 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15336 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15338 First, here's an example document type definition:
15342 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
15343 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
15346 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
15347 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
15348 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
15349 types can be defined with very few settings:
15352 @item first-article
15353 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
15354 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
15357 @item article-begin
15358 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
15359 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
15361 @item head-begin-function
15362 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
15365 @item nndoc-head-begin
15366 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
15369 @item nndoc-head-end
15370 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
15371 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
15373 @item body-begin-function
15374 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
15378 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
15381 @item body-end-function
15382 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
15386 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
15389 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
15390 regexp will be totally ignored.
15394 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
15395 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
15396 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
15397 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
15398 something that's palatable for Gnus:
15401 @item prepare-body-function
15402 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
15403 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
15404 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
15406 @item article-transform-function
15407 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
15408 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
15409 body of the article.
15411 @item generate-head-function
15412 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
15413 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
15414 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
15415 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
15419 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
15424 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15425 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15426 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
15427 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
15428 (head-end . "^ ?$")
15429 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
15430 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
15431 (subtype digest guess))
15434 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
15435 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
15436 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15437 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15438 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15440 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15441 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15442 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15443 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15444 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
15445 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15446 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15447 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15448 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15449 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
15457 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
15458 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
15459 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
15461 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
15462 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
15463 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
15466 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
15467 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
15468 that interested in doing things properly.
15470 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
15471 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
15474 First some terminology:
15479 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
15480 get news and/or mail from.
15483 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
15484 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
15487 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
15491 @item message packets
15492 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
15493 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
15494 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15496 @item response packets
15497 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
15498 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
15499 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15509 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
15510 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
15511 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
15512 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
15515 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
15518 You put the packet in your home directory.
15521 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
15522 the native or secondary server.
15525 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
15526 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
15529 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
15533 You transfer this packet to the server.
15536 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
15539 You then repeat until you die.
15543 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
15544 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
15547 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
15548 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
15549 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
15553 @node SOUP Commands
15554 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
15556 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
15560 @kindex G s b (Group)
15561 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
15562 Pack all unread articles in the current group
15563 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
15564 process/prefix convention.
15567 @kindex G s w (Group)
15568 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
15569 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
15572 @kindex G s s (Group)
15573 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
15574 Send all replies from the replies packet
15575 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
15578 @kindex G s p (Group)
15579 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
15580 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
15583 @kindex G s r (Group)
15584 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
15585 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
15588 @kindex O s (Summary)
15589 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
15590 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
15591 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
15592 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15597 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
15602 @item gnus-soup-directory
15603 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
15604 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
15605 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
15607 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
15608 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
15609 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
15610 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
15612 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
15613 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
15614 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
15615 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
15617 @item gnus-soup-packer
15618 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
15619 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15620 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
15622 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
15623 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
15624 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
15625 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15627 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
15628 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
15629 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
15631 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15632 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
15633 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
15634 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
15640 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
15643 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
15644 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
15645 you can read them at leisure.
15647 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
15651 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
15652 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
15653 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
15654 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
15656 @item nnsoup-directory
15657 @vindex nnsoup-directory
15658 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
15659 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
15661 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
15662 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
15663 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
15664 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
15666 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
15667 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
15668 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
15669 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
15670 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
15672 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
15673 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
15674 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
15675 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
15677 @item nnsoup-active-file
15678 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
15679 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
15680 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
15681 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
15682 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
15684 @item nnsoup-packer
15685 @vindex nnsoup-packer
15686 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
15687 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
15689 @item nnsoup-unpacker
15690 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
15691 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
15692 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
15694 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
15695 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
15696 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
15699 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
15700 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
15701 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
15704 @item nnsoup-always-save
15705 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
15706 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
15712 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
15714 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
15715 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
15716 more for that to happen.
15718 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
15719 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
15720 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
15723 In specific, this is what it does:
15726 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
15727 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
15730 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
15731 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
15732 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
15735 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
15736 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
15737 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
15740 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
15741 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
15742 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
15744 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
15750 @item nngateway-address
15751 @vindex nngateway-address
15752 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
15754 @item nngateway-header-transformation
15755 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
15756 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
15757 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
15758 transformation should be called, and defaults to
15759 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
15760 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
15763 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
15764 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
15765 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
15768 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
15771 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
15774 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
15777 The following pre-defined functions exist:
15779 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15782 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
15783 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15784 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
15786 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15788 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
15789 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
15790 @code{nngateway-address}.
15795 (setq gnus-post-method
15797 "mail2news@@replay.com"
15798 (nngateway-header-transformation
15799 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
15807 So, to use this, simply say something like:
15810 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
15815 @node Combined Groups
15816 @section Combined Groups
15818 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
15822 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
15823 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
15827 @node Virtual Groups
15828 @subsection Virtual Groups
15830 @cindex virtual groups
15831 @cindex merging groups
15833 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
15836 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
15837 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
15838 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
15840 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
15841 regexp to match component groups.
15843 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
15844 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
15845 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
15846 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
15847 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
15848 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
15849 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
15850 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
15852 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
15853 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
15856 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
15859 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
15860 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
15862 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
15863 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
15864 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
15865 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
15868 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
15871 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
15872 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
15873 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
15875 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
15876 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
15877 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
15878 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
15879 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
15881 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
15882 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
15883 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
15885 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
15886 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
15887 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
15888 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
15889 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
15890 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
15891 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
15892 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
15893 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
15894 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
15895 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
15897 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
15898 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
15899 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
15900 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
15901 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
15902 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
15903 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
15905 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
15906 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
15908 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
15909 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
15913 @node Kibozed Groups
15914 @subsection Kibozed Groups
15918 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
15919 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
15920 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
15921 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
15923 @kindex G k (Group)
15924 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
15927 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
15928 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
15929 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
15930 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
15932 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
15933 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
15934 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
15936 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
15937 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
15938 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
15939 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
15940 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
15941 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
15942 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
15943 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
15945 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
15946 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
15947 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
15948 Stranger things have happened.
15950 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
15951 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
15953 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
15954 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
15955 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
15956 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
15957 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
15958 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
15960 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
15961 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
15964 @node Gnus Unplugged
15965 @section Gnus Unplugged
15970 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
15972 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
15973 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
15974 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
15975 read news. Believe it or not.
15977 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
15978 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
15979 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
15980 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
15981 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
15983 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
15984 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
15985 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
15986 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
15987 reading news on a machine.
15989 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
15993 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
15994 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
15998 Then, put the following magical incantation in your @file{.gnus.el}
16002 (setq gnus-agent t)
16006 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
16008 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16011 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16012 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16013 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16014 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16015 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16016 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16017 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16018 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16019 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
16020 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
16025 @subsection Agent Basics
16027 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
16029 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
16030 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
16031 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
16032 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
16034 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
16035 connected to the net continuously.
16037 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
16038 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
16040 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
16045 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
16046 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
16047 already fetched while in this mode.
16050 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
16051 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
16052 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
16053 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
16054 Source Specifiers}).
16057 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
16058 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
16059 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
16060 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
16061 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
16064 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
16065 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
16066 then you read the news offline.
16069 And then you go to step 2.
16072 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
16078 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
16079 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
16080 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
16081 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
16082 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
16083 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
16086 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
16093 @node Agent Categories
16094 @subsection Agent Categories
16096 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
16097 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
16098 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
16099 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
16100 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
16101 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
16102 you're interested in the articles anyway.
16104 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
16105 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
16106 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
16107 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
16108 managing categories.
16111 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
16112 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
16113 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
16117 @node Category Syntax
16118 @subsubsection Category Syntax
16120 A category consists of two things.
16124 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
16125 are eligible for downloading; and
16128 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
16129 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
16130 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
16133 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
16134 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
16135 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
16136 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
16138 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
16139 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
16140 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
16142 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
16143 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
16144 operators sprinkled in between.
16146 Perhaps some examples are in order.
16148 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
16149 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
16155 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
16156 short (for some value of ``short'').
16158 Here's a more complex predicate:
16167 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
16168 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
16171 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
16172 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
16173 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
16175 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
16176 you want to do, you can write your own.
16180 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
16181 lines; default 100.
16184 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
16185 lines; default 200.
16188 True iff the article has a download score less than
16189 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
16192 True iff the article has a download score greater than
16193 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
16196 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
16197 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
16198 checksum and sees whether articles match.
16207 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
16208 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
16209 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
16212 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
16213 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
16214 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
16215 something along the lines of the following:
16218 (defun my-article-old-p ()
16219 "Say whether an article is old."
16220 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
16221 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
16224 with the predicate then defined as:
16227 (not my-article-old-p)
16230 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
16231 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
16235 (require 'gnus-agent)
16236 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
16237 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
16238 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
16241 and simply specify your predicate as:
16247 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16248 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16249 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16250 just don't give a damn.
16252 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
16253 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16254 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16255 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16256 parameters like so:
16259 (agent-predicate . short)
16262 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16263 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16264 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16266 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16269 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16272 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16273 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16274 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16277 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16278 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16279 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16280 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16281 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16282 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16284 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16285 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16286 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16287 if it's to be specific to that group.
16289 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16296 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16297 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16303 Category specification
16307 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16313 Group Parameter specification
16316 (agent-score ("from"
16317 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16322 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16328 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16335 Category specification
16338 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16344 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16348 Group Parameter specification
16351 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
16354 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
16359 Use @code{normal} score files
16361 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
16362 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
16363 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
16364 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
16366 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
16367 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
16368 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
16369 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
16373 Category Specification
16380 Group Parameter specification
16383 (agent-score . file)
16388 @node Category Buffer
16389 @subsubsection Category Buffer
16391 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
16392 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
16393 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
16395 The following commands are available in this buffer:
16399 @kindex q (Category)
16400 @findex gnus-category-exit
16401 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
16404 @kindex k (Category)
16405 @findex gnus-category-kill
16406 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
16409 @kindex c (Category)
16410 @findex gnus-category-copy
16411 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
16414 @kindex a (Category)
16415 @findex gnus-category-add
16416 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
16419 @kindex p (Category)
16420 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
16421 Edit the predicate of the current category
16422 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
16425 @kindex g (Category)
16426 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
16427 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
16428 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
16431 @kindex s (Category)
16432 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
16433 Edit the download score rule of the current category
16434 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
16437 @kindex l (Category)
16438 @findex gnus-category-list
16439 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16443 @node Category Variables
16444 @subsubsection Category Variables
16447 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16448 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16449 Hook run in category buffers.
16451 @item gnus-category-line-format
16452 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16453 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16454 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16458 The name of the category.
16461 The number of groups in the category.
16464 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
16465 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
16466 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
16468 @item gnus-agent-short-article
16469 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
16470 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
16472 @item gnus-agent-long-article
16473 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
16474 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
16476 @item gnus-agent-low-score
16477 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
16478 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
16481 @item gnus-agent-high-score
16482 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
16483 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
16489 @node Agent Commands
16490 @subsection Agent Commands
16492 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
16493 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
16494 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
16498 * Group Agent Commands::
16499 * Summary Agent Commands::
16500 * Server Agent Commands::
16503 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
16504 following incantation:
16506 @cindex gnus-agent-batch
16508 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch
16513 @node Group Agent Commands
16514 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
16518 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
16519 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
16520 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
16521 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
16524 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
16525 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
16526 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
16529 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
16530 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
16531 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
16532 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
16535 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
16536 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
16537 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
16538 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
16541 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
16542 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
16543 Add the current group to an Agent category
16544 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
16545 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16548 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
16549 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
16550 Remove the current group from its category, if any
16551 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
16552 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16555 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
16556 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16557 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
16563 @node Summary Agent Commands
16564 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
16568 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
16569 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
16570 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
16573 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
16574 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
16575 Remove the downloading mark from the article
16576 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
16579 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
16580 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
16581 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
16584 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
16585 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
16586 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
16589 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
16590 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
16591 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
16592 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
16597 @node Server Agent Commands
16598 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
16602 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
16603 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
16604 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
16605 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
16608 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
16609 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
16610 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
16611 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
16617 @subsection Agent Expiry
16619 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
16620 @findex gnus-agent-expire
16621 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
16622 @cindex Agent expiry
16623 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
16626 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
16627 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
16628 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
16629 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
16630 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
16631 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
16633 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
16634 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
16635 expiry in different groups.
16638 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
16644 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
16645 method---it must always match all groups.
16647 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
16648 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
16649 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
16650 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
16651 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
16653 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
16654 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
16655 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
16656 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
16658 @node Agent and IMAP
16659 @subsection Agent and IMAP
16661 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
16662 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
16663 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
16664 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
16666 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
16667 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
16668 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
16669 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
16671 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
16672 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
16673 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
16674 with the server. This behavior is customizable with
16675 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
16677 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16678 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
16679 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
16680 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
16681 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
16682 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
16684 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
16685 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
16686 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
16687 in the group buffer by default.
16689 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
16690 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
16695 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
16698 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
16702 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
16703 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
16704 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
16705 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
16706 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
16707 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
16708 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
16709 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
16712 @node Outgoing Messages
16713 @subsection Outgoing Messages
16715 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
16716 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
16717 after posting, and edit them at will.
16719 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
16720 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
16721 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
16722 messages in the draft group.
16726 @node Agent Variables
16727 @subsection Agent Variables
16730 @item gnus-agent-directory
16731 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
16732 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
16733 @file{~/News/agent/}.
16735 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
16736 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
16737 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
16738 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
16739 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
16742 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16743 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
16744 Hook run when connecting to the network.
16746 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16747 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
16748 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
16750 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
16751 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
16752 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
16754 @item gnus-agent-cache
16755 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
16756 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and articles when
16759 @item gnus-agent-go-online
16760 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
16761 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
16762 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
16763 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
16764 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
16765 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
16771 @node Example Setup
16772 @subsection Example Setup
16774 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
16775 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
16776 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
16779 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
16780 ;;; from your ISP's server.
16781 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
16783 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
16784 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
16785 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
16787 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
16788 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
16790 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
16791 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
16792 (setq gnus-agent t)
16795 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
16796 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
16799 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
16800 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
16801 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
16802 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
16803 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
16806 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
16807 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
16808 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
16809 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
16810 back all the killed groups.)
16812 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
16813 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
16814 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
16817 @node Batching Agents
16818 @subsection Batching Agents
16820 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
16821 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
16822 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
16826 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
16830 @node Agent Caveats
16831 @subsection Agent Caveats
16833 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
16834 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
16838 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
16842 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
16844 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is `nil'.
16848 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
16849 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP and also uses the
16850 locally stored articles.
16857 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
16858 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
16859 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
16862 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
16863 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
16864 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
16865 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
16866 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
16868 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
16869 before generating the summary buffer.
16871 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
16872 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
16873 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
16875 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
16876 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
16877 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
16878 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
16881 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
16882 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
16883 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
16884 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
16885 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
16886 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
16887 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
16888 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
16889 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
16890 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
16891 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
16892 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
16893 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
16894 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
16895 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
16896 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
16897 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
16901 @node Summary Score Commands
16902 @section Summary Score Commands
16903 @cindex score commands
16905 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
16906 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
16907 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
16908 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
16909 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
16911 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
16912 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
16913 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
16914 score file the current one.
16916 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
16921 @kindex V s (Summary)
16922 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
16923 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
16926 @kindex V S (Summary)
16927 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
16928 Display the score of the current article
16929 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
16932 @kindex V t (Summary)
16933 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
16934 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
16935 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
16938 @kindex V R (Summary)
16939 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
16940 Run the current summary through the scoring process
16941 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
16942 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
16943 effect you're having.
16946 @kindex V c (Summary)
16947 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
16948 Make a different score file the current
16949 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
16952 @kindex V e (Summary)
16953 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
16954 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
16955 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
16959 @kindex V f (Summary)
16960 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
16961 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
16962 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
16965 @kindex V F (Summary)
16966 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
16967 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
16968 after editing score files.
16971 @kindex V C (Summary)
16972 @findex gnus-score-customize
16973 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
16974 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
16978 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
16983 @kindex V m (Summary)
16984 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
16985 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
16986 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
16989 @kindex V x (Summary)
16990 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
16991 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
16992 expunge all articles below this score
16993 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
16996 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
16997 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
17000 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
17001 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
17005 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
17006 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
17008 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
17009 keys are available:
17013 Score on the author name.
17016 Score on the subject line.
17019 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
17022 Score on the @code{References} line.
17028 Score on the number of lines.
17031 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
17034 Score on an "extra" header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
17035 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
17038 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
17039 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
17040 @file{ADAPT} files.)
17049 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
17055 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
17056 what headers you are scoring on.
17068 Substring matching.
17071 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
17100 Greater than number.
17105 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
17106 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
17107 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
17112 Temporary score entry.
17115 Permanent score entry.
17118 Immediately scoring.
17122 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
17123 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
17124 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
17128 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
17129 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
17130 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
17131 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
17133 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
17134 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
17135 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
17136 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
17137 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
17139 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
17140 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
17141 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
17142 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
17143 current score file.
17145 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
17146 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
17147 pretend they are keymaps or not.
17150 @node Group Score Commands
17151 @section Group Score Commands
17152 @cindex group score commands
17154 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
17159 @kindex W f (Group)
17160 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17161 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
17162 all the time. This command will flush the cache
17163 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
17167 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
17169 @findex gnus-batch-score
17170 @cindex batch scoring
17172 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
17176 @node Score Variables
17177 @section Score Variables
17178 @cindex score variables
17182 @item gnus-use-scoring
17183 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
17184 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
17185 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
17187 @item gnus-kill-killed
17188 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
17189 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
17190 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
17191 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
17192 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
17193 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
17194 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
17196 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
17197 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
17198 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
17199 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
17200 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
17202 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
17203 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
17204 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
17205 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
17207 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17208 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17209 @cindex score cache
17210 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
17211 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
17212 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
17213 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
17214 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
17215 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
17218 @item gnus-save-score
17219 @vindex gnus-save-score
17220 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
17221 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
17222 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17224 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
17225 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
17226 across group visits.
17228 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17229 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17230 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
17231 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
17232 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
17233 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
17234 manually entered data.
17236 @item gnus-summary-default-score
17237 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
17238 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
17240 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
17241 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
17242 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
17243 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
17244 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
17245 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
17247 @item gnus-score-over-mark
17248 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
17249 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
17250 default. Default is @samp{+}.
17252 @item gnus-score-below-mark
17253 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
17254 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
17255 default. Default is @samp{-}.
17257 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17258 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17259 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
17260 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
17262 Predefined functions available are:
17265 @item gnus-score-find-single
17266 @findex gnus-score-find-single
17267 Only apply the group's own score file.
17269 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
17270 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
17271 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
17272 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
17273 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
17274 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
17275 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
17276 then a regexp match is done.
17278 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
17279 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
17281 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
17282 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
17283 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
17284 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
17286 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17287 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17288 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
17289 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
17290 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
17294 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
17295 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
17296 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
17297 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
17298 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
17299 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
17300 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
17303 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
17304 overall score file, you could use the value
17306 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
17307 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
17310 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
17311 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
17312 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
17313 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
17314 are expired. It's 7 by default.
17316 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17317 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17318 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
17319 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
17320 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
17321 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
17322 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
17323 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
17325 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17326 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17327 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
17329 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
17330 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
17331 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
17332 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
17333 threading---according to the current value of
17334 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
17335 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
17336 simplified in this manner.
17341 @node Score File Format
17342 @section Score File Format
17343 @cindex score file format
17345 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
17346 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
17347 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
17349 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
17353 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
17355 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
17357 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
17359 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
17364 (mark-and-expunge -10)
17368 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
17369 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
17370 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
17371 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
17375 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
17376 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
17378 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
17379 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
17380 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
17382 Six keys are supported by this alist:
17387 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
17388 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
17389 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
17390 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
17391 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
17392 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
17393 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
17394 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
17395 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
17396 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
17397 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
17398 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
17399 to articles that matches these score entries.
17401 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
17402 score entry has one to four elements.
17406 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
17407 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
17411 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
17412 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
17413 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
17414 is successful. If this element is not present, the
17415 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
17416 instead. This is 1000 by default.
17419 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
17420 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
17421 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
17422 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
17423 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
17426 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
17427 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
17428 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
17429 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
17432 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
17433 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
17434 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
17435 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
17436 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
17437 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
17438 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
17439 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
17440 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
17441 instead, if you feel like.
17444 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
17445 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
17446 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
17447 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
17448 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
17449 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
17452 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
17456 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
17457 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
17459 These predicates are true if
17462 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
17465 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
17466 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
17473 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
17474 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
17475 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
17476 it's not. I think.)
17478 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
17479 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
17480 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
17481 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
17484 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
17485 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
17486 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
17487 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
17488 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
17489 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
17490 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
17494 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
17495 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
17496 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
17497 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
17498 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
17499 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
17500 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
17501 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
17504 @item Head, Body, All
17505 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
17509 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
17510 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
17511 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
17512 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
17513 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
17514 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
17515 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
17519 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
17520 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
17521 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
17522 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
17523 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
17524 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
17525 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
17526 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
17527 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
17528 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
17529 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
17533 @cindex Score File Atoms
17535 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17536 lower than this number will be marked as read.
17539 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17540 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
17542 @item mark-and-expunge
17543 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17544 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
17547 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
17548 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
17549 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
17550 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
17551 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
17554 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
17555 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
17558 @item exclude-files
17559 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
17560 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
17564 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
17565 ignored when handling global score files.
17568 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
17569 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
17570 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
17571 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
17574 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
17575 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
17576 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
17577 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
17579 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
17583 (mark-and-expunge -100)
17586 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
17587 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
17588 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
17589 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
17590 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
17592 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
17593 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
17594 scoring rules exist.
17597 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
17598 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
17599 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
17600 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
17601 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
17602 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
17603 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17604 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
17605 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
17606 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
17607 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
17611 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
17612 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
17613 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
17614 file for a number of groups.
17617 @cindex local variables
17618 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
17619 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
17620 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
17621 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
17622 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
17626 @node Score File Editing
17627 @section Score File Editing
17629 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
17630 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
17631 with a mode for that.
17633 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
17634 additional commands:
17639 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
17640 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
17641 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
17642 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
17645 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
17646 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
17647 Insert the current date in numerical format
17648 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
17649 you were wondering.
17652 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
17653 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
17654 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
17655 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
17656 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
17661 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
17663 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
17664 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
17666 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
17667 e} to begin editing score files.
17670 @node Adaptive Scoring
17671 @section Adaptive Scoring
17672 @cindex adaptive scoring
17674 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
17675 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
17676 stupidity, to be precise.
17678 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
17679 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
17680 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
17681 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
17682 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
17683 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
17684 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
17685 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
17686 variable to @code{(word line)}.
17688 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17689 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
17690 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
17691 might look something like this:
17694 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
17695 '((gnus-unread-mark)
17696 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
17697 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
17698 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
17699 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
17700 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
17701 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
17702 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
17703 (gnus-ancient-mark)
17704 (gnus-low-score-mark)
17705 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
17708 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
17709 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
17710 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
17711 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
17712 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
17713 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
17716 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
17717 will be applied to each article.
17719 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
17720 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
17721 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
17722 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
17724 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
17725 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
17726 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
17727 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
17729 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
17730 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
17731 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
17732 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
17734 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
17735 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
17736 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
17737 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
17738 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
17739 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
17741 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
17742 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
17743 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
17744 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
17745 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
17746 aspirins afterwards.)
17748 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
17749 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
17750 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
17752 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
17753 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
17754 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
17756 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
17757 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
17758 let you use different rules in different groups.
17760 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
17761 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
17762 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
17765 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
17766 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
17767 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
17768 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
17769 the length of the match is less than
17770 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
17771 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
17774 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17775 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
17776 headers. If you adapt on words, the
17777 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
17778 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
17781 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
17782 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
17783 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
17784 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
17785 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
17788 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
17789 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
17790 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
17791 score with 30 points.
17793 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
17794 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
17795 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
17796 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
17797 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
17799 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
17800 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
17801 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
17802 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
17803 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
17805 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
17806 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
17807 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
17808 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
17810 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
17811 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
17812 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
17813 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
17815 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
17816 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
17817 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
17818 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
17819 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
17821 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
17822 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
17823 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
17825 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
17826 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
17827 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
17828 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
17831 @node Home Score File
17832 @section Home Score File
17834 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
17835 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
17836 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
17837 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
17839 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
17840 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
17841 could perhaps use the same home score file.
17843 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
17844 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
17849 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
17853 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
17854 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
17858 A list. The elements in this list can be:
17862 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
17863 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
17866 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
17867 the home score file.
17870 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
17873 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
17878 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
17881 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17882 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
17885 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
17886 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
17888 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
17890 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17891 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
17894 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
17895 Other functions include
17898 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
17899 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
17900 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
17901 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
17905 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
17906 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
17907 their own home score files:
17910 (setq gnus-home-score-file
17911 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
17912 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
17913 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
17914 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
17917 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
17918 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
17919 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
17920 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
17921 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
17923 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
17924 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
17925 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
17926 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
17927 precedence over this variable.
17930 @node Followups To Yourself
17931 @section Followups To Yourself
17933 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
17934 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
17935 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
17936 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
17937 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
17938 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
17942 @item gnus-score-followup-article
17943 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
17944 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
17947 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
17948 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
17949 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
17953 @vindex message-sent-hook
17954 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
17955 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
17957 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
17961 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
17962 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
17966 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
17967 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
17970 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
17971 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
17976 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
17980 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
17981 is system-dependent.
17984 @node Scoring On Other Headers
17985 @section Scoring On Other Headers
17986 @cindex scoring on other headers
17988 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
17989 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
17990 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
17991 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
17992 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
17994 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
17995 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
17996 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
17997 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
17998 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
18000 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18003 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
18004 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
18007 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
18008 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
18009 time if you have much mail.
18011 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
18012 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
18018 @section Scoring Tips
18019 @cindex scoring tips
18025 @cindex scoring crossposts
18026 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
18027 the @code{Xref} header.
18029 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
18032 @item Multiple crossposts
18033 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
18034 more than, say, 3 groups:
18037 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
18041 @item Matching on the body
18042 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
18043 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
18044 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
18045 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
18046 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
18047 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
18048 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
18051 @item Marking as read
18052 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
18053 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
18054 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
18058 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
18060 @item Negated character classes
18061 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
18062 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
18063 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
18067 @node Reverse Scoring
18068 @section Reverse Scoring
18069 @cindex reverse scoring
18071 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
18072 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
18073 like this in your score file:
18077 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
18082 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
18083 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
18086 @node Global Score Files
18087 @section Global Score Files
18088 @cindex global score files
18090 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
18091 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
18092 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
18094 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
18095 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
18096 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
18098 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
18099 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
18100 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
18101 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
18102 files are applicable to which group.
18104 To use the score file
18105 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
18106 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
18110 (setq gnus-global-score-files
18111 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
18112 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
18115 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
18117 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
18118 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
18119 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
18120 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
18122 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
18123 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
18125 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
18126 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
18127 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
18128 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
18129 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
18130 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
18132 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
18138 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
18140 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
18142 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
18144 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
18145 lowered out of existence.
18147 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
18148 articles completely.
18151 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
18152 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
18153 old articles for a long time.
18156 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
18157 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
18158 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
18159 holding our breath yet?
18163 @section Kill Files
18166 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
18167 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
18168 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
18170 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
18171 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
18172 files into score files.
18174 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
18175 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
18176 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
18177 that isn't a very good idea.
18179 Normal kill files look like this:
18182 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18183 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
18187 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
18188 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
18190 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
18191 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
18194 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
18199 @kindex M-k (Summary)
18200 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
18201 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
18204 @kindex M-K (Summary)
18205 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
18206 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
18209 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
18214 @kindex M-k (Group)
18215 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
18216 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
18219 @kindex M-K (Group)
18220 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
18221 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
18224 Kill file variables:
18227 @item gnus-kill-file-name
18228 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
18229 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
18230 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
18231 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
18232 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
18233 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
18235 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18236 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18237 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
18238 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
18241 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
18242 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
18243 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
18244 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
18245 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
18246 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
18247 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
18248 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
18249 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
18251 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18252 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18253 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
18258 @node Converting Kill Files
18259 @section Converting Kill Files
18261 @cindex converting kill files
18263 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
18264 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
18265 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
18268 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
18269 You can fetch it from
18270 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
18272 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
18273 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
18274 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
18282 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
18283 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
18284 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
18285 news articles generated every day.
18287 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
18288 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
18289 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
18290 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
18291 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
18292 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
18293 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
18294 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
18297 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
18298 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
18301 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
18302 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
18303 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
18304 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
18308 @node Using GroupLens
18309 @subsection Using GroupLens
18311 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
18313 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
18314 better bit in town at the moment.
18316 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
18320 @item gnus-use-grouplens
18321 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
18322 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
18323 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
18325 @item grouplens-pseudonym
18326 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
18327 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
18328 with the Better Bit Bureau.
18330 @item grouplens-newsgroups
18331 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
18332 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
18336 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
18337 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
18338 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
18339 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
18340 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
18341 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
18344 @node Rating Articles
18345 @subsection Rating Articles
18347 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
18348 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
18349 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
18350 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
18353 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
18358 @kindex r (GroupLens)
18359 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
18360 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
18363 @kindex k (GroupLens)
18364 @findex grouplens-score-thread
18365 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
18366 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
18367 threads in rec.humor.
18371 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
18372 the score of the article you're reading.
18377 @kindex n (GroupLens)
18378 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
18379 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
18382 @kindex , (GroupLens)
18383 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
18384 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
18388 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
18389 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
18392 @node Displaying Predictions
18393 @subsection Displaying Predictions
18395 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
18396 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
18397 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
18398 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
18399 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
18401 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
18402 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
18403 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
18404 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
18405 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
18406 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
18407 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
18408 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
18409 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
18410 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
18411 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
18412 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
18413 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
18415 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
18416 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
18417 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
18418 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
18420 The following are valid values for that variable.
18423 @item prediction-spot
18424 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
18427 @item confidence-interval
18428 A numeric confidence interval.
18430 @item prediction-bar
18431 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
18433 @item confidence-bar
18434 Numerical confidence.
18436 @item confidence-spot
18437 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
18439 @item prediction-num
18440 Plain-old numeric value.
18442 @item confidence-plus-minus
18443 Prediction +/- confidence.
18448 @node GroupLens Variables
18449 @subsection GroupLens Variables
18453 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
18454 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
18455 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
18456 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
18459 @item grouplens-bbb-host
18460 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
18463 @item grouplens-bbb-port
18464 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
18466 @item grouplens-score-offset
18467 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
18468 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
18471 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
18472 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
18473 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
18478 @node Advanced Scoring
18479 @section Advanced Scoring
18481 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
18482 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
18483 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
18484 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
18485 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
18487 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
18491 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
18492 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
18493 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
18497 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
18498 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
18500 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
18501 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
18502 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
18503 non-@code{nil} value.
18505 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
18506 operator, and various match operators.
18513 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18514 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
18515 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
18520 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18521 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
18522 then this operator will return @code{false}.
18527 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
18528 logical negation of the value of its argument.
18532 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
18533 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
18534 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
18535 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
18536 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
18537 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
18538 the ancestry you want to go.
18540 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
18541 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
18542 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
18543 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
18544 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
18547 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
18548 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
18550 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
18551 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
18554 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
18555 when he's talking about Gnus:
18559 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18560 ("subject" "Gnus"))
18566 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
18570 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18577 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
18578 really don't want to read what he's written:
18582 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18583 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
18587 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
18588 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
18589 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
18596 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
18597 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
18598 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
18599 ("body" "white.*socks"))
18603 The possibilities are endless.
18606 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
18607 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
18609 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
18610 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
18611 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
18612 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
18613 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
18614 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
18615 @samp{subject}) first.
18617 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
18618 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
18629 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
18630 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
18636 ("subject" "Gnus")))
18643 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
18644 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
18649 @section Score Decays
18650 @cindex score decays
18653 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
18654 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
18655 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
18656 use them in any sensible way.
18658 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
18659 @findex gnus-decay-score
18660 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
18661 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
18662 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
18663 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
18664 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
18665 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
18666 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
18667 definition of that function:
18670 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
18672 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
18673 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
18676 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
18678 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
18680 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
18683 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
18684 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
18685 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
18686 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
18690 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
18693 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
18696 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
18700 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
18701 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
18702 the new score, which should be an integer.
18704 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
18705 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
18710 @include message.texi
18711 @chapter Emacs MIME
18712 @include emacs-mime.texi
18714 @include sieve.texi
18722 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
18723 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
18724 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
18725 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
18726 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
18727 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
18728 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
18729 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
18730 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
18731 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
18732 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
18733 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
18734 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
18735 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
18736 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
18737 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
18738 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
18739 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
18740 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
18744 @node Process/Prefix
18745 @section Process/Prefix
18746 @cindex process/prefix convention
18748 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
18749 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
18751 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
18752 command to be performed on.
18756 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
18757 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
18758 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
18759 with the current one.
18761 @vindex transient-mark-mode
18762 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
18763 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
18765 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
18766 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
18769 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
18770 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
18772 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
18775 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
18776 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
18777 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
18778 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
18780 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
18781 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
18782 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
18783 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
18784 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
18785 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
18786 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
18787 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
18789 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
18790 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
18791 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
18792 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
18793 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
18797 @section Interactive
18798 @cindex interaction
18802 @item gnus-novice-user
18803 @vindex gnus-novice-user
18804 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
18805 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
18806 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
18807 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
18810 @item gnus-expert-user
18811 @vindex gnus-expert-user
18812 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
18813 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
18814 matter how strange.
18816 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
18817 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
18818 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
18819 is @code{t} by default.
18821 @item gnus-interactive-exit
18822 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
18823 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
18828 @node Symbolic Prefixes
18829 @section Symbolic Prefixes
18830 @cindex symbolic prefixes
18832 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
18833 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
18834 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
18835 rule of 900 to the current article.
18837 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
18838 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
18839 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
18840 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
18841 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
18842 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
18843 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
18845 @kindex M-i (Summary)
18846 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
18847 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
18848 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
18849 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
18850 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
18851 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
18852 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
18853 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
18855 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
18856 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
18857 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
18859 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
18863 @node Formatting Variables
18864 @section Formatting Variables
18865 @cindex formatting variables
18867 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
18868 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
18869 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
18870 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
18871 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
18874 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
18875 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
18876 lots of percentages everywhere.
18879 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
18880 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
18881 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
18882 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
18883 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
18884 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
18885 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
18886 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
18889 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
18890 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
18891 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
18892 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
18893 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
18894 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
18895 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
18896 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
18898 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
18899 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
18901 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
18902 @findex gnus-update-format
18903 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
18904 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
18905 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
18906 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
18910 @node Formatting Basics
18911 @subsection Formatting Basics
18913 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
18914 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
18915 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
18917 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
18918 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
18919 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
18920 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
18921 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
18924 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
18925 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
18926 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
18927 less than 4 characters wide.
18929 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
18930 @samp{%&user-date;}.
18933 @node Mode Line Formatting
18934 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
18936 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
18937 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
18938 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
18939 with the following two differences:
18944 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
18947 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
18948 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
18949 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
18950 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
18951 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
18952 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
18953 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
18958 @node Advanced Formatting
18959 @subsection Advanced Formatting
18961 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
18962 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
18963 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
18964 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
18966 These are the valid modifiers:
18971 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
18975 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
18980 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
18983 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
18988 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
18991 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
18994 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
18997 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
19003 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
19008 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
19009 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
19010 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
19011 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
19012 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
19013 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
19014 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
19016 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
19017 last operation, padding.
19019 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
19020 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
19021 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
19022 @xref{Compilation}.
19025 @node User-Defined Specs
19026 @subsection User-Defined Specs
19028 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
19029 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
19030 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
19031 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
19032 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
19033 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
19034 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
19035 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
19036 should protect against that.
19038 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
19039 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
19041 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
19042 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
19043 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
19044 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
19048 @node Formatting Fonts
19049 @subsection Formatting Fonts
19051 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
19052 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
19053 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
19054 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
19057 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
19058 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
19059 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
19060 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
19061 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
19062 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
19064 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
19065 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
19066 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
19067 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
19068 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
19069 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
19070 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
19071 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
19073 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
19076 ;; Create three face types.
19077 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
19078 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
19080 ;; We want the article count to be in
19081 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
19082 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
19083 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
19085 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
19086 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
19088 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
19089 (setq gnus-group-line-format
19090 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
19093 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
19094 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
19096 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
19097 mode-line variables.
19099 @node Positioning Point
19100 @subsection Positioning Point
19102 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
19103 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
19104 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
19106 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
19108 @findex gnus-goto-colon
19109 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
19110 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
19112 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
19113 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%C} specifier. If you
19114 put a @samp{%C} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
19119 @subsection Tabulation
19121 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
19122 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
19123 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
19124 about lining up the following text afterwards.
19126 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
19127 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
19129 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19130 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
19131 This is the soft tabulator.
19133 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19134 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
19135 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
19138 @node Wide Characters
19139 @subsection Wide Characters
19141 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
19142 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
19143 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
19145 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
19146 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
19147 these coutries, that's not true.
19149 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
19150 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
19151 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
19152 prettieer. The default value is @code{t}.
19156 @node Window Layout
19157 @section Window Layout
19158 @cindex window layout
19160 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
19162 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
19163 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
19164 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
19165 @code{t} by default.
19167 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
19168 glitches. Use at your own peril.
19170 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
19171 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
19172 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
19175 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
19176 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
19177 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19181 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
19182 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
19183 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
19184 possible names is listed below.
19186 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
19187 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
19190 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19194 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
19195 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
19196 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
19197 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
19198 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
19199 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
19200 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
19201 size spec per split.
19203 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
19204 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
19205 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
19206 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
19207 present) gets focus.
19209 Here's a more complicated example:
19212 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
19213 (summary 0.25 point)
19214 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
19218 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
19219 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
19220 occupy, not a percentage.
19222 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
19223 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
19224 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
19225 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
19226 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
19229 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
19232 (article (horizontal 1.0
19237 (summary 0.25 point)
19242 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
19243 @code{horizontal} thingie?
19245 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
19246 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
19247 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
19248 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
19249 the screen is to be given to this strip.
19251 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
19252 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
19253 lines from the splits.
19255 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
19259 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
19260 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
19261 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
19262 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
19263 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
19264 size = number | frame-params
19265 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
19268 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
19269 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
19270 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
19271 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
19273 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
19274 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
19275 @cindex window height
19276 @cindex window width
19277 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
19278 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
19279 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
19280 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
19281 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
19282 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
19284 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
19285 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
19286 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
19287 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
19289 @findex gnus-configure-frame
19290 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
19291 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
19292 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
19293 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
19294 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
19295 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
19296 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
19297 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
19298 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
19299 configuration list.
19302 (gnus-configure-frame
19306 (article 0.3 point))
19314 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
19315 @code{frame} split:
19318 (gnus-configure-frame
19321 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
19323 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
19324 (user-position . t)
19325 (left . -1) (top . 1))
19330 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
19331 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
19332 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
19333 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
19334 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
19335 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
19336 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
19337 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
19339 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
19340 be found in its default value.
19342 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
19343 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
19344 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
19348 (message (horizontal 1.0
19349 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
19351 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
19356 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
19357 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
19358 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
19363 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
19364 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
19365 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
19366 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
19367 (name . "Message"))
19368 (message 1.0 point))))
19371 @findex gnus-add-configuration
19372 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
19373 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
19374 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
19375 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
19378 (gnus-add-configuration
19379 '(article (vertical 1.0
19381 (summary .25 point)
19385 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
19386 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
19387 Gnus has been loaded.
19389 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
19390 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
19391 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
19392 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
19393 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
19395 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
19396 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
19397 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
19400 @subsection Example Window Configurations
19404 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
19405 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
19420 (gnus-add-configuration
19423 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19425 (summary 0.16 point)
19428 (gnus-add-configuration
19431 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19432 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
19438 @node Faces and Fonts
19439 @section Faces and Fonts
19444 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
19445 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
19446 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
19451 @section Compilation
19452 @cindex compilation
19453 @cindex byte-compilation
19455 @findex gnus-compile
19457 Remember all those line format specification variables?
19458 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
19459 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
19460 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
19461 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
19462 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
19465 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
19466 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
19467 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
19468 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
19469 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
19470 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
19471 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
19475 @section Mode Lines
19478 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
19479 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
19480 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
19481 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
19482 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
19483 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
19484 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
19487 @cindex display-time
19489 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
19490 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
19491 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
19492 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
19493 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
19494 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
19495 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
19496 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
19499 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
19501 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
19502 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
19504 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
19505 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
19506 (length display-time-string)))))
19509 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
19510 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
19511 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
19512 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
19513 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
19516 @node Highlighting and Menus
19517 @section Highlighting and Menus
19519 @cindex highlighting
19522 @vindex gnus-visual
19523 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
19524 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
19525 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
19528 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
19529 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
19532 @item group-highlight
19533 Do highlights in the group buffer.
19534 @item summary-highlight
19535 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
19536 @item article-highlight
19537 Do highlights in the article buffer.
19539 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
19541 Create menus in the group buffer.
19543 Create menus in the summary buffers.
19545 Create menus in the article buffer.
19547 Create menus in the browse buffer.
19549 Create menus in the server buffer.
19551 Create menus in the score buffers.
19553 Create menus in all buffers.
19556 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
19557 buffers, you could say something like:
19560 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
19563 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
19566 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
19569 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
19570 in all Gnus buffers.
19572 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
19575 @item gnus-mouse-face
19576 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
19577 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
19578 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
19582 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
19586 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
19587 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
19588 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
19590 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
19591 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
19592 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
19594 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
19595 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
19596 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
19598 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
19599 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
19600 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
19602 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
19603 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
19604 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
19606 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
19607 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
19608 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
19619 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
19620 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
19621 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
19622 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
19623 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
19627 @vindex gnus-carpal
19628 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
19629 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
19630 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
19635 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19636 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
19637 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
19639 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
19640 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
19641 Face used on buttons.
19643 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
19644 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
19645 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
19647 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19648 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
19649 Buttons in the group buffer.
19651 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19652 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
19653 Buttons in the summary buffer.
19655 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19656 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
19657 Buttons in the server buffer.
19659 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19660 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
19661 Buttons in the browse buffer.
19664 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
19665 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
19666 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
19674 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
19675 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
19676 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
19677 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
19678 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
19680 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
19681 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
19682 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
19684 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
19685 been idle for thirty minutes:
19688 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
19691 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
19695 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
19698 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
19699 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
19700 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19702 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
19703 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
19704 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
19705 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
19707 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
19708 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
19709 @var{idle} minutes.
19711 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
19712 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
19715 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
19716 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
19717 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
19719 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
19720 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
19721 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
19722 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
19724 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
19725 your @file{.gnus} file:
19727 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
19729 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
19732 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
19733 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
19734 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
19735 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
19736 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
19737 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
19738 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
19739 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
19740 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
19741 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
19742 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
19744 @findex gnus-demon-init
19745 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
19746 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
19747 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
19748 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
19749 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
19751 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
19752 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
19753 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
19762 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
19763 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
19765 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
19766 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
19767 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
19768 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
19771 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
19772 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
19773 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
19774 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
19776 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
19777 this will make spam disappear.
19779 There are some variables to customize, of course:
19782 @item gnus-use-nocem
19783 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
19784 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
19787 @item gnus-nocem-groups
19788 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
19789 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
19790 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
19791 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
19793 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
19794 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
19795 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
19796 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
19797 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
19798 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
19800 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
19801 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
19803 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
19804 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
19805 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
19806 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
19807 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
19808 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
19809 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
19810 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
19811 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
19812 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
19814 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
19815 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
19818 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
19821 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
19822 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
19825 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
19828 The specs are applied left-to-right.
19831 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
19832 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
19834 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
19835 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
19836 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
19837 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
19839 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
19840 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
19843 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
19845 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
19853 This might be dangerous, though.
19855 @item gnus-nocem-directory
19856 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
19857 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
19858 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
19860 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
19861 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
19862 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
19863 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
19864 might then see old spam.
19866 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
19867 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
19868 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
19869 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
19870 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
19873 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
19874 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
19875 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
19876 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
19880 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
19881 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
19882 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
19883 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
19890 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
19891 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
19892 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
19894 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
19895 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
19896 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
19897 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
19898 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
19899 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
19900 @code{undo} function.
19902 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
19903 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
19904 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
19905 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
19906 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
19907 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
19908 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
19909 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
19910 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
19911 never be totally undoable.
19913 @findex gnus-undo-mode
19914 @vindex gnus-use-undo
19916 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
19917 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
19918 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
19919 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
19923 @node Predicate Specifiers
19924 @section Predicate Specifiers
19925 @cindex predicate specifiers
19927 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
19928 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
19929 to type all that much.
19931 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
19936 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
19937 gnus-article-unread-p)
19940 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
19941 functions all take one parameter.
19943 @findex gnus-make-predicate
19944 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
19945 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
19946 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
19951 @section Moderation
19954 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
19955 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
19956 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
19959 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
19963 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
19966 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
19968 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
19973 You split your incoming mail by matching on
19974 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
19975 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
19978 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
19979 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
19982 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
19983 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
19987 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
19990 (setq gnus-moderated-list
19991 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
19995 @node Image Enhancements
19996 @section Image Enhancements
19998 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
19999 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
20002 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
20003 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
20004 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
20005 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
20006 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
20019 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
20020 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
20021 over your shoulder as you read news.
20024 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
20025 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
20026 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
20027 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
20028 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
20033 @subsubsection Picon Basics
20035 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
20044 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
20045 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
20046 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
20047 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
20048 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
20049 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
20050 @code{GIF} formats.
20053 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20054 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
20055 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
20056 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
20057 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
20059 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20060 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
20061 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
20062 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
20063 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
20064 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20066 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
20067 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
20070 @node Picon Requirements
20071 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
20073 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
20074 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
20075 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
20076 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
20078 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20079 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
20080 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
20081 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
20082 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
20083 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20086 @subsubsection Easy Picons
20088 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
20089 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
20092 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
20093 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
20096 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
20097 containing the Picons databases.
20099 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
20102 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20103 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
20108 @subsubsection Hard Picons
20116 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
20117 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
20118 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
20119 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
20120 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
20125 @item gnus-picons-database
20126 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20127 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
20128 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
20129 subdirectories. This is only useful if
20130 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
20131 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
20133 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20134 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20135 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
20136 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
20137 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
20138 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
20139 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20141 @item gnus-picons-display-where
20142 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20143 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
20144 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
20145 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
20146 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
20147 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
20148 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
20150 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20151 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20152 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
20157 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
20158 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
20160 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
20161 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
20164 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20166 @item gnus-article-display-picons
20167 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
20168 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
20169 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
20171 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20172 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20173 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
20174 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
20180 @node Picon Useless Configuration
20181 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
20189 The following variables offer further control over how things are
20190 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
20191 don't need to worry about.
20195 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
20196 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
20197 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20198 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
20200 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
20201 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
20202 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
20203 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
20205 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
20206 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
20207 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20208 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
20209 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
20211 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20212 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20213 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
20214 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
20215 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
20216 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
20217 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
20218 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20220 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20221 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20222 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
20223 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
20224 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20226 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20227 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20228 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
20229 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
20230 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
20231 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
20232 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
20234 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20235 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20236 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
20237 Defaults to @code{nil}.
20239 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
20240 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
20241 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
20242 Defaults to @code{t}.
20244 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20245 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20246 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
20247 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
20249 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
20250 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
20251 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
20253 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20254 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20255 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
20256 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
20258 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
20259 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
20261 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20262 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20263 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
20264 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
20265 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
20266 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
20267 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
20268 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
20279 @subsection Smileys
20284 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
20289 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
20290 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
20292 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
20293 @file{.gnus.el} file:
20296 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
20299 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
20300 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
20301 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20302 text and maps that to file names.
20304 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
20305 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
20306 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
20307 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
20308 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
20309 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
20311 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
20312 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
20314 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
20315 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
20316 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
20318 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20319 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
20323 @item smiley-data-directory
20324 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20325 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20327 @item smiley-flesh-color
20328 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
20329 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
20331 @item smiley-features-color
20332 @vindex smiley-features-color
20333 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20335 @item smiley-tongue-color
20336 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
20337 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
20339 @item smiley-circle-color
20340 @vindex smiley-circle-color
20341 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20343 @item smiley-mouse-face
20344 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
20345 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
20354 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20355 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20356 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20360 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20361 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20362 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20363 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20371 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20372 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20373 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20374 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20376 The variable that controls this is the
20377 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20378 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20379 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20380 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20381 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20383 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20384 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20385 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20386 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20389 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20390 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20391 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20392 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20393 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20394 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20395 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20396 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20398 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20401 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20402 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20404 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20405 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files
20406 in @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20407 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20408 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20409 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big.
20411 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a file as the parameter, and then
20412 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20413 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20415 Here's how you would typically use the former function. Put something
20416 like the folllowing in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20419 (setq message-required-news-headers
20420 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20421 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
20424 Using the latter function would be something like this:
20427 (setq message-required-news-headers
20428 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20429 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
20430 (gnus-x-face-from-file
20431 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
20436 @subsection Toolbar
20446 @item gnus-use-toolbar
20447 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
20448 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
20449 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
20450 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
20452 @item gnus-group-toolbar
20453 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
20454 The toolbar in the group buffer.
20456 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
20457 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
20458 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
20460 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20461 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20462 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
20468 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
20471 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20472 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20473 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
20474 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
20475 unusual directory structure.
20477 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20478 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20479 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
20480 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
20482 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20483 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20484 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
20485 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
20486 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
20487 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
20489 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20490 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20491 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
20505 @node Fuzzy Matching
20506 @section Fuzzy Matching
20507 @cindex fuzzy matching
20509 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
20510 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
20512 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
20513 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
20514 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
20516 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
20517 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
20518 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
20519 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
20520 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
20523 @node Thwarting Email Spam
20524 @section Thwarting Email Spam
20528 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20530 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
20531 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
20532 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
20533 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
20534 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
20535 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
20536 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
20537 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
20540 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
20541 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
20542 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
20543 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
20544 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
20545 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
20549 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
20550 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
20552 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
20553 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
20554 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
20555 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
20556 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
20557 part of the mail address.)
20560 (setq message-default-news-headers
20561 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
20564 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
20565 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
20570 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
20571 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
20572 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
20578 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
20579 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
20580 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
20581 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
20583 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
20584 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
20585 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
20586 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
20587 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
20588 your fancy split rule in this way:
20593 (to "larsi" "misc")
20597 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
20598 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
20599 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
20600 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
20601 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
20603 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
20604 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
20605 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
20606 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
20607 cosmic balance somewhat.
20609 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
20610 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
20611 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
20612 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
20615 @node Various Various
20616 @section Various Various
20622 @item gnus-home-directory
20623 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
20624 defaults to @file{~/}.
20626 @item gnus-directory
20627 @vindex gnus-directory
20628 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
20629 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
20630 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
20632 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
20633 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
20634 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
20635 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
20637 @item gnus-default-directory
20638 @vindex gnus-default-directory
20639 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
20640 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
20641 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
20642 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
20643 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
20644 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
20647 @vindex gnus-verbose
20648 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
20649 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
20650 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
20651 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
20652 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
20654 @item gnus-verbose-backends
20655 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
20656 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
20657 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
20659 @item nnheader-max-head-length
20660 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
20661 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
20662 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
20663 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
20664 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
20665 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
20666 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
20667 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
20668 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
20670 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
20671 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
20672 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
20673 read when doing the operation described above.
20675 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20676 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20678 @cindex invalid characters in file names
20679 @cindex characters in file names
20680 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
20681 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
20682 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
20685 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
20689 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
20690 Windows (phooey) systems.
20692 @item gnus-hidden-properties
20693 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
20694 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
20695 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
20696 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
20698 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
20699 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
20700 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
20701 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
20702 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
20704 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
20705 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
20706 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
20708 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
20709 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
20711 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
20712 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
20713 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
20714 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
20717 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
20725 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
20726 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
20728 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
20730 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
20736 Not because of victories @*
20739 but for the common sunshine,@*
20741 the largess of the spring.
20745 but for the day's work done@*
20746 as well as I was able;@*
20747 not for a seat upon the dais@*
20748 but at the common table.@*
20753 @chapter Appendices
20756 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
20757 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
20758 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
20759 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
20760 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
20761 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
20762 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
20763 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
20764 * Frequently Asked Questions::
20771 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
20773 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
20774 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
20775 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
20776 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
20777 @samp{xemacs-base}, and @samp{fsf-compat}.
20784 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
20785 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
20787 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
20788 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
20789 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
20790 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
20791 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
20793 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
20794 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
20795 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
20796 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
20797 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
20798 appropriate name, don't you think?)
20800 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
20801 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
20802 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
20803 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
20806 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
20807 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
20808 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
20809 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
20810 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
20811 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
20812 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
20813 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
20814 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
20818 @node Gnus Versions
20819 @subsection Gnus Versions
20821 @cindex September Gnus
20823 @cindex Quassia Gnus
20824 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
20828 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
20829 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
20830 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
20832 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
20833 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
20835 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
20836 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
20838 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
20839 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
20841 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
20842 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
20845 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
20847 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
20848 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
20849 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
20850 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
20851 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
20852 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
20855 @node Other Gnus Versions
20856 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
20859 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
20860 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
20861 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
20862 @sc{mime} capabilities.
20864 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
20865 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
20866 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
20867 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
20874 What's the point of Gnus?
20876 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
20877 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
20878 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
20879 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
20880 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
20881 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
20882 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
20883 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
20884 keep track of millions of people who post?
20886 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
20887 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
20888 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
20889 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
20890 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
20891 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
20892 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
20893 every one of you to explore and invent.
20895 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
20896 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
20899 @node Compatibility
20900 @subsection Compatibility
20902 @cindex compatibility
20903 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
20904 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
20905 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
20910 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
20914 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
20917 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
20920 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
20921 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
20922 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
20923 important variables have their values copied into their global
20924 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
20925 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
20927 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
20928 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
20929 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
20930 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
20931 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
20935 @cindex highlighting
20936 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
20937 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
20938 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
20939 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
20940 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
20941 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
20944 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
20945 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
20946 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
20947 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
20949 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
20950 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
20951 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
20952 to stop doing it the old way.
20954 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
20956 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
20958 @cindex reporting bugs
20960 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
20961 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
20962 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
20964 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
20965 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
20966 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
20967 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
20972 @subsection Conformity
20974 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
20975 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
20983 There are no known breaches of this standard.
20987 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
20989 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
20990 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
20991 We do have some breaches to this one.
20997 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
20998 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
20999 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
21000 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
21001 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
21006 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
21007 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
21008 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
21009 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
21011 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
21013 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
21015 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
21016 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
21018 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
21021 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
21022 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
21023 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
21024 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
21025 decoding (verification and decryption).
21027 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
21028 RFC 2015 (superceded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
21029 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
21030 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
21032 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
21033 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
21035 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
21036 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
21037 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
21038 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
21039 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
21040 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
21041 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
21045 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
21046 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
21051 @subsection Emacsen
21057 Gnus should work on :
21065 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
21069 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
21070 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
21073 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
21074 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
21075 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
21079 @node Gnus Development
21080 @subsection Gnus Development
21082 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
21083 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
21084 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
21085 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
21086 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
21087 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
21088 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
21089 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
21091 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
21092 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
21093 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
21094 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
21095 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
21098 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
21099 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
21100 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
21101 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
21102 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
21104 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
21105 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
21106 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
21107 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
21108 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
21109 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
21110 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
21111 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
21112 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
21113 can't be assumed to do so.
21118 @subsection Contributors
21119 @cindex contributors
21121 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
21122 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
21123 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
21124 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
21125 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
21126 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
21127 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
21128 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
21129 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
21130 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
21132 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
21138 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
21141 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
21142 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
21143 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
21144 functionality and stuff.
21147 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
21148 well as numerous other things).
21151 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
21154 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
21157 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
21160 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
21163 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
21164 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
21167 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
21170 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
21171 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
21174 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
21177 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
21180 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
21183 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
21186 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
21187 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
21190 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
21193 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
21196 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
21199 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
21203 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
21206 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
21209 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
21212 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
21213 well as autoconf support.
21217 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
21218 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
21220 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
21229 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
21233 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
21243 Alexei V. Barantsev,
21258 Massimo Campostrini,
21263 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
21264 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
21268 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
21271 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
21277 Michael Welsh Duggan,
21282 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
21286 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
21294 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
21296 Michelangelo Grigni,
21300 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
21302 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
21304 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
21311 François Felix Ingrand,
21312 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
21313 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
21315 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
21326 Peter Skov Knudsen,
21327 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
21329 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
21330 Thor Kristoffersen,
21333 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
21351 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
21352 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
21359 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
21364 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
21368 John McClary Prevost,
21374 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
21379 Christian von Roques,
21382 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
21389 Philippe Schnoebelen,
21391 Randal L. Schwartz,
21405 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
21410 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
21426 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
21431 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
21432 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
21433 (550kB and counting).
21435 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
21438 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
21439 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
21443 @subsection New Features
21444 @cindex new features
21447 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
21448 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
21449 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
21450 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
21451 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
21454 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
21455 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
21456 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
21459 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
21461 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
21466 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
21467 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
21470 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
21471 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
21474 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
21477 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
21478 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
21479 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
21482 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
21483 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
21484 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
21485 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
21488 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
21489 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21492 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
21493 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
21494 (@pxref{The Active File}).
21497 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
21498 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
21501 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
21502 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
21503 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
21506 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
21507 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
21508 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
21511 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
21512 the @file{.emacs} file.
21515 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
21516 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
21519 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
21520 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
21523 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
21524 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21527 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
21528 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
21531 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
21532 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
21535 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
21538 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
21539 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
21542 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
21543 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
21546 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
21547 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
21550 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
21553 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
21554 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
21557 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
21561 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
21565 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
21566 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
21569 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
21575 @node September Gnus
21576 @subsubsection September Gnus
21580 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
21584 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
21589 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
21590 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
21594 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
21595 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
21599 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
21603 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
21604 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
21607 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
21611 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
21614 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
21617 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
21620 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
21624 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
21625 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
21628 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
21632 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
21636 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
21640 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
21644 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
21647 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
21648 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
21651 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
21655 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
21656 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
21659 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
21662 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
21663 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
21664 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
21667 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
21671 The Gnus cache is much faster.
21674 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
21678 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
21679 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
21682 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
21683 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
21686 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
21687 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21690 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
21691 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
21692 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
21695 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
21696 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
21699 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
21702 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
21705 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
21708 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
21711 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
21712 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
21715 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
21719 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
21722 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
21727 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
21730 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
21734 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
21737 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
21741 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
21744 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
21747 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
21748 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
21751 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
21752 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
21756 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
21757 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
21760 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
21764 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
21765 buffer to allow easier treatment.
21768 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
21771 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
21775 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
21779 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
21780 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
21783 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
21787 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
21788 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
21791 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
21792 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
21795 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
21799 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
21802 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
21805 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
21811 @subsubsection Red Gnus
21813 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
21817 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
21824 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
21827 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
21828 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
21831 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
21832 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
21836 Article washing status can be displayed in the
21837 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
21840 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
21843 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
21844 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
21847 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
21851 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
21852 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
21856 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
21857 Server Internals}).
21860 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
21864 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
21867 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
21868 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
21871 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
21872 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
21873 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
21876 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
21877 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
21880 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
21881 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
21884 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
21888 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
21889 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21892 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
21893 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
21896 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
21900 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
21903 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
21907 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
21908 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21911 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
21912 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
21915 A new command for reading collections of documents
21916 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
21917 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
21920 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
21924 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
21925 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
21928 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
21929 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
21930 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
21933 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
21934 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
21938 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
21942 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
21946 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
21951 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
21955 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
21959 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
21960 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
21963 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
21969 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
21971 New features in Gnus 5.6:
21976 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
21977 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
21978 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
21981 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
21982 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
21983 group, which is created automatically.
21986 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
21990 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
21993 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
21994 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
21997 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
22001 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
22004 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
22005 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
22008 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
22011 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
22012 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
22015 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
22016 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
22019 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
22020 control over simplification.
22023 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
22026 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
22030 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
22033 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
22036 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
22037 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
22038 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
22041 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
22042 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
22045 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
22049 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
22050 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
22053 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
22054 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
22057 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
22061 A history of where mails have been split is available.
22064 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
22067 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
22068 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
22071 A new function for citing in Message has been
22072 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
22075 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
22078 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
22082 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
22083 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
22086 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
22087 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
22090 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
22093 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
22097 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
22098 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
22100 New features in Gnus 5.8:
22105 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
22106 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
22108 If you used procmail like in
22111 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
22112 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
22113 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
22114 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
22117 this now has changed to
22121 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
22125 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
22126 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
22129 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
22130 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
22133 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
22134 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
22137 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
22138 called to position point.
22141 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
22142 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
22145 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
22146 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
22149 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
22150 subtly different manner.
22153 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
22154 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
22155 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
22158 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
22166 @section The Manual
22170 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
22171 either @code{texi2dvi}
22173 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
22174 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
22176 to get what you hold in your hands now.
22178 The following conventions have been used:
22183 This is a @samp{string}
22186 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
22189 This is a @file{file}
22192 This is a @code{symbol}
22196 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
22200 (setq flargnoze "yes")
22203 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
22206 (setq flumphel 'yes)
22209 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
22210 ever get them confused.
22214 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
22215 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
22216 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
22217 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
22218 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
22219 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
22220 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
22226 @node On Writing Manuals
22227 @section On Writing Manuals
22229 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
22230 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
22231 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
22232 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
22233 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
22234 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
22237 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
22238 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
22239 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
22242 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
22243 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
22248 @section Terminology
22250 @cindex terminology
22255 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
22256 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
22257 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
22258 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
22259 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
22263 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
22264 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
22265 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
22266 not posting, and replying is not following up.
22270 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
22274 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
22279 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of back ends, both news and mail
22280 back ends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
22281 is all done by the back ends.
22285 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
22286 default, way of getting news.
22290 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
22291 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
22296 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
22297 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
22301 A message that has been posted as news.
22304 @cindex mail message
22305 A message that has been mailed.
22309 A mail message or news article
22313 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
22318 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
22323 A line from the head of an article.
22327 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
22328 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
22332 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
22333 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
22334 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
22335 normal @sc{head} format.
22339 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
22340 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
22341 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
22342 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
22343 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
22344 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
22346 @item killed groups
22347 @cindex killed groups
22348 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
22349 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
22351 @item zombie groups
22352 @cindex zombie groups
22353 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
22356 @cindex active file
22357 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
22358 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
22359 is rather large, as you might surmise.
22362 @cindex bogus groups
22363 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
22364 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
22365 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
22368 @cindex activating groups
22369 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
22370 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
22371 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
22375 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
22377 @item select method
22378 @cindex select method
22379 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
22382 @item virtual server
22383 @cindex virtual server
22384 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
22385 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
22386 whole is a virtual server.
22390 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
22391 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
22394 @item ephemeral groups
22395 @cindex ephemeral groups
22396 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
22397 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
22398 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
22401 @cindex solid groups
22402 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
22403 group buffer are solid groups.
22405 @item sparse articles
22406 @cindex sparse articles
22407 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
22408 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
22412 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
22413 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
22417 @cindex thread root
22418 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
22419 articles in the thread.
22423 An article that has responses.
22427 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
22431 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
22432 specified by RFC 1153.
22438 @node Customization
22439 @section Customization
22440 @cindex general customization
22442 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
22443 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
22444 for some quite common situations.
22447 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
22448 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
22449 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
22450 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
22454 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
22455 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
22457 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
22458 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
22459 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
22463 @item gnus-read-active-file
22464 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
22465 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
22466 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22467 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
22468 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
22470 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
22471 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
22472 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
22473 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
22477 @node Slow Terminal Connection
22478 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
22480 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
22481 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
22482 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
22486 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
22487 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
22488 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
22489 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
22490 horizontal and vertical recentering.
22492 @item gnus-visible-headers
22493 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
22494 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
22495 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
22496 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
22498 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
22500 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
22501 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
22502 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
22505 @item gnus-use-full-window
22506 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
22507 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
22508 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
22509 want to read them anyway.
22511 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
22512 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
22516 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
22517 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
22518 lines, which might save some time.
22522 @node Little Disk Space
22523 @subsection Little Disk Space
22526 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
22527 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
22531 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
22532 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
22533 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22534 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22537 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
22538 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
22539 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
22540 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22543 @item gnus-save-killed-list
22544 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
22545 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
22546 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
22547 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
22553 @subsection Slow Machine
22554 @cindex slow machine
22556 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
22557 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
22559 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
22560 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
22562 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
22563 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
22564 summary buffer faster.
22568 @node Troubleshooting
22569 @section Troubleshooting
22570 @cindex troubleshooting
22572 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
22580 Make sure your computer is switched on.
22583 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
22584 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
22588 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
22589 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
22590 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
22591 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
22594 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
22598 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
22599 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
22600 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
22601 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
22602 something like that.
22605 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
22608 @cindex reporting bugs
22610 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
22612 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
22613 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
22614 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
22615 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
22617 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
22618 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
22619 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
22620 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
22623 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
22624 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
22625 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
22626 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
22627 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
22628 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
22630 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
22631 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
22632 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
22636 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
22637 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
22639 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
22640 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
22642 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
22643 @cindex ding mailing list
22644 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
22645 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
22649 @node Gnus Reference Guide
22650 @section Gnus Reference Guide
22652 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
22653 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
22654 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
22655 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
22658 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
22659 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
22660 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
22661 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
22662 and general methods of operation.
22665 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
22666 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
22667 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
22668 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
22669 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
22670 * Group Info:: The group info format.
22671 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
22672 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
22673 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
22677 @node Gnus Utility Functions
22678 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
22679 @cindex Gnus utility functions
22680 @cindex utility functions
22682 @cindex internal variables
22684 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
22685 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
22686 Below is a list of the most common ones.
22690 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
22691 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
22692 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
22694 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
22695 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
22696 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
22698 @item gnus-group-real-name
22699 @findex gnus-group-real-name
22700 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
22703 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
22704 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
22705 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
22706 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
22708 @item gnus-get-info
22709 @findex gnus-get-info
22710 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
22712 @item gnus-group-unread
22713 @findex gnus-group-unread
22714 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
22718 @findex gnus-active
22719 The active entry for @var{group}.
22721 @item gnus-set-active
22722 @findex gnus-set-active
22723 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
22725 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
22726 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
22727 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
22730 @item gnus-continuum-version
22731 @findex gnus-continuum-version
22732 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
22733 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
22736 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
22737 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
22738 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
22740 @item gnus-news-group-p
22741 @findex gnus-news-group-p
22742 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
22744 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
22745 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
22746 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
22748 @item gnus-server-to-method
22749 @findex gnus-server-to-method
22750 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
22752 @item gnus-server-equal
22753 @findex gnus-server-equal
22754 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
22756 @item gnus-group-native-p
22757 @findex gnus-group-native-p
22758 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
22760 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
22761 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
22762 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
22764 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
22765 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
22766 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
22768 @item group-group-find-parameter
22769 @findex group-group-find-parameter
22770 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
22771 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
22773 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
22774 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
22775 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
22777 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
22778 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
22779 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
22781 @item gnus-check-backend-function
22782 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
22783 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
22784 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
22787 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
22791 @item gnus-read-method
22792 @findex gnus-read-method
22793 Prompts the user for a select method.
22798 @node Back End Interface
22799 @subsection Back End Interface
22801 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
22802 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
22803 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
22804 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
22805 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
22806 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
22808 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
22809 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
22810 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
22811 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
22812 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
22813 been opened, the function should fail.
22815 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
22816 name. Take this example:
22820 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
22821 (nntp-port-number 4324))
22824 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
22825 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
22827 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
22828 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
22829 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
22831 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
22832 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
22833 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
22835 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
22836 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
22837 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
22838 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
22839 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
22840 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
22843 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
22844 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
22845 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
22846 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
22849 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
22850 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
22851 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
22852 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
22853 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
22854 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
22855 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
22856 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
22857 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
22858 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
22860 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
22861 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
22862 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
22863 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
22864 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
22865 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
22866 of numbers as long as possible.
22868 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
22871 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
22874 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
22875 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
22876 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
22877 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
22878 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
22879 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
22883 @node Required Back End Functions
22884 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
22888 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
22890 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
22891 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
22892 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
22893 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
22895 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
22896 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
22897 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
22898 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
22900 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
22901 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
22902 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
22903 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
22904 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
22905 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
22906 number, do maximum fetches.
22908 Here's an example HEAD:
22911 221 1056 Article retrieved.
22912 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
22913 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
22914 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
22915 Subject: Re: Something very droll
22916 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
22917 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
22919 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
22920 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
22921 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
22925 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
22926 these in the data buffer.
22928 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
22932 head = error / valid-head
22933 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
22934 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
22935 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
22936 header = <text> eol
22939 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
22940 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
22944 nov-buffer = *nov-line
22945 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
22946 field = <text except TAB>
22949 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
22953 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
22955 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
22956 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
22958 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
22959 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
22960 server. In fact, it should do so.
22962 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
22963 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
22966 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
22968 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
22969 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
22972 There should be no data returned.
22975 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
22977 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
22978 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
22979 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
22980 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
22982 There should be no data returned.
22985 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
22987 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
22988 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
22989 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
22990 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
22992 There should be no data returned.
22995 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
22997 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
22999 There should be no data returned.
23002 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
23004 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
23005 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
23006 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
23007 it would be nice if that were possible.
23009 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
23010 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
23011 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
23012 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
23013 into its article buffer.
23015 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
23016 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
23017 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
23018 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
23019 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
23020 on successful article retrieval.
23023 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
23025 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
23026 making @var{group} the current group.
23028 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
23031 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
23034 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
23037 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
23038 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
23039 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
23040 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
23041 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
23042 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
23043 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
23044 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
23045 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
23049 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
23050 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
23051 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
23055 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
23057 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
23058 a no-op on most back ends.
23060 There should be no data returned.
23063 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
23065 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
23068 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
23071 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
23072 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
23075 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
23076 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
23077 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
23078 and the highest as 0.
23081 active-file = *active-line
23082 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
23084 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
23087 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
23088 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
23089 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
23092 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
23094 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
23095 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
23096 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
23097 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
23098 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
23099 clear if the posting could not be completed.
23101 There should be no result data from this function.
23106 @node Optional Back End Functions
23107 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
23111 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
23113 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
23114 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
23115 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
23117 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
23118 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
23119 former is in the same format as the data from
23120 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
23121 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
23124 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
23128 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
23130 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
23131 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
23132 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
23133 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
23134 should return the (altered) group info.
23136 There should be no result data from this function.
23139 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
23141 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
23142 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
23143 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
23144 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
23145 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
23146 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
23147 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
23148 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
23150 There should be no result data from this function.
23153 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
23155 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
23156 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
23157 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
23158 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
23159 propagate the mark information to the server.
23161 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
23164 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
23167 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
23168 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
23169 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
23170 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
23171 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
23172 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
23173 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
23174 possible, not limit itself to these.
23176 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
23177 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
23178 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
23179 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
23181 An example action list:
23184 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
23185 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
23186 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
23189 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
23190 mark on (currently not used for anything).
23192 There should be no result data from this function.
23194 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
23196 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
23197 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
23198 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
23199 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
23200 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
23202 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
23203 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
23204 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
23207 There should be no result data from this function.
23210 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
23212 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
23213 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
23214 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
23215 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
23216 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
23217 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
23218 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
23220 There should be no result data from this function.
23223 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
23225 The result data from this function should be a description of
23229 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
23231 description = <text>
23234 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
23236 The result data from this function should be the description of all
23237 groups available on the server.
23240 description-buffer = *description-line
23244 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
23246 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
23247 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
23248 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
23249 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
23250 in the active buffer format.
23252 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
23253 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
23254 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
23255 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
23256 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
23257 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
23258 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
23261 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
23263 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
23265 There should be no return data.
23268 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
23270 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
23271 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
23272 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
23273 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
23274 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
23277 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
23280 There should be no result data returned.
23283 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
23286 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
23287 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
23289 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
23290 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
23291 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
23292 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
23293 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
23294 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
23296 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
23297 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
23300 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23301 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23303 There should be no data returned.
23306 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
23308 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
23309 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
23310 this function in short order.
23312 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
23313 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
23315 There should be no data returned.
23318 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
23320 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
23321 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
23323 There should be no data returned.
23326 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
23328 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
23329 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
23330 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
23332 There should be no data returned.
23335 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
23337 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
23338 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
23340 There should be no data returned.
23345 @node Error Messaging
23346 @subsubsection Error Messaging
23348 @findex nnheader-report
23349 @findex nnheader-get-report
23350 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
23351 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
23352 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
23353 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
23354 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
23355 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
23358 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
23360 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
23363 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
23364 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
23365 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
23366 takes one argument---the server symbol.
23368 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
23369 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
23370 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
23373 @node Writing New Back Ends
23374 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
23376 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
23377 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
23378 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
23379 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
23380 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
23383 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
23384 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
23385 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
23387 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
23388 package called @code{nnoo}.
23390 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
23391 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
23397 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
23398 parameters. For instance:
23401 (nnoo-declare nndir
23405 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
23406 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
23409 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
23410 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
23411 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
23413 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
23414 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
23415 a function in those back ends.
23418 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23419 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23420 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23423 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
23424 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
23425 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
23427 @item nnoo-define-basics
23428 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
23432 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23436 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
23437 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
23438 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
23440 @item nnoo-map-functions
23441 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
23442 functions from the parent back ends.
23445 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23446 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23447 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
23450 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
23451 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
23452 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
23453 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
23456 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
23457 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
23458 haven't already been defined.
23464 nnmh-request-newgroups)
23468 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
23469 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
23470 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
23475 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
23478 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
23479 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
23483 (require 'nnheader)
23487 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
23489 (nnoo-declare nndir
23492 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
23493 "Where nndir will look for groups."
23494 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
23496 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
23497 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
23500 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
23502 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
23503 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
23504 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
23506 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
23507 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
23509 ;;; Interface functions.
23511 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
23513 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
23514 (setq nndir-directory
23515 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
23517 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
23518 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
23519 (push `(nndir-current-group
23520 ,(file-name-nondirectory
23521 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23523 (push `(nndir-top-directory
23524 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
23526 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
23528 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
23529 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23530 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
23531 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
23532 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
23536 nnmh-status-message
23538 nnmh-request-newgroups))
23544 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23545 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
23547 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
23548 @findex gnus-declare-backend
23549 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
23550 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
23551 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
23553 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
23554 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
23559 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
23562 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
23564 The abilities can be:
23568 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
23570 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
23572 This back end supports both mail and news.
23574 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
23577 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
23578 articles and groups.
23580 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
23581 true for almost all back ends.
23582 @item prompt-address
23583 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
23584 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
23585 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
23589 @node Mail-like Back Ends
23590 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
23592 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
23593 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
23594 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
23595 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
23598 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
23599 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
23600 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
23603 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
23604 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
23607 This function takes four parameters.
23611 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
23614 @item exit-function
23615 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
23617 @item temp-directory
23618 Where the temporary files should be stored.
23621 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
23622 performed for one group only.
23625 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
23626 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
23627 find the article number assigned to this article.
23629 The function also uses the following variables:
23630 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
23631 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
23632 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
23633 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
23637 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
23638 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
23642 @node Score File Syntax
23643 @subsection Score File Syntax
23645 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
23646 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
23647 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
23649 Here's a typical score file:
23653 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
23660 BNF definition of a score file:
23663 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
23664 element = rule / atom
23665 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
23666 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
23667 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
23668 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
23670 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
23671 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
23672 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
23673 date-header = "date"
23674 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23675 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23676 score = "nil" / <integer>
23677 date = "nil" / <natural number>
23678 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
23679 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
23680 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
23681 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
23682 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23683 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23684 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
23685 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
23686 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
23687 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
23688 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
23689 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
23690 exclude-files / read-only / touched
23691 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
23692 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
23693 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
23694 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
23695 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
23696 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
23697 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
23698 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
23699 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
23700 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
23701 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
23702 eval = "eval" space <form>
23703 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
23706 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
23709 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
23710 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
23711 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
23712 one looong line, then that's ok.
23714 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
23715 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23719 @subsection Headers
23721 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
23722 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
23723 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
23724 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
23726 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
23727 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
23728 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
23729 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
23730 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
23731 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
23732 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
23734 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
23735 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
23736 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
23737 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
23738 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
23740 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
23741 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
23747 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
23748 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
23750 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
23751 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
23752 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
23753 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
23755 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
23759 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
23762 is transformed into
23765 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
23768 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
23769 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
23772 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
23775 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
23776 is slightly tricky:
23779 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
23785 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
23788 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
23794 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
23801 and is equal to the previous range.
23803 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
23804 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
23805 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
23809 range = simple-range / normal-range
23810 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
23811 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
23812 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
23813 number *[ " " contents ]
23816 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
23817 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
23818 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
23819 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
23820 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
23825 @subsection Group Info
23827 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
23828 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
23829 describes the group.
23831 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
23832 second is a more complex one:
23835 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
23837 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
23838 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
23840 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
23843 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
23844 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
23845 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
23846 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
23847 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
23848 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
23849 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
23850 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
23851 this section is about.
23853 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
23854 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
23855 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
23857 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
23860 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
23861 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
23862 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23863 group = quote <string> quote
23864 ralevel = rank / level
23865 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
23866 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
23867 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
23869 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
23870 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
23871 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
23872 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
23875 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
23876 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
23879 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
23880 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
23883 @item gnus-info-group
23884 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
23885 @findex gnus-info-group
23886 @findex gnus-info-set-group
23887 Get/set the group name.
23889 @item gnus-info-rank
23890 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
23891 @findex gnus-info-rank
23892 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
23893 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
23895 @item gnus-info-level
23896 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
23897 @findex gnus-info-level
23898 @findex gnus-info-set-level
23899 Get/set the group level.
23901 @item gnus-info-score
23902 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
23903 @findex gnus-info-score
23904 @findex gnus-info-set-score
23905 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
23907 @item gnus-info-read
23908 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
23909 @findex gnus-info-read
23910 @findex gnus-info-set-read
23911 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
23913 @item gnus-info-marks
23914 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
23915 @findex gnus-info-marks
23916 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
23917 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
23919 @item gnus-info-method
23920 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
23921 @findex gnus-info-method
23922 @findex gnus-info-set-method
23923 Get/set the group select method.
23925 @item gnus-info-params
23926 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
23927 @findex gnus-info-params
23928 @findex gnus-info-set-params
23929 Get/set the group parameters.
23932 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
23933 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
23935 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
23936 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
23937 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
23938 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
23941 @node Extended Interactive
23942 @subsection Extended Interactive
23943 @cindex interactive
23944 @findex gnus-interactive
23946 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
23947 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
23948 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
23951 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
23952 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
23957 The best thing to do would have been to implement
23958 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
23959 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
23960 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
23961 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
23962 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
23963 @code{interactive}.
23965 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
23970 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
23971 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
23975 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
23976 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
23977 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
23980 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
23984 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
23988 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
23994 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
23995 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
23999 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
24000 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
24001 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
24003 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
24004 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
24005 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
24006 Gnus, that's very useful.
24008 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
24009 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
24010 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
24011 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
24012 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
24013 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
24014 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
24015 following function:
24018 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
24022 (,function ,@@args))
24026 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
24027 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
24028 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
24031 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
24032 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
24033 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
24035 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
24036 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
24037 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
24040 @node Various File Formats
24041 @subsection Various File Formats
24044 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
24045 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
24049 @node Active File Format
24050 @subsubsection Active File Format
24052 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
24053 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
24056 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
24059 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
24060 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
24061 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
24062 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
24063 no.general 1000 900 y
24066 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
24069 active = *group-line
24070 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
24071 group = <non-white-space string>
24073 high-number = <non-negative integer>
24074 low-number = <positive integer>
24075 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
24078 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
24079 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
24082 @node Newsgroups File Format
24083 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
24085 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
24086 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
24087 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
24090 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
24091 Here's the definition:
24095 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
24096 group = <non-white-space string>
24098 description = <string>
24103 @node Emacs for Heathens
24104 @section Emacs for Heathens
24106 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
24107 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
24108 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
24109 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
24110 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
24111 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
24112 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
24116 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
24117 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
24122 @subsection Keystrokes
24126 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
24129 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
24132 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
24133 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
24134 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
24135 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
24136 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
24137 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
24139 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
24140 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
24141 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
24142 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
24143 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
24144 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
24145 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
24147 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
24148 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
24149 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
24150 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
24151 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
24152 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
24153 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
24155 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
24156 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
24157 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
24158 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
24159 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
24165 @subsection Emacs Lisp
24167 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
24168 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
24169 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
24170 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
24172 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
24173 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
24174 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
24175 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
24176 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
24177 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
24178 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
24181 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
24182 write the following:
24185 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
24188 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
24189 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
24190 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
24193 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
24194 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
24195 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
24196 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
24197 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
24199 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
24200 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
24201 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
24205 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
24209 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
24212 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
24213 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
24216 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
24219 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
24220 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
24223 @include gnus-faq.texi
24243 @c Local Variables:
24245 @c coding: iso-8859-1
24247 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
24248 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
24249 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
24250 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
24251 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref