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329 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
334 @setchapternewpage odd
341 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
343 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
349 @top The Gnus Newsreader
353 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
354 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
355 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
358 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
359 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
370 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
371 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
373 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
374 being accused of plagiarism:
376 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
377 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
378 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
379 can even read news with it!
381 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
382 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
383 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
384 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
385 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
388 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
389 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
391 @heading Other related manuals
393 @item Message manual: Composing messages
394 @item Emacs-MIME: Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
395 @item Sieve: Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
396 @item PGG: @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
397 @item SASL: @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
403 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
404 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
405 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
406 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
407 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
408 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
409 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
410 * Various:: General purpose settings.
411 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
412 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
413 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
414 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
415 * Key Index:: Key Index.
417 Other related manuals
419 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
420 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
421 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
422 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
423 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
426 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
430 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
431 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
432 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
433 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
434 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
435 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
436 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
437 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
438 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
439 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
440 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
444 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
445 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
446 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
450 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
451 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
452 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
453 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
454 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
455 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
456 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
457 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
458 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
459 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
460 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
461 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
462 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
463 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
464 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
465 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
466 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
467 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
471 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
472 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
473 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
477 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
478 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
479 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
480 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
481 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
485 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
486 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
487 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
488 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
489 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
493 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
494 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
495 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
496 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
497 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
498 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
499 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
500 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
501 * Threading:: How threads are made.
502 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
503 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
504 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
505 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
506 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
507 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
508 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
509 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
510 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
511 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
512 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
513 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
514 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
515 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
516 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
517 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
518 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
519 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
520 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
521 or reselecting the current group.
522 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
523 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
524 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
525 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
527 Summary Buffer Format
529 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
530 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
531 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
532 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
536 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
537 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
539 Reply, Followup and Post
541 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
542 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
543 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
544 * Canceling and Superseding::
548 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
549 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
550 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
551 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
552 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
553 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
557 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
558 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
560 Customizing Threading
562 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
563 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
564 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
565 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
569 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
570 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
571 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
572 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
573 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
574 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
578 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
579 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
580 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
584 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
585 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
586 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
587 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
588 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
589 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
590 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
591 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
592 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
593 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
594 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
596 Alternative Approaches
598 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
599 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
601 Various Summary Stuff
603 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
604 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
605 * Summary Generation Commands::
606 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
610 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
611 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
612 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
613 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
614 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
618 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
619 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
620 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
621 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
622 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
623 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
624 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
625 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
626 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
630 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
631 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
632 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
633 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
634 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
635 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
636 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
637 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
638 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
642 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
643 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
644 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
645 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
646 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
647 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
648 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
652 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
653 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
657 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
658 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
659 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
660 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
664 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
665 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
666 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
667 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
668 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
669 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
670 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
671 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
672 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
673 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
674 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
675 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
676 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
680 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
681 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
682 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
684 Choosing a Mail Back End
686 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
687 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
688 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
689 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
690 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
691 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
692 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
697 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
698 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
699 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
700 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
701 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
702 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
706 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
707 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
708 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
709 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
710 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
711 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
715 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
716 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
717 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
718 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
719 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
723 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
727 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
728 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
729 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
733 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
734 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
738 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
739 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
740 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
744 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
745 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
746 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
748 The Gnus Diary Library
750 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
751 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
752 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
753 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
757 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
758 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
759 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
760 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
761 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
762 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
763 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
764 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
765 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
766 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
767 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
768 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
769 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
770 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
774 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
775 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
776 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
780 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
781 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
782 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
786 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
787 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
788 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
789 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
790 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
791 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
792 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
793 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
794 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
795 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
796 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
797 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
798 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
799 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
800 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
801 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
805 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
806 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
807 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
811 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
812 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
813 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
814 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
815 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
816 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
817 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
818 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
819 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
820 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
821 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
822 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
823 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
824 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
825 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
826 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
827 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
828 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
829 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
830 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
831 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
832 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
836 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
837 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
838 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
839 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
840 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
841 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
842 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
843 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
847 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
848 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
849 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were
851 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
852 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
856 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
857 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
858 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
859 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
863 * Spam Package Introduction::
864 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
865 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
866 * Spam and Ham Processors::
867 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
869 * Extending the Spam package::
870 * Spam Statistics Package::
872 Spam Statistics Package
874 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
875 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
876 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
880 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
881 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
882 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
883 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
884 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
885 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
886 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
887 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
888 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
892 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
893 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
894 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
895 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
896 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
897 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
898 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
899 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
900 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
904 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
905 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
906 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
907 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
908 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
909 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
910 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
914 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
915 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
916 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
917 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
921 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
922 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
923 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
924 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
925 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
926 * Group Info:: The group info format.
927 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
928 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
929 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
933 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
934 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
935 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
936 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
937 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
938 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
942 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
943 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
947 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
948 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
954 @chapter Starting Gnus
957 If you haven't used Emacs much before using Gnus, read @ref{Emacs for
962 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
963 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
964 your Emacs. If not, you should customize the variable
965 @code{gnus-select-method} as described in @ref{Finding the News}. For a
966 minimal setup for posting should also customize the variables
967 @code{user-full-name} and @code{user-mail-address}.
969 @findex gnus-other-frame
970 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
971 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
972 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
974 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
975 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
976 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
978 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
979 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
982 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
983 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
984 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
985 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
986 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
987 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
988 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
989 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
990 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
991 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
995 @node Finding the News
996 @section Finding the News
999 @vindex gnus-select-method
1001 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
1002 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1003 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1004 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1007 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1008 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1011 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1014 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1017 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1020 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1021 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1022 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1023 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1025 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1027 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1028 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1029 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1030 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1031 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1032 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1033 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1035 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1036 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1037 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1038 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1040 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1041 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1042 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1043 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1044 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1045 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1046 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1047 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1048 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1051 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1053 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1054 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1055 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1056 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1057 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1058 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1060 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1062 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1063 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1064 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1065 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1066 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1067 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1070 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1071 you would typically set this variable to
1074 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1077 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1078 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1079 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1080 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1083 @node The First Time
1084 @section The First Time
1085 @cindex first time usage
1087 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1088 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1090 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1091 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1092 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1093 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1096 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1097 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1098 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1100 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1101 help you with most common problems.
1103 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1104 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1108 @node The Server is Down
1109 @section The Server is Down
1110 @cindex server errors
1112 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1113 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1114 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1116 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1117 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1118 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1119 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1120 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1121 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1122 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1124 @findex gnus-no-server
1125 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1127 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1128 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1129 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1130 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1131 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1132 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1133 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1137 @section Slave Gnusae
1140 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1141 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1142 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1143 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1145 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1146 @file{.newsrc} file.
1148 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1149 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1150 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1151 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1152 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1153 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1154 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1157 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1158 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1159 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1160 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1161 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1162 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1163 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1164 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1166 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1167 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1169 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1170 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1171 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1172 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1173 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1180 @cindex subscription
1182 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1183 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1184 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1185 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1186 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1187 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1188 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1189 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1190 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1193 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1194 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1195 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1199 @node Checking New Groups
1200 @subsection Checking New Groups
1202 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1203 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1204 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1205 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1206 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1207 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1208 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1209 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1210 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1211 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1213 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1214 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1215 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1216 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1217 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1218 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1219 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1220 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1221 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1222 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1223 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1225 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1226 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1227 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1228 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1229 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1230 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1233 @node Subscription Methods
1234 @subsection Subscription Methods
1236 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1237 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1238 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1240 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1241 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1243 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1247 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1248 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1249 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1250 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1251 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1253 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1254 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1255 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1256 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1258 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1259 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1260 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1262 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1264 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1265 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1266 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1267 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1268 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1269 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1270 up. Or something like that.
1272 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1273 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1274 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1275 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1276 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1278 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1279 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1280 Kill all new groups.
1282 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1283 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1284 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1285 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1286 topic parameter that looks like
1292 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1295 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1300 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1301 A closely related variable is
1302 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1303 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1304 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1305 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1308 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1309 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1310 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1311 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1314 @node Filtering New Groups
1315 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1317 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1318 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1319 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1322 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1325 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1326 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1327 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1328 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1329 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1330 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1331 subscribing these groups.
1332 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1333 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1335 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1336 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1337 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1338 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1339 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1340 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1341 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1342 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1344 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1345 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1346 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1347 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1348 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1349 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1350 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1351 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1352 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1353 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1356 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1357 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1360 @node Changing Servers
1361 @section Changing Servers
1362 @cindex changing servers
1364 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1365 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1366 very flaky and you want to use another.
1368 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1369 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1373 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1374 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1375 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1376 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1379 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1380 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1381 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1382 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1384 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1385 @findex gnus-change-server
1386 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1387 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1388 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1389 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1390 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1392 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1393 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1394 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1395 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1396 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1398 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1399 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1400 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1401 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1402 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1403 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1405 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1406 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1407 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1408 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1410 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1411 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1412 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1413 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1414 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1415 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1416 cache for all groups).
1420 @section Startup Files
1421 @cindex startup files
1426 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1427 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1428 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1431 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1432 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1433 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1434 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1435 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1436 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1437 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1439 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1440 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1441 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1442 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1443 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1444 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1446 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1447 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1448 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1449 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1450 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1451 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1452 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1453 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1454 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1455 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1456 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1459 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1460 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1461 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1462 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1463 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1464 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1465 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1466 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1467 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1468 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1469 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1470 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1472 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1473 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1474 @vindex version-control
1475 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1476 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1477 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1478 If you want version control for this file, set
1479 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1480 @code{version-control} variable.
1482 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1483 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1484 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1485 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1486 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1487 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1488 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1489 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1490 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1491 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1494 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1495 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1497 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1498 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1501 @vindex gnus-init-file
1502 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1503 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1504 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1505 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1506 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1507 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1508 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1509 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1510 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1511 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1512 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1513 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1514 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1519 @cindex dribble file
1522 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1523 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1524 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1525 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1526 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1529 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1530 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1533 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1534 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1535 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1537 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1538 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1539 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1540 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1541 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1542 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1544 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1545 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1546 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1549 @node The Active File
1550 @section The Active File
1552 @cindex ignored groups
1554 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1555 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1556 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1558 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1559 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1560 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1561 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1562 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1563 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1564 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1567 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1568 @c if you set it to anything else.
1570 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1572 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1573 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1574 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1576 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1577 you actually subscribe to.
1579 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1580 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1581 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1582 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1584 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1585 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1586 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1587 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1588 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1589 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1591 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1592 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1593 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1596 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1597 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1598 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1599 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1600 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1601 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1603 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1604 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1606 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1607 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1609 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1610 secondary select methods.
1613 @node Startup Variables
1614 @section Startup Variables
1618 @item gnus-load-hook
1619 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1620 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1621 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1622 times you start Gnus.
1624 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1625 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1626 A hook called as the first thing when Gnus is started.
1628 @item gnus-startup-hook
1629 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1630 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1632 @item gnus-started-hook
1633 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1634 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1637 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1638 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1639 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1640 generating the group buffer.
1642 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1643 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1644 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1645 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1646 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1647 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1648 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1649 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1651 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1652 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1653 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1654 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1655 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1656 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1658 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1659 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1660 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1662 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1663 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1664 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1666 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1667 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1668 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1669 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1675 @chapter Group Buffer
1676 @cindex group buffer
1678 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1680 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1681 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1682 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1683 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1684 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1685 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1686 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1687 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1688 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1689 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1690 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1691 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1692 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1693 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1694 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1695 @c human rights at 9...
1698 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1699 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1700 long as Gnus is active.
1704 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1705 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1706 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1707 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1708 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1709 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1710 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1711 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1717 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1718 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1719 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1720 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1721 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1722 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1723 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1724 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1725 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1726 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1727 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1728 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1729 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1730 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1731 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1732 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1733 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
1734 * Searching:: Mail search engines.
1735 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1739 @node Group Buffer Format
1740 @section Group Buffer Format
1743 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1744 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1745 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1748 You can customize the Group Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
1749 customize-apropos RET gnus-group-tool-bar}. This feature is only
1752 The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly depending on the
1753 cursor position. Therefore, moving around in the Group Buffer is
1754 slower. You can disable this via the variable
1755 @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}. Its default value depends on your
1758 @node Group Line Specification
1759 @subsection Group Line Specification
1760 @cindex group buffer format
1762 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1763 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1765 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1768 25: news.announce.newusers
1769 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1774 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1775 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1776 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1777 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1779 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1780 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1781 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1782 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1783 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1784 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1786 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1788 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1789 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1790 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1791 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1792 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1794 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1795 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1796 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1798 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1803 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1806 Whether the group is subscribed.
1809 Level of subscribedness.
1812 Number of unread articles.
1815 Number of dormant articles.
1818 Number of ticked articles.
1821 Number of read articles.
1824 Number of unseen articles.
1827 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1828 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1830 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1831 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1832 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1833 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1834 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1835 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1836 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job.
1838 The nnml backend (@pxref{Mail Spool}) has a feature called ``group
1839 compaction'' which circumvents this deficiency: the idea is to
1840 renumber all articles from 1, removing all gaps between numbers, hence
1841 getting a correct total count. Other backends may support this in the
1842 future. In order to keep your total article count relatively up to
1843 date, you might want to compact your groups (or even directly your
1844 server) from time to time. @xref{Misc Group Stuff}, @xref{Server Commands}.
1847 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1850 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1859 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1860 comment element in the group parameters.
1863 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1864 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1865 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1869 @samp{m} if moderated.
1872 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1878 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1884 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1888 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1891 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1892 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1893 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1894 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1895 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1898 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1900 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1904 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1907 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1911 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1912 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1913 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1914 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1917 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1918 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1919 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1920 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1921 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1922 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1927 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1928 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1929 group, or a bogus native group.
1932 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1933 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1934 @cindex group mode line
1936 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1937 The mode line can be changed by setting
1938 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1939 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1943 The native news server.
1945 The native select method.
1949 @node Group Highlighting
1950 @subsection Group Highlighting
1951 @cindex highlighting
1952 @cindex group highlighting
1954 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1955 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1956 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1957 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1958 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1960 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1964 (cond (window-system
1965 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1966 (defface my-group-face-1
1967 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1968 (defface my-group-face-2
1969 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1970 "Second group face")
1971 (defface my-group-face-3
1972 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1973 (defface my-group-face-4
1974 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1975 (defface my-group-face-5
1976 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1978 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1979 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1980 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1981 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1982 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1983 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1986 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1988 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1995 The number of unread articles in the group.
1999 Whether the group is a mail group.
2001 The level of the group.
2003 The score of the group.
2005 The number of ticked articles in the group.
2007 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
2008 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
2010 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
2011 topic being inserted.
2014 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
2015 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
2016 functions for snarfing info on the group.
2018 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
2019 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
2020 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
2021 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
2022 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
2025 @node Group Maneuvering
2026 @section Group Maneuvering
2027 @cindex group movement
2029 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2030 expected, hopefully.
2036 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2037 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2038 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2044 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2045 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2046 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2050 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2051 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2055 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2056 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2060 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2061 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2062 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2066 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2067 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2068 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2071 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2077 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2078 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2079 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2084 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2085 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2086 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2090 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2091 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2092 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2095 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2096 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2097 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2098 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2101 @vindex gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit
2102 If @code{gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit} is @code{t}, when a summary is
2103 exited, the point in the group buffer is moved to the next unread group.
2104 Otherwise, the point is set to the group just exited. The default is
2107 @node Selecting a Group
2108 @section Selecting a Group
2109 @cindex group selection
2114 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2115 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2116 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2117 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2118 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2119 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2120 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2121 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2122 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2123 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2125 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2126 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2127 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2129 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2130 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2135 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2136 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2137 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2138 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2139 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2143 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2144 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2145 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2146 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2147 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2148 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2149 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2150 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2151 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2152 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2155 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2156 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2157 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2158 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2159 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2162 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2163 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2164 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2165 doing any processing of its contents
2166 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2167 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2168 manner will have no permanent effects.
2172 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2173 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2174 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2175 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2176 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2177 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2178 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2179 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2180 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2181 most recently will be fetched.
2183 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2184 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2185 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2188 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles
2189 In groups in some news servers, there might be a big gap between a few
2190 very old articles that will never be expired and the recent ones. In
2191 such a case, the server will return the data like @code{(1 . 30000000)}
2192 for the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, for example. Even if there
2193 are actually only the articles 1-10 and 29999900-30000000, Gnus doesn't
2194 know it at first and prepares for getting 30000000 articles. However,
2195 it will consume hundreds megabytes of memories and might make Emacs get
2196 stuck as the case may be. If you use such news servers, set the
2197 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} to a positive number.
2198 The value means that Gnus ignores articles other than this number of the
2199 latest ones in every group. For instance, the value 10000 makes Gnus
2200 get only the articles 29990001-30000000 (if the latest article number is
2201 30000000 in a group). Note that setting this variable to a number might
2202 prevent you from reading very old articles. The default value of the
2203 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} is @code{nil}, which
2204 means Gnus never ignores old articles.
2206 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2207 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2208 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2209 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2210 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2211 Which article this is is controlled by the
2212 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2218 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2221 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2224 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2226 @item unseen-or-unread
2227 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2228 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2232 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2236 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2237 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2239 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2240 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2241 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2242 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2246 @node Subscription Commands
2247 @section Subscription Commands
2248 @cindex subscription
2256 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2257 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2258 Toggle subscription to the current group
2259 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2265 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2266 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2267 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2268 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2274 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2275 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2276 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2282 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2283 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2286 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2287 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2288 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2289 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2290 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2296 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2297 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2301 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2302 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2305 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2306 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2307 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2308 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2309 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2310 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2311 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2312 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2313 @file{.newsrc} file.
2317 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2327 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2328 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2329 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2330 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2331 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2332 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2337 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2338 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2339 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2343 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2344 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2345 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2347 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2348 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2349 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2350 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2351 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2352 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2359 @section Group Levels
2363 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2364 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2365 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2366 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2367 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2369 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2375 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2376 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2377 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2378 prompted for a level.
2381 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2382 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2383 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2384 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2385 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2386 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2387 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2388 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2389 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2390 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2391 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2392 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2393 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2394 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2395 reasons of efficiency.
2397 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2398 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2400 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2401 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2402 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2403 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2404 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2405 groups are hidden, in a way.
2407 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2408 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2409 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2410 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2411 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2412 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2414 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2415 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2416 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2417 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2418 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2419 list of killed groups.)
2421 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2422 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2423 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2425 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2426 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2427 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2428 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2429 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2430 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2431 relevant valid ranges.
2433 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2434 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2435 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2436 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2437 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2438 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2441 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2442 one with the best level.
2444 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2445 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2446 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2449 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2450 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2451 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2452 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2455 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2456 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2457 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2458 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2460 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2461 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2462 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2463 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2464 to 5. The default is 6.
2468 @section Group Score
2473 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2474 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2475 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2478 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2479 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2480 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2481 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2482 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2483 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2484 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2485 least significant part.))
2487 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2488 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2489 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2490 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2491 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2492 action after each summary exit, you can add
2493 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2494 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2495 slow things down somewhat.
2498 @node Marking Groups
2499 @section Marking Groups
2500 @cindex marking groups
2502 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2503 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2504 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2505 bidding on those groups.
2507 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2508 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2509 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2517 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2518 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2524 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2525 Remove the mark from the current group
2526 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2530 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2531 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2535 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2536 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2540 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2541 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2545 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2546 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2547 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2550 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2552 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2553 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2554 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2555 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2556 the command to be executed.
2559 @node Foreign Groups
2560 @section Foreign Groups
2561 @cindex foreign groups
2563 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2564 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2565 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2566 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2569 Changes from the group editing commands are stored in
2570 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} (@code{gnus-startup-file}). An alternative is the
2571 variable @code{gnus-parameters}, @xref{Group Parameters}.
2577 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2578 @cindex making groups
2579 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2580 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2581 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2585 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2586 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2587 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2591 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2592 @cindex renaming groups
2593 Rename the current group to something else
2594 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2595 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2601 @findex gnus-group-customize
2602 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2606 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2607 @cindex renaming groups
2608 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2609 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2613 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2614 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2615 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2619 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2620 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2621 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2625 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2627 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2628 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2633 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2634 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2638 @cindex (ding) archive
2639 @cindex archive group
2640 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2641 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2642 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2643 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2644 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2645 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2646 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2650 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2652 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2653 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2654 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2655 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2659 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2661 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2662 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2663 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2667 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2668 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2670 Make a group based on some file or other
2671 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2672 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2673 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2674 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2675 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2676 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2677 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2678 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2679 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2683 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2684 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2685 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2686 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2690 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2694 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2695 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2696 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2697 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2698 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2699 @xref{Web Searches}.
2701 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2702 to a particular group by using a match string like
2703 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2707 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2708 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2709 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2713 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2714 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2715 This function will delete the current group
2716 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2717 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2718 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2719 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2720 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2724 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2725 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2726 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2730 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2731 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2732 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2735 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2738 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2739 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2740 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2741 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2742 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2743 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2747 The following commands create ephemeral groups. They can be called not
2748 only from the Group buffer, but in any Gnus buffer.
2751 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2752 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2753 @vindex gnus-gmane-group-download-format
2754 Read an ephemeral group on Gmane.org. The articles are downloaded via
2755 HTTP using the URL specified by @code{gnus-gmane-group-download-format}.
2756 Gnus will prompt you for a group name, the start article number and an
2759 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2760 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2761 This command is similar to @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group}, but
2762 the group name and the article number and range are constructed from a
2763 given @acronym{URL}. Supported @acronym{URL} formats include e.g.
2764 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12300/focus=12399},
2765 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2766 @url{http://article.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2767 @url{http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/}, and
2768 @url{http://news.gmane.org/group/gmane.foo.bar/thread=12345}.
2770 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2771 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2772 Read an Emacs bug report in an ephemeral group. Gnus will prompt for a
2773 bug number. The default is the number at point. The @acronym{URL} is
2774 specified in @code{gnus-bug-group-download-format-alist}.
2776 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2777 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2778 Read a Debian bug report in an ephemeral group. Analog to
2779 @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group}.
2782 Some of these command are also useful for article buttons, @xref{Article
2790 '("#\\([0-9]+\\)\\>" 1
2791 (string-match "\\<emacs\\>" (or gnus-newsgroup-name ""))
2792 gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group 1))
2796 @node Group Parameters
2797 @section Group Parameters
2798 @cindex group parameters
2800 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2802 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2803 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2804 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2805 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2806 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2807 Additionally, you can set group parameters via the
2808 @code{gnus-parameters} variable, see below.
2810 Here's an example group parameter list:
2813 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2817 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2818 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2819 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2820 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2822 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2823 is an alist of regexps and values.
2825 The following group parameters can be used:
2830 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2833 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2836 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2837 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2838 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2839 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2840 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2842 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2843 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2844 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2845 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2846 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2847 list address instead.
2849 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2853 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2856 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2859 It is totally ignored
2860 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2861 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2863 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2864 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2865 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2866 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2867 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2869 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2870 @cindex mail list groups
2871 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2872 entering summary buffer.
2874 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2879 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2880 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2881 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2882 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2883 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2884 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2885 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2886 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2889 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2890 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2893 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2894 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2898 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2899 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2900 of whether it has any unread articles.
2902 This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
2903 @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
2905 @item broken-reply-to
2906 @cindex broken-reply-to
2907 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2908 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2909 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2910 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2911 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2912 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2916 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2917 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2921 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2922 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2923 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2928 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2929 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2930 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2931 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2932 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2933 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2934 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2936 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2937 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2938 doesn't accept articles.
2942 @cindex expiring mail
2943 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2944 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2945 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2947 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2950 @cindex total-expire
2951 @cindex expiring mail
2952 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2953 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2954 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2955 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2958 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2962 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2963 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2964 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2965 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2966 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2967 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2968 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2971 @cindex expiry-target
2972 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2973 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2976 @cindex score file group parameter
2977 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2978 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2979 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2982 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2983 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2984 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2985 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2988 @cindex admin-address
2989 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2990 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2991 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2992 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2996 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2997 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
3001 Display all articles, both read and unread.
3004 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
3005 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
3008 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
3012 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
3014 Here are some examples:
3018 Display only unread articles.
3021 Display everything except expirable articles.
3023 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
3024 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
3028 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
3029 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
3030 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
3031 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
3032 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
3036 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
3037 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
3038 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
3042 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
3043 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
3044 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
3048 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
3049 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
3050 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
3052 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
3054 @item ignored-charsets
3055 @cindex ignored-charset
3056 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
3057 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
3058 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
3060 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
3063 @cindex posting-style
3064 You can store additional posting style information for this group
3065 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
3066 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
3067 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
3068 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
3070 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
3071 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
3072 like this in the group parameters:
3077 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
3078 (signature "Funky Signature"))
3081 If you're using topics to organize your group buffer
3082 (@pxref{Group Topics}), note that posting styles can also be set in
3083 the topics parameters. Posting styles in topic parameters apply to all
3084 groups in this topic. More precisely, the posting-style settings for a
3085 group result from the hierarchical merging of all posting-style
3086 entries in the parameters of this group and all the topics it belongs
3092 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
3093 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
3097 If it is set, and the setting of @code{mail-sources} includes a
3098 @code{group} mail source (@pxref{Mail Sources}), the value is a
3099 mail source for this group.
3103 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
3104 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
3105 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
3106 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
3107 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
3111 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
3112 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
3113 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
3114 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3116 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3117 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3118 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3119 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3122 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
3123 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3127 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
3128 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
3129 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
3130 like the following is generated:
3133 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3134 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3138 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3139 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3141 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3142 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3144 @item (agent parameters)
3145 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3146 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3147 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3148 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3149 minimize the configuration effort.
3151 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3152 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3153 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3154 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3155 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3156 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3157 @code{eval}ed there.
3159 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer
3160 if and only if @var{variable} has been bound as a variable. Otherwise,
3161 only evaluating the form will take place. So, you may want to bind the
3162 variable in advance using @code{defvar} or other if the result of the
3163 form needs to be set to it.
3165 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3166 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3167 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3168 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3169 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3170 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3171 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3174 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3177 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3178 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3179 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3182 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3185 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3186 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3187 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3188 into the group parameters for the group.
3190 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3191 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3192 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group. If
3193 @code{dummy-variable} has been bound (see above), it will be set to the
3194 (meaningless) result of the @code{(ding)} form.
3196 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3197 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3198 following is added to a group parameter
3201 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3202 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3205 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3210 @vindex gnus-parameters
3211 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3212 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
3213 case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
3217 (setq gnus-parameters
3219 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3220 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3221 (gnus-summary-line-format
3222 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3226 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3230 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3234 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3237 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3238 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3240 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3241 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3242 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3243 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3244 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3245 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3246 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3247 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3248 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3249 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3250 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3251 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3253 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3254 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3255 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3256 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3257 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3258 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3259 weekly news RSS feed
3260 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3266 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3267 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3268 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3269 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3270 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3272 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3273 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3274 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3275 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3276 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3277 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3281 @node Listing Groups
3282 @section Listing Groups
3283 @cindex group listing
3285 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3293 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3294 List all groups that have unread articles
3295 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3296 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3297 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3298 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3305 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3306 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3307 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3308 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3309 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3310 unsubscribed groups).
3314 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3315 List all unread groups on a specific level
3316 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3317 with no unread articles.
3321 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3322 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3323 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3324 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3329 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3330 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3334 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3335 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3336 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3340 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3341 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3345 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3346 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3347 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3348 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3349 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3350 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3351 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3352 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3356 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3357 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3358 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3362 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3363 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3364 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3368 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3369 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3373 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3374 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3378 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3379 List groups limited within the current selection
3380 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3384 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3385 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3389 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3390 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3394 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3395 @cindex visible group parameter
3396 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3397 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3398 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3399 get the same effect.
3401 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3402 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3403 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3404 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3405 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3408 @node Sorting Groups
3409 @section Sorting Groups
3410 @cindex sorting groups
3412 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3413 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3414 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3415 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3416 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3417 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3422 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3423 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3424 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3426 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3427 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3428 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3430 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3431 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3432 Sort by group level.
3434 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3435 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3436 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3438 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3439 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3440 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3441 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3443 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3444 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3445 Sort by number of unread articles.
3447 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3448 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3449 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3451 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3452 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3453 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3458 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3459 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3463 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3464 some sorting criteria:
3468 @kindex G S a (Group)
3469 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3470 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3471 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3474 @kindex G S u (Group)
3475 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3476 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3477 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3480 @kindex G S l (Group)
3481 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3482 Sort the group buffer by group level
3483 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3486 @kindex G S v (Group)
3487 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3488 Sort the group buffer by group score
3489 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3492 @kindex G S r (Group)
3493 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3494 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3495 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3498 @kindex G S m (Group)
3499 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3500 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3501 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3504 @kindex G S n (Group)
3505 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3506 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3507 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3511 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3512 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3514 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3515 commands will sort in reverse order.
3517 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3521 @kindex G P a (Group)
3522 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3523 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3524 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3527 @kindex G P u (Group)
3528 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3529 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3530 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3533 @kindex G P l (Group)
3534 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3535 Sort the groups by group level
3536 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3539 @kindex G P v (Group)
3540 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3541 Sort the groups by group score
3542 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3545 @kindex G P r (Group)
3546 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3547 Sort the groups by group rank
3548 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3551 @kindex G P m (Group)
3552 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3553 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3554 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3557 @kindex G P n (Group)
3558 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3559 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3560 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3563 @kindex G P s (Group)
3564 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3565 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3569 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3573 @node Group Maintenance
3574 @section Group Maintenance
3575 @cindex bogus groups
3580 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3581 Find bogus groups and delete them
3582 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3586 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3587 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3588 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3589 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3590 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3594 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3595 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3596 @cindex expiring mail
3597 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3598 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3599 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3600 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3603 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3604 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3605 @cindex expiring mail
3606 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3607 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3612 @node Browse Foreign Server
3613 @section Browse Foreign Server
3614 @cindex foreign servers
3615 @cindex browsing servers
3620 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3621 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3622 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3623 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3626 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3627 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3628 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3629 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3631 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3636 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3637 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3641 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3642 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3645 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3646 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3647 Enter the current group and display the first article
3648 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3651 @kindex RET (Browse)
3652 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3653 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3657 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3658 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3659 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3665 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3666 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3670 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3671 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3675 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3676 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3677 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3682 @section Exiting Gnus
3683 @cindex exiting Gnus
3685 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3690 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3691 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3692 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3693 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3697 @findex gnus-group-exit
3698 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3699 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3703 @findex gnus-group-quit
3704 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3705 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3708 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3709 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3710 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3711 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3712 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3713 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3719 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3720 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3721 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3727 @section Group Topics
3730 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3731 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3732 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3733 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3734 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3735 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3739 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3740 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3751 2: alt.religion.emacs
3754 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3756 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3757 13: comp.sources.unix
3760 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3762 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3763 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3764 is a toggling command.)
3766 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3767 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3768 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3769 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3772 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3773 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3774 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3777 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3781 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3782 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3783 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3784 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3785 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3789 @node Topic Commands
3790 @subsection Topic Commands
3791 @cindex topic commands
3793 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3794 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3795 definitions slightly.
3797 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3798 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3799 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3800 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3801 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3802 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3804 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3811 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3812 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3813 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3817 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3819 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3820 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3821 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3822 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3825 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3826 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3827 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3828 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3832 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3833 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3834 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3835 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3841 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3842 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3843 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3847 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3848 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3849 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3852 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3853 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3854 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3855 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3856 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3858 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3859 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3863 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3864 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3871 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3873 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3874 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3875 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3876 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3877 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3878 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3882 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3888 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3889 Move the current group to some other topic
3890 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3891 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3895 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3896 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3900 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3901 Copy the current group to some other topic
3902 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3903 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3907 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3908 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3909 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3913 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3914 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3915 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3919 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3920 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3921 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3922 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3923 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3924 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3925 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3928 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3929 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3933 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3934 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3935 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3939 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3940 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3941 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3945 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3946 Toggle hiding empty topics
3947 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3951 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3952 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3953 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3954 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3957 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3958 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3959 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3960 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3961 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3964 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3965 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3966 @cindex expiring mail
3967 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3968 expiry process (if any)
3969 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3973 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3974 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3977 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3978 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3979 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3983 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3984 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3985 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3988 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3989 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3990 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3993 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3994 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3995 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3999 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
4000 @cindex group parameters
4001 @cindex topic parameters
4003 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
4004 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
4009 @node Topic Variables
4010 @subsection Topic Variables
4011 @cindex topic variables
4013 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
4014 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
4016 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
4017 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
4018 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4031 Number of groups in the topic.
4033 Number of unread articles in the topic.
4035 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
4038 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
4039 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
4040 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
4043 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
4044 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
4046 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
4047 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
4048 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
4052 @subsection Topic Sorting
4053 @cindex topic sorting
4055 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
4061 @kindex T S a (Topic)
4062 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
4063 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
4064 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
4067 @kindex T S u (Topic)
4068 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
4069 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
4070 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
4073 @kindex T S l (Topic)
4074 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
4075 Sort the current topic by group level
4076 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
4079 @kindex T S v (Topic)
4080 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
4081 Sort the current topic by group score
4082 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
4085 @kindex T S r (Topic)
4086 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
4087 Sort the current topic by group rank
4088 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
4091 @kindex T S m (Topic)
4092 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
4093 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
4094 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
4097 @kindex T S e (Topic)
4098 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
4099 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
4100 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
4103 @kindex T S s (Topic)
4104 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
4105 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
4106 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
4107 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
4111 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
4112 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
4116 @node Topic Topology
4117 @subsection Topic Topology
4118 @cindex topic topology
4121 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
4128 2: alt.religion.emacs
4131 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4133 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4134 13: comp.sources.unix
4138 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4139 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4140 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4145 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4146 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4150 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4151 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4152 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4153 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4154 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4155 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4157 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4158 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4159 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4162 @node Topic Parameters
4163 @subsection Topic Parameters
4164 @cindex topic parameters
4166 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4167 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4168 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4169 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4170 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4172 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4177 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4178 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4179 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4182 @item subscribe-level
4183 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4184 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4185 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4189 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4190 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4191 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4192 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4199 2: alt.religion.emacs
4203 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4205 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4206 13: comp.sources.unix
4211 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4212 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4213 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4214 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4215 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4216 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4218 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4219 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4220 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4221 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4222 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4224 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4225 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4226 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4227 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4228 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4229 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4230 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4231 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4234 @node Non-ASCII Group Names
4235 @section Accessing groups of non-English names
4236 @cindex non-ascii group names
4238 There are some news servers that provide groups of which the names are
4239 expressed with their native languages in the world. For instance, in a
4240 certain news server there are some newsgroups of which the names are
4241 spelled in Chinese, where people are talking in Chinese. You can, of
4242 course, subscribe to such news groups using Gnus. Currently Gnus
4243 supports non-@acronym{ASCII} group names not only with the @code{nntp}
4244 back end but also with the @code{nnml} back end and the @code{nnrss}
4247 Every such group name is encoded by a certain charset in the server
4248 side (in an @acronym{NNTP} server its administrator determines the
4249 charset, but for groups in the other back ends it is determined by you).
4250 Gnus has to display the decoded ones for you in the group buffer and the
4251 article buffer, and needs to use the encoded ones when communicating
4252 with servers. However, Gnus doesn't know what charset is used for each
4253 non-@acronym{ASCII} group name. The following two variables are just
4254 the ones for telling Gnus what charset should be used for each group:
4257 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4258 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4259 An alist of select methods and charsets. The default value is
4260 @code{nil}. The names of groups in the server specified by that select
4261 method are all supposed to use the corresponding charset. For example:
4264 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4265 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4268 Charsets specified for groups with this variable are preferred to the
4269 ones specified for the same groups with the
4270 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} variable (see below).
4272 A select method can be very long, like:
4276 (nntp-address "news.gmane.org")
4277 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
4278 (nntp-open-connection-function
4279 nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
4280 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
4281 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
4282 ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
4283 (nntp-via-address @dots{}))
4286 In that case, you can truncate it into @code{(nntp "gmane")} in this
4287 variable. That is, it is enough to contain only the back end name and
4290 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4291 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4292 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4293 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
4294 @code{((".*" . utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported,
4295 otherwise the default is @code{nil}. For example:
4298 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4299 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)
4303 Note that this variable is ignored if the match is made with
4304 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist}.
4307 Those two variables are used also to determine the charset for encoding
4308 and decoding non-@acronym{ASCII} group names that are in the back ends
4309 other than @code{nntp}. It means that it is you who determine it. If
4310 you do nothing, the charset used for group names in those back ends will
4311 all be @code{utf-8} because of the last element of
4312 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4314 There is one more important variable for non-@acronym{ASCII} group
4315 names. @emph{XEmacs users must set this}. Emacs users necessarily need
4319 @item nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4320 The value of this variable should be a coding system or @code{nil}
4321 (which is the default). The @code{nnml} back end, the @code{nnrss} back
4322 end, the @acronym{NNTP} marks feature (@pxref{NNTP marks}), the agent,
4323 and the cache use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names in those files and
4324 directories. This variable overrides the value of
4325 @code{file-name-coding-system} which specifies the coding system used
4326 when encoding and decoding those file names and directory names.
4328 In XEmacs (with the @code{mule} feature), @code{file-name-coding-system}
4329 is the only means to specify the coding system used to encode and decode
4330 file names. Therefore, @emph{you, XEmacs users, have to set it} to the
4331 coding system that is suitable to encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII}
4332 group names. On the other hand, Emacs uses the value of
4333 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} if @code{file-name-coding-system}
4334 is @code{nil}. Normally the value of
4335 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} is initialized according to the
4336 locale, so you will need to do nothing if the value is suitable to
4337 encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4339 The value of this variable (or @code{default-file-name-coding-system})
4340 does not necessarily need to be the same value that is determined by
4341 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} and
4342 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4344 If you want to subscribe to the groups spelled in Chinese but
4345 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} is initialized by default to
4346 @code{iso-latin-1} for example, that is the most typical case where you
4347 have to set @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} even if you are an
4348 Emacs user. The @code{utf-8} coding system is a good candidate for it.
4349 Otherwise, you may change the locale in your system so that
4350 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} may be initialized to an
4351 appropriate value, instead of specifying this variable.
4354 Note that when you copy or move articles from a non-@acronym{ASCII}
4355 group to another group, the charset used to encode and decode group
4356 names should be the same in both groups. Otherwise the Newsgroups
4357 header will be displayed incorrectly in the article buffer.
4364 * nnir:: Searching on IMAP, with swish, namazu, etc.
4365 * nnmairix:: Searching maildir, MH or mbox with Mairix.
4370 FIXME: This node is a stub.
4372 FIXME: Add a brief overview of Gnus search capabilities. A brief
4373 comparison of nnir, nnmairix, contrib/gnus-namazu would be nice
4376 FIXME: Explain difference to @ref{Searching for Articles}, add reference
4382 FIXME: As a first step, convert the commentary of @file{nnir} to texi.
4386 @subsection nnmairix
4390 This paragraph describes how to set up mairix and the back end
4391 @code{nnmairix} for indexing and searching your mail from within
4392 Gnus. Additionally, you can create permanent ``smart'' groups which are
4393 bound to mairix searches and are automatically updated.
4396 * About mairix:: About the mairix mail search engine
4397 * nnmairix requirements:: What you will need for using nnmairix
4398 * What nnmairix does:: What does nnmairix actually do?
4399 * Setting up mairix:: Set up your mairix installation
4400 * Configuring nnmairix:: Set up the nnmairix back end
4401 * nnmairix keyboard shortcuts:: List of available keyboard shortcuts
4402 * Propagating marks:: How to propagate marks from nnmairix groups
4403 * nnmairix tips and tricks:: Some tips, tricks and examples
4404 * nnmairix caveats:: Some more stuff you might want to know
4407 @c FIXME: The markup in this section might need improvement.
4408 @c E.g. adding @samp, @var, @file, @command, etc.
4409 @c Cf. (info "(texinfo)Indicating")
4412 @subsubsection About mairix
4414 Mairix is a tool for indexing and searching words in locally stored
4415 mail. It was written by Richard Curnow and is licensed under the
4416 GPL. Mairix comes with most popular GNU/Linux distributions, but it also
4417 runs under Windows (with cygwin), Mac OS X and Solaris. The homepage can
4419 @uref{http://www.rpcurnow.force9.co.uk/mairix/index.html}
4421 Though mairix might not be as flexible as other search tools like
4422 swish++ or namazu, which you can use via the @code{nnir} back end, it
4423 has the prime advantage of being incredibly fast. On current systems, it
4424 can easily search through headers and message bodies of thousands and
4425 thousands of mails in well under a second. Building the database
4426 necessary for searching might take a minute or two, but only has to be
4427 done once fully. Afterwards, the updates are done incrementally and
4428 therefore are really fast, too. Additionally, mairix is very easy to set
4431 For maximum speed though, mairix should be used with mails stored in
4432 @code{Maildir} or @code{MH} format (this includes the @code{nnml} back
4433 end), although it also works with mbox. Mairix presents the search
4434 results by populating a @emph{virtual} maildir/MH folder with symlinks
4435 which point to the ``real'' message files (if mbox is used, copies are
4436 made). Since mairix already presents search results in such a virtual
4437 mail folder, it is very well suited for using it as an external program
4438 for creating @emph{smart} mail folders, which represent certain mail
4439 searches. This is similar to a Kiboze group (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}),
4442 @node nnmairix requirements
4443 @subsubsection nnmairix requirements
4445 Mairix searches local mail---that means, mairix absolutely must have
4446 direct access to your mail folders. If your mail resides on another
4447 server (e.g. an @acronym{IMAP} server) and you happen to have shell
4448 access, @code{nnmairix} supports running mairix remotely, e.g. via ssh.
4450 Additionally, @code{nnmairix} only supports the following Gnus back
4451 ends: @code{nnml}, @code{nnmaildir}, and @code{nnimap}. You must use
4452 one of these back ends for using @code{nnmairix}. Other back ends, like
4453 @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnfolder} or @code{nnmh}, won't work.
4455 If you absolutely must use mbox and still want to use @code{nnmairix},
4456 you can set up a local @acronym{IMAP} server, which you then access via
4457 @code{nnimap}. This is a rather massive setup for accessing some mbox
4458 files, so just change to MH or Maildir already... However, if you're
4459 really, really passionate about using mbox, you might want to look into
4460 the package @file{mairix.el}, which comes with Emacs 23.
4462 @node What nnmairix does
4463 @subsubsection What nnmairix does
4465 The back end @code{nnmairix} enables you to call mairix from within Gnus,
4466 either to query mairix with a search term or to update the
4467 database. While visiting a message in the summary buffer, you can use
4468 several pre-defined shortcuts for calling mairix, e.g. to quickly
4469 search for all mails from the sender of the current message or to
4470 display the whole thread associated with the message, even if the
4471 mails are in different folders.
4473 Additionally, you can create permanent @code{nnmairix} groups which are bound
4474 to certain mairix searches. This way, you can easily create a group
4475 containing mails from a certain sender, with a certain subject line or
4476 even for one specific thread based on the Message-ID. If you check for
4477 new mail in these folders (e.g. by pressing @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g}), they
4478 automatically update themselves by calling mairix.
4480 You might ask why you need @code{nnmairix} at all, since mairix already
4481 creates the group, populates it with links to the mails so that you can
4482 then access it with Gnus, right? Well, this @emph{might} work, but often
4483 does not---at least not without problems. Most probably you will get
4484 strange article counts, and sometimes you might see mails which Gnus
4485 claims have already been canceled and are inaccessible. This is due to
4486 the fact that Gnus isn't really amused when things are happening behind
4487 its back. Another problem can be the mail back end itself, e.g. if you
4488 use mairix with an @acronym{IMAP} server (I had Dovecot complaining
4489 about corrupt index files when mairix changed the contents of the search
4490 group). Using @code{nnmairix} should circumvent these problems.
4492 @code{nnmairix} is not really a mail back end---it's actually more like
4493 a wrapper, sitting between a ``real'' mail back end where mairix stores
4494 the searches and the Gnus front end. You can choose between three
4495 different mail back ends for the mairix folders: @code{nnml},
4496 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnimap}. @code{nnmairix} will call the mairix
4497 binary so that the search results are stored in folders named
4498 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>} on this mail back end, but it will
4499 present these folders in the Gnus front end only with @code{<NAME>}.
4500 You can use an existing mail back end where you already store your mail,
4501 but if you're uncomfortable with @code{nnmairix} creating new mail
4502 groups alongside your other mail, you can also create e.g. a new
4503 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml} server exclusively for mairix, but then
4504 make sure those servers do not accidentally receive your new mail
4505 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). A special case exists if you want to use
4506 mairix remotely on an IMAP server with @code{nnimap}---here the mairix
4507 folders and your other mail must be on the same @code{nnimap} back end.
4509 @node Setting up mairix
4510 @subsubsection Setting up mairix
4512 First: create a backup of your mail folders (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}).
4514 Setting up mairix is easy: simply create a @file{.mairixrc} file with
4515 (at least) the following entries:
4518 # Your Maildir/MH base folder
4522 This is the base folder for your mails. All the following directories
4523 are relative to this base folder. If you want to use @code{nnmairix}
4524 with @code{nnimap}, this base directory has to point to the mail
4525 directory where the @acronym{IMAP} server stores the mail folders!
4528 maildir= ... your maildir folders which should be indexed ...
4529 mh= ... your nnml/mh folders which should be indexed ...
4530 mbox = ... your mbox files which should be indexed ...
4533 This specifies all your mail folders and mbox files (relative to the
4534 base directory!) you want to index with mairix. Note that the
4535 @code{nnml} back end saves mails in MH format, so you have to put those
4536 directories in the @code{mh} line. See the example at the end of this
4537 section and mairixrc's man-page for further details.
4543 @vindex nnmairix-group-prefix
4544 This should make sure that you don't accidentally index the mairix
4545 search results. You can change the prefix of these folders with the
4546 variable @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
4549 mformat= ... 'maildir' or 'mh' ...
4550 database= ... location of database file ...
4553 The @code{format} setting specifies the output format for the mairix
4554 search folder. Set this to @code{mh} if you want to access search results
4555 with @code{nnml}. Otherwise choose @code{maildir}.
4557 To summarize, here is my shortened @file{.mairixrc} file as an example:
4561 maildir=.personal:.work:.logcheck:.sent
4562 mh=../Mail/nnml/*...
4563 mbox=../mboxmail/mailarchive_year*
4566 database=~/.mairixdatabase
4569 In this case, the base directory is @file{~/Maildir}, where all my Maildir
4570 folders are stored. As you can see, the folders are separated by
4571 colons. If you wonder why every folder begins with a dot: this is
4572 because I use Dovecot as @acronym{IMAP} server, which again uses
4573 @code{Maildir++} folders. For testing nnmairix, I also have some
4574 @code{nnml} mail, which is saved in @file{~/Mail/nnml}. Since this has
4575 to be specified relative to the @code{base} directory, the @code{../Mail}
4576 notation is needed. Note that the line ends in @code{*...}, which means
4577 to recursively scan all files under this directory. Without the three
4578 dots, the wildcard @code{*} will not work recursively. I also have some
4579 old mbox files with archived mail lying around in @file{~/mboxmail}.
4580 The other lines should be obvious.
4582 See the man page for @code{mairixrc} for details and further options,
4583 especially regarding wildcard usage, which may be a little different
4584 than you are used to.
4586 Now simply call @code{mairix} to create the index for the first time.
4587 Note that this may take a few minutes, but every following index will do
4588 the updates incrementally and hence is very fast.
4590 @node Configuring nnmairix
4591 @subsubsection Configuring nnmairix
4593 In group mode, type @kbd{G b c}
4594 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). This will ask you for all
4595 necessary information and create a @code{nnmairix} server as a foreign
4596 server. You will have to specify the following:
4601 The @strong{name} of the @code{nnmairix} server---choose whatever you
4605 The name of the @strong{back end server} where mairix should store its
4606 searches. This must be a full server name, like @code{nnml:mymail}.
4607 Just hit @kbd{TAB} to see the available servers. Currently, servers
4608 which are accessed through @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnimap} and
4609 @code{nnml} are supported. As explained above, for locally stored
4610 mails, this can be an existing server where you store your mails.
4611 However, you can also create e.g. a new @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml}
4612 server exclusively for @code{nnmairix} in your secondary select methods
4613 (@pxref{Finding the News}). If you use a secondary @code{nnml} server
4614 just for mairix, make sure that you explicitly set the server variable
4615 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}, or you might loose mail
4616 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). If you want to use mairix remotely on an
4617 @acronym{IMAP} server, you have to choose the corresponding
4618 @code{nnimap} server here.
4621 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-search-options
4622 The @strong{command} to call the mairix binary. This will usually just
4623 be @code{mairix}, but you can also choose something like @code{ssh
4624 SERVER mairix} if you want to call mairix remotely, e.g. on your
4625 @acronym{IMAP} server. If you want to add some default options to
4626 mairix, you could do this here, but better use the variable
4627 @code{nnmairix-mairix-search-options} instead.
4630 The name of the @strong{default search group}. This will be the group
4631 where all temporary mairix searches are stored, i.e. all searches which
4632 are not bound to permanent @code{nnmairix} groups. Choose whatever you
4636 If the mail back end is @code{nnimap} or @code{nnmaildir}, you will be
4637 asked if you work with @strong{Maildir++}, i.e. with hidden maildir
4638 folders (=beginning with a dot). For example, you have to answer
4639 @samp{yes} here if you work with the Dovecot @acronym{IMAP}
4640 server. Otherwise, you should answer @samp{no} here.
4644 @node nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
4645 @subsubsection nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
4652 @kindex G b c (Group)
4653 @findex nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group
4654 Creates @code{nnmairix} server and default search group for this server
4655 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). You should have done
4656 this by now (@pxref{Configuring nnmairix}).
4659 @kindex G b s (Group)
4660 @findex nnmairix-search
4661 Prompts for query which is then sent to the mairix binary. Search
4662 results are put into the default search group which is automatically
4663 displayed (@code{nnmairix-search}).
4666 @kindex G b m (Group)
4667 @findex nnmairix-widget-search
4668 Allows you to create a mairix search or a permanent group more
4669 comfortably using graphical widgets, similar to a customization
4670 group. Just try it to see how it works (@code{nnmairix-widget-search}).
4673 @kindex G b i (Group)
4674 @findex nnmairix-search-interactive
4675 Another command for creating a mairix query more comfortably, but uses
4676 only the minibuffer (@code{nnmairix-search-interactive}).
4679 @kindex G b g (Group)
4680 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group
4681 Creates a permanent group which is associated with a search query
4682 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group}). The @code{nnmairix} back end
4683 automatically calls mairix when you update this group with @kbd{g} or
4687 @kindex G b q (Group)
4688 @findex nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group
4689 Changes the search query for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor
4690 (@code{nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group}).
4693 @kindex G b t (Group)
4694 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group
4695 Toggles the 'threads' parameter for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor,
4696 i.e. if you want see the whole threads of the found messages
4697 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group}).
4700 @kindex G b u (Group)
4701 @findex nnmairix-update-database
4702 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-update-options
4703 Calls mairix binary for updating the database
4704 (@code{nnmairix-update-database}). The default parameters are @code{-F}
4705 and @code{-Q} for making this as fast as possible (see variable
4706 @code{nnmairix-mairix-update-options} for defining these default
4710 @kindex G b r (Group)
4711 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group
4712 Keep articles in this @code{nnmairix} group always read or unread, or leave the
4713 marks unchanged (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group}).
4716 @kindex G b d (Group)
4717 @findex nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group
4718 Recreate @code{nnmairix} group on the ``real'' mail back end
4719 (@code{nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group}). You can do this if
4720 you always get wrong article counts with a @code{nnmairix} group.
4723 @kindex G b a (Group)
4724 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group
4725 Toggles the @code{allow-fast} parameters for group under cursor
4726 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group}). The default
4727 behavior of @code{nnmairix} is to do a mairix search every time you
4728 update or enter the group. With the @code{allow-fast} parameter set,
4729 mairix will only be called when you explicitly update the group, but not
4730 upon entering. This makes entering the group faster, but it may also
4731 lead to dangling symlinks if something changed between updating and
4732 entering the group which is not yet in the mairix database.
4735 @kindex G b p (Group)
4736 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group
4737 Toggle marks propagation for this group
4738 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group}). (@pxref{Propagating
4742 @kindex G b o (Group)
4743 @findex nnmairix-propagate-marks
4744 Manually propagate marks (@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks}); needed only when
4745 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} is set to @code{nil}.
4754 @kindex $ m (Summary)
4755 @findex nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article
4756 Allows you to create a mairix query or group based on the current
4757 message using graphical widgets (same as @code{nnmairix-widget-search})
4758 (@code{nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article}).
4761 @kindex $ g (Summary)
4762 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message
4763 Interactively creates a new search group with query based on the current
4764 message, but uses the minibuffer instead of graphical widgets
4765 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message}).
4768 @kindex $ t (Summary)
4769 @findex nnmairix-search-thread-this-article
4770 Searches thread for the current article
4771 (@code{nnmairix-search-thread-this-article}). This is effectively a
4772 shortcut for calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{m:msgid} of the
4773 current article and enabled threads.
4776 @kindex $ f (Summary)
4777 @findex nnmairix-search-from-this-article
4778 Searches all messages from sender of the current article
4779 (@code{nnmairix-search-from-this-article}). This is a shortcut for
4780 calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{f:From}.
4783 @kindex $ o (Summary)
4784 @findex nnmairix-goto-original-article
4785 (Only in @code{nnmairix} groups!) Tries determine the group this article
4786 originally came from and displays the article in this group, so that
4787 e.g. replying to this article the correct posting styles/group
4788 parameters are applied (@code{nnmairix-goto-original-article}). This
4789 function will use the registry if available, but can also parse the
4790 article file name as a fallback method.
4793 @kindex $ u (Summary)
4794 @findex nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article
4795 Remove possibly existing tick mark from original article
4796 (@code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article}). (@pxref{nnmairix
4801 @node Propagating marks
4802 @subsubsection Propagating marks
4804 First of: you really need a patched mairix binary for using the marks
4805 propagation feature efficiently. Otherwise, you would have to update
4806 the mairix database all the time. You can get the patch at
4808 @uref{http://www.randomsample.de/mairix-maildir-patch.tar}
4810 You need the mairix v0.21 source code for this patch; everything else
4811 is explained in the accompanied readme file. If you don't want to use
4812 marks propagation, you don't have to apply these patches, but they also
4813 fix some annoyances regarding changing maildir flags, so it might still
4816 With the patched mairix binary, you can use @code{nnmairix} as an
4817 alternative to mail splitting (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}). For
4818 example, instead of splitting all mails from @samp{david@@foobar.com}
4819 into a group, you can simply create a search group with the query
4820 @samp{f:david@@foobar.com}. This is actually what ``smart folders'' are
4821 all about: simply put everything in one mail folder and dynamically
4822 create searches instead of splitting. This is more flexible, since you
4823 can dynamically change your folders any time you want to. This also
4824 implies that you will usually read your mails in the @code{nnmairix}
4825 groups instead of your ``real'' mail groups.
4827 There is one problem, though: say you got a new mail from
4828 @samp{david@@foobar.com}; it will now show up in two groups, the
4829 ``real'' group (your INBOX, for example) and in the @code{nnmairix}
4830 search group (provided you have updated the mairix database). Now you
4831 enter the @code{nnmairix} group and read the mail. The mail will be
4832 marked as read, but only in the @code{nnmairix} group---in the ``real''
4833 mail group it will be still shown as unread.
4835 You could now catch up the mail group (@pxref{Group Data}), but this is
4836 tedious and error prone, since you may overlook mails you don't have
4837 created @code{nnmairix} groups for. Of course, you could first use
4838 @code{nnmairix-goto-original-article} (@pxref{nnmairix keyboard
4839 shortcuts}) and then read the mail in the original group, but that's
4840 even more cumbersome.
4842 Clearly, the easiest way would be if marks could somehow be
4843 automatically set for the original article. This is exactly what
4844 @emph{marks propagation} is about.
4846 Marks propagation is deactivated by default. You can activate it for a
4847 certain @code{nnmairix} group with
4848 @code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group} (bound to @kbd{G b
4849 p}). This function will warn you if you try to use it with your default
4850 search group; the reason is that the default search group is used for
4851 temporary searches, and it's easy to accidentally propagate marks from
4852 this group. However, you can ignore this warning if you really want to.
4854 With marks propagation enabled, all the marks you set in a @code{nnmairix}
4855 group should now be propagated to the original article. For example,
4856 you can now tick an article (by default with @kbd{!}) and this mark should
4857 magically be set for the original article, too.
4859 A few more remarks which you may or may not want to know:
4861 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close
4862 Marks will not be set immediately, but only upon closing a group. This
4863 not only makes marks propagation faster, it also avoids problems with
4864 dangling symlinks when dealing with maildir files (since changing flags
4865 will change the file name). You can also control when to propagate marks
4866 via @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} (see the doc-string for
4869 Obviously, @code{nnmairix} will have to look up the original group for every
4870 article you want to set marks for. If available, @code{nnmairix} will first use
4871 the registry for determining the original group. The registry is very
4872 fast, hence you should really, really enable the registry when using
4873 marks propagation. If you don't have to worry about RAM and disc space,
4874 set @code{gnus-registry-max-entries} to a large enough value; to be on
4875 the safe side, choose roughly the amount of mails you index with mairix.
4877 @vindex nnmairix-only-use-registry
4878 If you don't want to use the registry or the registry hasn't seen the
4879 original article yet, @code{nnmairix} will use an additional mairix
4880 search for determining the file name of the article. This, of course, is
4881 way slower than the registry---if you set hundreds or even thousands of
4882 marks this way, it might take some time. You can avoid this situation by
4883 setting @code{nnmairix-only-use-registry} to t.
4885 Maybe you also want to propagate marks the other way round, i.e. if you
4886 tick an article in a "real" mail group, you'd like to have the same
4887 article in a @code{nnmairix} group ticked, too. For several good
4888 reasons, this can only be done efficiently if you use maildir. To
4889 immediately contradict myself, let me mention that it WON'T work with
4890 @code{nnmaildir}, since @code{nnmaildir} stores the marks externally and
4891 not in the file name. Therefore, propagating marks to @code{nnmairix}
4892 groups will usually only work if you use an IMAP server which uses
4893 maildir as its file format.
4895 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups
4896 If you work with this setup, just set
4897 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t} and see what
4898 happens. If you don't like what you see, just set it to @code{nil} again. One
4899 problem might be that you get a wrong number of unread articles; this
4900 usually happens when you delete or expire articles in the original
4901 groups. When this happens, you can recreate the @code{nnmairix} group on the
4902 back end using @kbd{G b d}.
4904 @node nnmairix tips and tricks
4905 @subsubsection nnmairix tips and tricks
4911 @findex nnmairix-update-groups
4912 I put all my important mail groups at group level 1. The mairix groups
4913 have group level 5, so they do not get checked at start up (@pxref{Group
4916 I use the following to check for mails:
4919 (defun my-check-mail-mairix-update (level)
4921 ;; if no prefix given, set level=1
4922 (gnus-group-get-new-news (or level 1))
4923 (nnmairix-update-groups "mairixsearch" t t)
4924 (gnus-group-list-groups))
4926 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map "g" 'my-check-mail-mairix-update)
4929 Instead of @samp{"mairixsearch"} use the name of your @code{nnmairix}
4930 server. See the doc string for @code{nnmairix-update-groups} for
4934 Example: search group for ticked articles
4936 For example, you can create a group for all ticked articles, where the
4937 articles always stay unread:
4939 Hit @kbd{G b g}, enter group name (e.g. @samp{important}), use
4940 @samp{F:f} as query and do not include threads.
4942 Now activate marks propagation for this group by using @kbd{G b p}. Then
4943 activate the always-unread feature by using @kbd{G b r} twice.
4945 So far so good---but how do you remove the tick marks in the @code{nnmairix}
4946 group? There are two options: You may simply use
4947 @code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article} (bound to @kbd{$ u}) to remove
4948 tick marks from the original article. The other possibility is to set
4949 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t}, but see the above
4950 comments about this option. If it works for you, the tick marks should
4951 also exist in the @code{nnmairix} group and you can remove them as usual,
4952 e.g. by marking an article as read.
4954 When you have removed a tick mark from the original article, this
4955 article should vanish from the @code{nnmairix} group after you have updated the
4956 mairix database and updated the group. Fortunately, there is a function
4957 for doing exactly that: @code{nnmairix-update-groups}. See the previous code
4958 snippet and the doc string for details.
4961 Dealing with auto-subscription of mail groups
4963 As described before, all @code{nnmairix} groups are in fact stored on
4964 the mail back end in the form @samp{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can
4965 see them when you enter the back end server in the server buffer. You
4966 should not subscribe these groups! Unfortunately, these groups will
4967 usually get @emph{auto-subscribed} when you use @code{nnmaildir} or
4968 @code{nnml}, i.e. you will suddenly see groups of the form
4969 @samp{zz_mairix*} pop up in your group buffer. If this happens to you,
4970 simply kill these groups with C-k. For avoiding this, turn off
4971 auto-subscription completely by setting the variable
4972 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups} to @code{nil} (@pxref{Filtering New
4973 Groups}), or if you like to keep this feature use the following kludge
4974 for turning it off for all groups beginning with @samp{zz_}:
4977 (setq gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
4978 "^\\(nnml\\|nnfolder\\|nnmbox\\|nnmh\\|nnbabyl\\|nnmaildir\\).*:\\([^z]\\|z$\\|\\z[^z]\\|zz$\\|zz[^_]\\|zz_$\\).*")
4983 @node nnmairix caveats
4984 @subsubsection nnmairix caveats
4988 You can create a secondary @code{nnml} server just for nnmairix, but then
4989 you have to explicitly set the corresponding server variable
4990 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}. Otherwise, new mail might get
4991 put into this secondary server (and would never show up again). Here's
4992 an example server definition:
4995 (nnml "mairix" (nnml-directory "mairix") (nnml-get-new-mail nil))
4998 (The @code{nnmaildir} back end also has a server variabe
4999 @code{get-new-mail}, but its default value is @code{nil}, so you don't
5000 have to explicitly set it if you use a @code{nnmaildir} server just for
5004 If you use the Gnus registry: don't use the registry with
5005 @code{nnmairix} groups (put them in
5006 @code{gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups}). Be @emph{extra careful} if
5007 you use @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}; mails which are
5008 split into @code{nnmairix} groups are usually gone for good as soon as
5009 you check the group for new mail (yes, it has happened to me...).
5012 Therefore: @emph{Never ever} put ``real'' mails into @code{nnmairix}
5013 groups (you shouldn't be able to, anyway).
5016 If you use the Gnus agent (@pxref{Gnus Unplugged}): don't agentize
5017 @code{nnmairix} groups (though I have no idea what happens if you do).
5020 mairix does only support us-ascii characters.
5023 @code{nnmairix} uses a rather brute force method to force Gnus to
5024 completely reread the group on the mail back end after mairix was
5025 called---it simply deletes and re-creates the group on the mail
5026 back end. So far, this has worked for me without any problems, and I
5027 don't see how @code{nnmairix} could delete other mail groups than its
5028 own, but anyway: you really should have a backup of your mail
5032 All necessary information is stored in the group parameters
5033 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). This has the advantage that no active file
5034 is needed, but also implies that when you kill a @code{nnmairix} group,
5035 it is gone for good.
5038 @findex nnmairix-purge-old-groups
5039 If you create and kill a lot of @code{nnmairix} groups, the
5040 ``zz_mairix-*'' groups will accumulate on the mail back end server. To
5041 delete old groups which are no longer needed, call
5042 @code{nnmairix-purge-old-groups}. Note that this assumes that you don't
5043 save any ``real'' mail in folders of the form
5044 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can change the prefix of
5045 @code{nnmairix} groups by changing the variable
5046 @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
5049 The following only applies if you @emph{don't} use the mentioned patch
5050 for mairix (@pxref{Propagating marks}):
5052 A problem can occur when using @code{nnmairix} with maildir folders and
5053 comes with the fact that maildir stores mail flags like @samp{Seen} or
5054 @samp{Replied} by appending chars @samp{S} and @samp{R} to the message
5055 file name, respectively. This implies that currently you would have to
5056 update the mairix database not only when new mail arrives, but also when
5057 mail flags are changing. The same applies to new mails which are indexed
5058 while they are still in the @samp{new} folder but then get moved to
5059 @samp{cur} when Gnus has seen the mail. If you don't update the database
5060 after this has happened, a mairix query can lead to symlinks pointing to
5061 non-existing files. In Gnus, these messages will usually appear with
5062 ``(none)'' entries in the header and can't be accessed. If this happens
5063 to you, using @kbd{G b u} and updating the group will usually fix this.
5067 @node Misc Group Stuff
5068 @section Misc Group Stuff
5071 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
5072 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
5073 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
5074 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
5075 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
5082 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
5083 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
5084 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
5087 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
5090 (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
5093 On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
5094 @xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
5098 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
5099 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
5100 @xref{Server Buffer}.
5104 @findex gnus-group-post-news
5105 Start composing a message (a news by default)
5106 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
5107 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5108 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
5109 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
5110 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
5114 @findex gnus-group-mail
5115 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
5116 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
5117 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5118 @xref{Composing Messages}.
5122 @findex gnus-group-news
5123 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
5124 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
5125 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
5127 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5128 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5129 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5130 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5131 for this to work though.
5135 @findex gnus-group-compact-group
5137 Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
5138 Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
5139 gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
5144 Variables for the group buffer:
5148 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
5149 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
5150 is called after the group buffer has been
5153 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
5154 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
5155 is called after the group buffer is
5156 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
5159 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
5160 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
5161 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
5162 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
5164 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
5165 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
5166 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
5167 whether they are empty or not.
5171 @node Scanning New Messages
5172 @subsection Scanning New Messages
5173 @cindex new messages
5174 @cindex scanning new news
5180 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
5181 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
5182 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
5183 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
5184 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
5185 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
5190 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
5191 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
5192 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
5193 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
5194 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
5195 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
5196 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
5198 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
5199 @cindex activating groups
5201 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
5202 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
5207 @findex gnus-group-restart
5208 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
5209 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
5210 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
5214 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
5215 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
5217 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
5218 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
5222 @node Group Information
5223 @subsection Group Information
5224 @cindex group information
5225 @cindex information on groups
5232 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
5233 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
5236 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
5237 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
5238 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
5239 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
5240 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
5241 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
5242 used for fetching the file.
5244 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
5245 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
5249 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
5250 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
5252 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
5253 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
5256 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
5257 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
5258 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
5262 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
5263 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
5264 @cindex control message
5265 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
5266 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
5267 group if given a prefix argument.
5269 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
5270 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
5271 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
5272 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
5274 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
5275 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
5276 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
5280 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
5282 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
5283 @cindex describing groups
5284 @cindex group description
5285 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
5286 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
5287 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
5291 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
5292 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
5293 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
5300 @findex gnus-version
5301 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
5305 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
5306 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
5309 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
5312 @findex gnus-info-find-node
5313 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
5317 @node Group Timestamp
5318 @subsection Group Timestamp
5320 @cindex group timestamps
5322 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
5323 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
5324 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
5327 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
5330 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
5332 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
5333 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
5336 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5337 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
5340 This will result in lines looking like:
5343 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
5344 0: custom 19961002T012713
5347 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
5348 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
5352 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5353 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
5356 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
5357 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
5361 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5362 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
5363 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
5364 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
5366 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
5372 @subsection File Commands
5373 @cindex file commands
5379 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
5380 @vindex gnus-init-file
5381 @cindex reading init file
5382 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
5383 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
5387 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
5388 @cindex saving .newsrc
5389 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
5390 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
5391 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
5394 @c @kindex Z (Group)
5395 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
5396 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
5401 @node Sieve Commands
5402 @subsection Sieve Commands
5403 @cindex group sieve commands
5405 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
5406 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
5407 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
5408 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
5409 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
5411 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5412 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
5413 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
5414 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
5415 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
5416 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
5417 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
5418 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
5419 regenerate the Sieve script.
5421 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
5422 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
5423 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
5424 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
5425 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
5426 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
5427 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
5428 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
5429 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
5430 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
5433 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
5434 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
5439 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
5445 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
5446 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5447 @cindex generating sieve script
5448 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
5449 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
5453 @findex gnus-sieve-update
5454 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5455 @cindex updating sieve script
5456 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
5457 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
5458 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
5463 @node Summary Buffer
5464 @chapter Summary Buffer
5465 @cindex summary buffer
5467 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
5468 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
5470 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
5471 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
5473 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
5475 You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
5476 customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
5480 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
5481 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
5482 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
5484 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
5488 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
5489 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
5490 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
5491 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
5492 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
5493 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
5494 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
5495 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
5496 * Threading:: How threads are made.
5497 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
5498 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
5499 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
5500 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
5501 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
5502 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
5503 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
5504 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
5505 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
5506 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
5507 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
5508 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
5509 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
5510 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
5511 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
5512 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
5513 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
5514 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
5515 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
5516 or reselecting the current group.
5517 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
5518 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
5519 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
5520 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
5524 @node Summary Buffer Format
5525 @section Summary Buffer Format
5526 @cindex summary buffer format
5530 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
5531 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
5532 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
5538 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
5539 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
5540 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
5541 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
5544 @findex mail-extract-address-components
5545 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
5546 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
5547 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
5548 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
5549 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
5550 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
5551 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
5552 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
5553 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
5554 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
5557 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
5558 'mail-extract-address-components)
5561 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
5562 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
5563 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
5564 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
5567 @node Summary Buffer Lines
5568 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
5570 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5571 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
5572 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
5573 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
5574 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
5576 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
5577 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
5578 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
5579 possible to change this. Just write a new function
5580 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
5581 @xref{Positioning Point}.
5583 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
5585 The following format specification characters and extended format
5586 specification(s) are understood:
5592 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
5593 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
5595 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
5596 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
5597 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
5599 Full @code{From} header.
5601 The name (from the @code{From} header).
5603 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
5606 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
5607 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
5608 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
5609 may be more thorough.
5611 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
5614 Number of lines in the article.
5616 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
5617 in some methods (like nnfolder).
5619 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
5620 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
5622 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
5624 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
5625 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
5638 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
5639 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
5640 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
5641 line-drawing glyphs.
5643 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
5644 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
5645 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
5646 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
5648 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
5649 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
5650 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
5651 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
5653 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
5654 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
5655 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
5656 instead. The default is @samp{}.
5658 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
5659 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
5660 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
5662 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
5663 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
5664 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
5666 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
5667 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
5668 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
5670 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
5671 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
5672 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
5677 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
5678 pushes everything after it off the screen).
5680 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
5681 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
5683 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
5684 for adopted articles.
5686 One space for each thread level.
5688 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
5690 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
5693 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
5694 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
5695 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
5698 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
5700 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
5701 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
5702 default level. If the difference between
5703 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
5704 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
5712 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
5714 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
5720 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
5721 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
5723 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
5724 article has any children.
5730 Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
5732 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
5733 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
5735 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
5736 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
5737 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
5738 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
5739 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
5740 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
5743 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
5744 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
5745 There can only be one such area.
5747 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
5748 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
5749 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
5750 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
5751 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
5752 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
5754 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
5755 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
5757 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
5760 @node To From Newsgroups
5761 @subsection To From Newsgroups
5765 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
5766 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
5767 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
5768 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
5769 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
5773 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
5774 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
5775 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
5779 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5780 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
5783 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
5784 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
5787 @findex gnus-extra-header
5788 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
5789 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
5790 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
5793 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
5797 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5798 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
5799 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
5800 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
5801 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
5802 headers are used instead.
5804 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
5805 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
5806 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
5807 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
5808 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
5809 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
5813 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
5814 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
5815 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
5816 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
5817 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
5818 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
5821 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5822 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
5823 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
5824 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
5826 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
5830 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5832 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
5833 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
5834 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
5835 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5839 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
5842 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
5843 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
5846 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
5847 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
5848 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
5854 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
5855 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
5858 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
5859 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
5861 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
5862 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
5863 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
5864 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
5866 Here are the elements you can play with:
5872 Unprefixed group name.
5874 Current article number.
5876 Current article score.
5880 Number of unread articles in this group.
5882 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
5885 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
5886 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
5887 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
5888 and no unselected ones.
5890 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
5891 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
5893 Subject of the current article.
5895 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
5897 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
5899 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5901 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5903 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
5905 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
5909 @node Summary Highlighting
5910 @subsection Summary Highlighting
5914 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5915 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5916 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
5917 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
5918 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5920 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
5921 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
5922 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
5923 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5925 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
5926 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
5927 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
5928 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
5930 @item gnus-summary-highlight
5931 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
5932 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
5933 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
5934 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
5935 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
5938 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
5939 ((> score default) . bold))
5941 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
5942 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
5946 @node Summary Maneuvering
5947 @section Summary Maneuvering
5948 @cindex summary movement
5950 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
5951 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
5953 None of these commands select articles.
5958 @kindex M-n (Summary)
5959 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
5960 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
5961 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
5962 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
5966 @kindex M-p (Summary)
5967 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
5968 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
5969 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
5970 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
5973 @kindex G g (Summary)
5974 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
5975 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
5976 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
5979 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
5980 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
5981 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5982 to the group buffer.
5984 Variables related to summary movement:
5988 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5989 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5990 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5991 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5992 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5993 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5994 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5995 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5996 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5997 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5998 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5999 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
6000 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
6001 @pxref{Group Levels}.
6003 @item gnus-auto-select-same
6004 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
6005 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
6006 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
6007 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
6008 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
6009 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
6011 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
6013 @item gnus-summary-check-current
6014 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
6015 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
6016 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
6017 Instead, they will choose the current article.
6019 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
6020 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
6021 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
6022 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
6023 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
6024 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
6025 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
6026 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
6029 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
6030 the given number of lines from the top.
6035 @node Choosing Articles
6036 @section Choosing Articles
6037 @cindex selecting articles
6040 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
6041 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
6045 @node Choosing Commands
6046 @subsection Choosing Commands
6048 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
6049 and they all select and display an article.
6051 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
6052 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
6056 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
6057 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
6058 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
6059 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
6061 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
6062 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
6063 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
6068 @kindex G n (Summary)
6069 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
6070 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
6071 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
6076 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
6077 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
6078 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
6083 @kindex G N (Summary)
6084 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
6085 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
6090 @kindex G P (Summary)
6091 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
6092 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
6095 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
6096 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
6097 Go to the next article with the same subject
6098 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
6101 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
6102 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
6103 Go to the previous article with the same subject
6104 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
6108 @kindex G f (Summary)
6110 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
6111 Go to the first unread article
6112 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
6116 @kindex G b (Summary)
6118 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
6119 Go to the unread article with the highest score
6120 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
6121 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
6126 @kindex G l (Summary)
6127 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
6128 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
6131 @kindex G o (Summary)
6132 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
6134 @cindex article history
6135 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
6136 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
6137 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
6138 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
6139 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
6140 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
6145 @kindex G j (Summary)
6146 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
6147 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
6148 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
6153 @node Choosing Variables
6154 @subsection Choosing Variables
6156 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
6159 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
6160 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
6161 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
6162 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
6163 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
6164 the server and display it in the article buffer.
6166 @item gnus-select-article-hook
6167 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
6168 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
6169 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
6170 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
6173 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
6174 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
6175 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
6176 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
6177 @findex gnus-unread-mark
6178 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
6179 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
6180 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
6181 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
6182 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
6183 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
6184 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
6185 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
6186 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
6191 @node Paging the Article
6192 @section Scrolling the Article
6193 @cindex article scrolling
6198 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
6199 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
6200 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
6201 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
6202 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
6204 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
6205 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
6206 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
6207 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
6208 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
6209 what is considered uninteresting with
6210 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
6211 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
6214 @kindex DEL (Summary)
6215 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
6216 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
6219 @kindex RET (Summary)
6220 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
6221 Scroll the current article one line forward
6222 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
6225 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
6226 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
6227 Scroll the current article one line backward
6228 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
6232 @kindex A g (Summary)
6234 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
6235 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
6236 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
6237 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
6238 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
6239 the way it came from the server.
6241 @cindex charset, view article with different charset
6242 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
6243 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
6244 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
6247 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
6252 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
6257 @kindex A < (Summary)
6258 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
6259 Scroll to the beginning of the article
6260 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
6265 @kindex A > (Summary)
6266 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
6267 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
6271 @kindex A s (Summary)
6273 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
6274 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
6275 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
6279 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
6280 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
6285 @node Reply Followup and Post
6286 @section Reply, Followup and Post
6289 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
6290 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
6291 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
6292 * Canceling and Superseding::
6296 @node Summary Mail Commands
6297 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
6299 @cindex composing mail
6301 Commands for composing a mail message:
6307 @kindex S r (Summary)
6309 @findex gnus-summary-reply
6310 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
6311 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
6312 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
6313 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
6318 @kindex S R (Summary)
6319 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
6320 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
6321 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
6322 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
6323 command uses the process/prefix convention.
6326 @kindex S w (Summary)
6327 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
6328 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
6329 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
6330 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
6331 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
6332 present, that's used instead.
6335 @kindex S W (Summary)
6336 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
6337 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
6338 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
6339 the process/prefix convention.
6342 @kindex S v (Summary)
6343 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
6344 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
6345 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
6346 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
6347 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
6348 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
6351 @kindex S V (Summary)
6352 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
6353 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
6354 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
6355 command uses the process/prefix convention.
6358 @kindex S B r (Summary)
6359 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
6360 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
6361 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
6362 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
6363 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
6364 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
6365 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
6368 @kindex S B R (Summary)
6369 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
6370 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
6371 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
6372 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
6376 @kindex S o m (Summary)
6377 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
6378 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
6379 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
6380 Forward the current article to some other person
6381 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
6382 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
6383 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
6384 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
6385 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
6386 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
6387 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
6388 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
6389 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
6395 @kindex S m (Summary)
6396 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
6397 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
6398 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
6399 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
6400 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
6405 @kindex S i (Summary)
6406 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
6407 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
6408 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
6409 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
6411 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
6412 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
6413 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
6414 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
6415 for this to work though.
6418 @kindex S D b (Summary)
6419 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
6420 @cindex bouncing mail
6421 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
6422 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
6423 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
6424 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
6425 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
6426 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
6427 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
6428 very well fail, though.
6431 @kindex S D r (Summary)
6432 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
6433 Not to be confused with the previous command,
6434 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
6435 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
6436 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
6437 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
6438 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
6439 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
6440 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
6442 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
6443 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
6444 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
6445 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
6446 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
6448 This command understands the process/prefix convention
6449 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6452 @kindex S D e (Summary)
6453 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
6455 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
6456 if it were a new message before resending.
6459 @kindex S O m (Summary)
6460 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
6461 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
6462 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
6463 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6466 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
6467 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
6468 @cindex crossposting
6469 @cindex excessive crossposting
6470 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
6471 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
6473 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
6474 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
6475 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
6476 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
6477 command understands the process/prefix convention
6478 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
6482 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
6483 Manual}, for more information.
6486 @node Summary Post Commands
6487 @subsection Summary Post Commands
6489 @cindex composing news
6491 Commands for posting a news article:
6497 @kindex S p (Summary)
6498 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
6499 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
6500 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
6501 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
6502 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
6507 @kindex S f (Summary)
6508 @findex gnus-summary-followup
6509 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
6510 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
6514 @kindex S F (Summary)
6516 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
6517 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
6518 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
6519 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
6520 process/prefix convention.
6523 @kindex S n (Summary)
6524 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
6525 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
6526 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
6529 @kindex S N (Summary)
6530 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
6531 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
6532 message through mail and include the original message
6533 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
6534 the process/prefix convention.
6537 @kindex S o p (Summary)
6538 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
6539 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
6540 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
6541 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
6542 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
6543 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
6544 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
6545 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
6546 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
6547 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
6548 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
6549 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
6552 @kindex S O p (Summary)
6553 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
6555 @cindex making digests
6556 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
6557 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
6558 process/prefix convention.
6561 @kindex S u (Summary)
6562 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
6563 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
6564 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
6565 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
6568 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
6569 Manual}, for more information.
6572 @node Summary Message Commands
6573 @subsection Summary Message Commands
6577 @kindex S y (Summary)
6578 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
6579 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
6580 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
6581 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
6582 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6587 @node Canceling and Superseding
6588 @subsection Canceling Articles
6589 @cindex canceling articles
6590 @cindex superseding articles
6592 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
6593 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
6595 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
6597 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
6599 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
6600 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
6601 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
6602 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
6603 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
6604 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6606 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
6607 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
6610 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
6611 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
6612 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
6614 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
6615 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
6616 message, Message Manual}).
6618 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
6619 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
6620 your original article.
6622 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
6624 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
6625 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
6626 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
6629 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
6630 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
6631 have posted almost the same article twice.
6633 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
6634 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
6635 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
6636 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
6637 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
6638 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
6639 header by substituting one of those words for the word
6640 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
6641 you would do normally. The previous article will be
6642 canceled/superseded.
6644 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
6646 @node Delayed Articles
6647 @section Delayed Articles
6648 @cindex delayed sending
6649 @cindex send delayed
6651 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
6652 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
6653 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
6654 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
6657 (gnus-delay-initialize)
6660 @findex gnus-delay-article
6661 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
6662 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
6663 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
6664 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
6668 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
6669 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
6670 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
6671 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
6674 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
6675 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
6676 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
6679 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
6680 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
6681 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
6682 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
6683 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
6684 that means a time tomorrow.
6687 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
6688 couple of variables:
6691 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
6692 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
6693 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
6694 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
6696 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
6697 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
6698 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
6699 formats described above.
6701 @item gnus-delay-group
6702 @vindex gnus-delay-group
6703 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
6704 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
6705 value is @code{"delayed"}.
6707 @item gnus-delay-header
6708 @vindex gnus-delay-header
6709 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
6710 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
6711 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
6714 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
6715 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
6716 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
6717 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
6718 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
6720 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
6721 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
6722 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
6723 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
6724 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
6725 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
6726 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
6729 @item gnus-delay-initialize
6730 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
6731 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
6732 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
6733 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
6734 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
6735 argument is ignored.
6737 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
6738 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
6739 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
6743 @node Marking Articles
6744 @section Marking Articles
6745 @cindex article marking
6746 @cindex article ticking
6749 There are several marks you can set on an article.
6751 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
6752 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
6753 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
6755 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
6758 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
6762 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
6763 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
6764 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
6765 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
6766 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
6767 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
6771 @node Unread Articles
6772 @subsection Unread Articles
6774 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
6779 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
6780 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
6782 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
6783 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
6784 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
6785 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
6786 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
6787 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
6788 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
6791 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
6792 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
6794 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
6795 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
6796 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
6797 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
6801 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
6802 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
6804 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
6809 @subsection Read Articles
6810 @cindex expirable mark
6812 All the following marks mark articles as read.
6817 @vindex gnus-del-mark
6818 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
6819 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
6822 @vindex gnus-read-mark
6823 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
6826 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
6827 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
6828 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
6831 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
6832 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
6835 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
6836 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
6839 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
6840 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
6843 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
6844 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
6847 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
6848 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
6851 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
6852 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
6855 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
6856 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
6860 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
6861 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
6862 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
6866 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
6867 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
6869 One more special mark, though:
6873 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
6874 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
6876 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
6877 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
6878 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
6879 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
6885 @subsection Other Marks
6886 @cindex process mark
6889 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
6895 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
6896 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
6897 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
6898 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
6899 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
6902 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
6903 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
6904 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
6905 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
6908 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
6909 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
6910 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
6913 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
6914 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
6915 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6918 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
6919 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
6920 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
6921 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
6924 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
6925 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
6926 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
6927 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
6928 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
6929 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
6932 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
6933 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
6934 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
6935 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
6938 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
6939 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
6940 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
6941 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
6942 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
6946 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
6947 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
6948 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
6949 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
6950 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
6951 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
6954 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
6955 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
6956 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
6957 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
6958 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
6959 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
6963 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
6964 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
6965 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
6966 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
6967 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
6970 @vindex gnus-process-mark
6971 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
6972 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
6973 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
6974 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
6975 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
6979 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
6980 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
6981 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
6983 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
6984 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6985 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6989 @subsection Setting Marks
6990 @cindex setting marks
6992 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6997 @kindex M c (Summary)
6998 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6999 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
7000 @cindex mark as unread
7001 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
7002 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
7008 @kindex M t (Summary)
7009 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
7010 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
7011 @xref{Article Caching}.
7016 @kindex M ? (Summary)
7017 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
7018 Mark the current article as dormant
7019 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
7023 @kindex M d (Summary)
7025 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
7026 Mark the current article as read
7027 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
7031 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
7032 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
7033 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
7038 @kindex M k (Summary)
7039 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
7040 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
7041 and then select the next unread article
7042 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
7046 @kindex M K (Summary)
7047 @kindex C-k (Summary)
7048 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
7049 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
7050 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
7053 @kindex M C (Summary)
7054 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
7055 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
7056 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
7059 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
7060 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
7061 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
7062 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
7065 @kindex M H (Summary)
7066 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
7067 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
7068 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
7071 @kindex M h (Summary)
7072 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
7073 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
7074 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
7077 @kindex C-w (Summary)
7078 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
7079 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
7080 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
7083 @kindex M V k (Summary)
7084 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
7085 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
7086 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
7090 @kindex M e (Summary)
7092 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
7093 Mark the current article as expirable
7094 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
7097 @kindex M b (Summary)
7098 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
7099 Set a bookmark in the current article
7100 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
7103 @kindex M B (Summary)
7104 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
7105 Remove the bookmark from the current article
7106 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
7109 @kindex M V c (Summary)
7110 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
7111 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
7112 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
7115 @kindex M V u (Summary)
7116 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
7117 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
7118 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
7121 @kindex M V m (Summary)
7122 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
7123 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
7124 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
7125 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
7128 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
7129 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
7130 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
7131 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
7132 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
7133 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
7134 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
7135 The default is @code{t}.
7138 @node Generic Marking Commands
7139 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
7141 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
7142 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
7143 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
7144 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
7145 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
7148 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
7149 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
7152 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
7153 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
7154 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
7155 to list in this manual.
7157 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
7158 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
7159 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
7160 article, you could say something like:
7164 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
7165 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
7166 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
7174 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
7175 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
7179 @node Setting Process Marks
7180 @subsection Setting Process Marks
7181 @cindex setting process marks
7183 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
7184 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
7185 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
7186 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
7187 articles into the cache. For more information,
7188 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
7195 @kindex M P p (Summary)
7196 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
7197 Mark the current article with the process mark
7198 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
7199 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
7203 @kindex M P u (Summary)
7204 @kindex M-# (Summary)
7205 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
7206 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
7209 @kindex M P U (Summary)
7210 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
7211 Remove the process mark from all articles
7212 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
7215 @kindex M P i (Summary)
7216 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
7217 Invert the list of process marked articles
7218 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
7221 @kindex M P R (Summary)
7222 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
7223 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
7224 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
7227 @kindex M P G (Summary)
7228 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
7229 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
7230 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
7233 @kindex M P r (Summary)
7234 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
7235 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
7238 @kindex M P g (Summary)
7239 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
7240 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
7243 @kindex M P t (Summary)
7244 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7245 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
7246 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7249 @kindex M P T (Summary)
7250 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7251 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
7252 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7255 @kindex M P v (Summary)
7256 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
7257 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
7258 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
7261 @kindex M P s (Summary)
7262 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
7263 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
7266 @kindex M P S (Summary)
7267 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
7268 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
7269 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
7272 @kindex M P a (Summary)
7273 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
7274 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
7277 @kindex M P b (Summary)
7278 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
7279 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
7280 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
7283 @kindex M P k (Summary)
7284 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
7285 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
7286 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
7289 @kindex M P y (Summary)
7290 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
7291 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
7292 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
7295 @kindex M P w (Summary)
7296 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
7297 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
7298 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
7302 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
7303 set process marks based on article body contents.
7310 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
7311 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
7312 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
7315 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
7316 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
7317 additional articles.
7323 @kindex / / (Summary)
7324 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
7325 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
7326 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
7330 @kindex / a (Summary)
7331 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
7332 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
7333 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
7337 @kindex / R (Summary)
7338 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
7339 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
7340 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
7344 @kindex / A (Summary)
7345 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
7346 Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
7347 header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
7348 given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
7351 @kindex / S (Summary)
7352 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
7353 Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
7354 threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
7355 limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
7358 @kindex / x (Summary)
7359 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
7360 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
7361 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
7362 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
7367 @kindex / u (Summary)
7369 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
7370 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
7371 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
7372 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
7373 dormant articles will also be excluded.
7376 @kindex / m (Summary)
7377 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
7378 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
7379 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
7382 @kindex / t (Summary)
7383 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
7384 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
7385 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
7386 articles younger than that number of days.
7389 @kindex / n (Summary)
7390 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
7391 With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
7392 articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
7393 instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
7396 @kindex / w (Summary)
7397 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
7398 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
7399 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
7403 @kindex / . (Summary)
7404 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
7405 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
7406 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
7409 @kindex / v (Summary)
7410 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
7411 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
7412 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
7415 @kindex / p (Summary)
7416 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
7417 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
7418 group parameter predicate
7419 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
7420 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
7423 @kindex / r (Summary)
7424 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
7425 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
7426 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
7431 @kindex M S (Summary)
7432 @kindex / E (Summary)
7433 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
7434 Include all expunged articles in the limit
7435 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
7438 @kindex / D (Summary)
7439 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
7440 Include all dormant articles in the limit
7441 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
7444 @kindex / * (Summary)
7445 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
7446 Include all cached articles in the limit
7447 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
7450 @kindex / d (Summary)
7451 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
7452 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
7453 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
7456 @kindex / M (Summary)
7457 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
7458 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
7461 @kindex / T (Summary)
7462 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
7463 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
7466 @kindex / c (Summary)
7467 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
7468 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
7469 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
7472 @kindex / C (Summary)
7473 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
7474 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
7475 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
7476 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
7479 @kindex / N (Summary)
7480 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
7481 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
7482 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
7485 @kindex / o (Summary)
7486 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
7487 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
7488 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
7491 @kindex / b (Summary)
7492 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
7493 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
7494 certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
7495 prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
7496 requires selecting each article to find the matches.
7499 @kindex / h (Summary)
7500 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
7501 Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
7502 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
7510 @cindex article threading
7512 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
7513 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
7514 hierarchical fashion.
7516 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
7517 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
7518 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
7519 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
7520 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
7521 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
7522 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
7524 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
7528 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
7531 A tree-like article structure.
7534 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
7537 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
7538 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
7539 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
7540 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
7541 called loose threads.
7543 @item thread gathering
7544 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
7546 @item sparse threads
7547 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
7548 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
7554 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
7555 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
7559 @node Customizing Threading
7560 @subsection Customizing Threading
7561 @cindex customizing threading
7564 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
7565 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
7566 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
7567 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
7572 @subsubsection Loose Threads
7575 @cindex loose threads
7578 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
7579 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
7580 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
7581 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
7582 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
7583 read or killed the root in a previous session.
7585 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
7586 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
7587 There are four possible values:
7591 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
7592 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
7593 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
7594 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
7595 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
7600 @cindex adopting articles
7605 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
7606 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
7607 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
7608 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
7611 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
7612 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
7613 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
7614 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
7615 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
7616 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
7617 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
7618 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
7619 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
7620 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
7623 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
7624 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
7625 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
7629 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
7630 display them after one another.
7633 Don't gather loose threads.
7636 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
7637 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
7638 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
7639 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
7640 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
7641 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
7642 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
7643 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
7644 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
7645 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
7646 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
7648 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
7649 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
7650 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
7653 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
7654 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
7655 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
7656 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
7657 simplification is used.
7659 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7660 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7661 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
7662 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
7664 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
7666 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7672 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
7673 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
7674 "answer" "reference" "announce"
7675 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
7680 (mapconcat 'identity
7681 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
7683 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
7686 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
7689 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
7690 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
7691 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
7692 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
7693 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
7694 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
7696 Useful functions to put in this list include:
7699 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
7700 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
7701 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
7703 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
7704 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
7707 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
7708 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
7709 Remove excessive whitespace.
7711 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
7712 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
7713 Remove all whitespace.
7716 You may also write your own functions, of course.
7719 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
7720 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
7721 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
7722 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
7723 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
7724 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
7725 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
7726 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
7728 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7729 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7730 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
7731 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
7732 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
7733 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
7734 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
7735 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
7736 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
7740 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7741 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7742 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
7743 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
7745 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7746 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7747 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
7750 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
7754 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7755 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
7761 @node Filling In Threads
7762 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
7765 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
7766 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
7767 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
7768 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
7769 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
7770 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
7771 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
7772 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
7773 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
7774 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
7775 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
7776 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
7779 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
7780 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
7781 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
7783 The server has to support @acronym{NOV} for any of this to work.
7785 @cindex Gmane, gnus-fetch-old-headers
7786 This feature can seriously impact performance it ignores all locally
7787 cached header entries. Setting it to @code{t} for groups for a server
7788 that doesn't expire articles (such as news.gmane.org), leads to very
7789 slow summary generation.
7791 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7792 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7793 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
7796 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
7797 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
7798 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
7799 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
7800 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
7801 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
7802 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
7803 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
7804 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
7805 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
7806 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
7807 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
7808 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
7809 @code{nil} by default.
7811 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
7812 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
7813 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
7814 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
7815 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
7816 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
7817 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
7819 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
7820 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
7821 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
7826 @node More Threading
7827 @subsubsection More Threading
7830 @item gnus-show-threads
7831 @vindex gnus-show-threads
7832 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
7833 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
7834 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
7835 slower and more awkward.
7837 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7838 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7839 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
7842 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
7843 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
7844 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
7849 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7850 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
7851 gnus-article-unseen-p))
7854 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
7855 unread, but you get my drift.)
7858 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
7859 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
7860 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
7861 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
7862 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
7863 threads are expunged.
7865 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
7866 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
7867 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
7870 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7871 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7872 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
7873 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
7874 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
7875 result in a new thread.
7877 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
7878 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
7879 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
7882 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7883 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7884 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
7885 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
7886 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
7887 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
7888 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
7889 Setting this variable to an alternate value
7890 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
7891 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
7892 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
7897 @node Low-Level Threading
7898 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
7902 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
7903 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
7904 Hook run before parsing any headers.
7906 @item gnus-alter-header-function
7907 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
7908 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
7909 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
7910 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
7911 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
7912 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
7913 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
7914 meaningful. Here's one example:
7917 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
7919 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
7920 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
7922 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
7924 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
7931 @node Thread Commands
7932 @subsection Thread Commands
7933 @cindex thread commands
7939 @kindex T k (Summary)
7940 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
7941 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
7942 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
7943 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
7944 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
7949 @kindex T l (Summary)
7950 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
7951 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
7952 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
7953 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
7956 @kindex T i (Summary)
7957 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
7958 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
7959 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
7962 @kindex T # (Summary)
7963 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7964 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
7965 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7968 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
7969 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7970 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
7971 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7974 @kindex T T (Summary)
7975 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
7976 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
7979 @kindex T s (Summary)
7980 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
7981 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
7982 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
7985 @kindex T h (Summary)
7986 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
7987 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
7990 @kindex T S (Summary)
7991 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
7992 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
7995 @kindex T H (Summary)
7996 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
7997 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
8000 @kindex T t (Summary)
8001 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
8002 Re-thread the current article's thread
8003 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
8004 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
8007 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
8008 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
8009 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
8010 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
8013 @kindex T M-^ (Summary)
8014 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
8015 Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
8016 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
8020 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
8021 understand the numeric prefix.
8026 @kindex T n (Summary)
8028 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
8030 @kindex M-down (Summary)
8031 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
8032 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
8035 @kindex T p (Summary)
8037 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
8039 @kindex M-up (Summary)
8040 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
8041 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
8044 @kindex T d (Summary)
8045 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
8046 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
8049 @kindex T u (Summary)
8050 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
8051 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
8054 @kindex T o (Summary)
8055 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
8056 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
8059 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
8060 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
8061 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
8062 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
8063 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
8064 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
8065 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
8066 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
8067 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
8068 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
8069 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
8070 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
8074 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
8075 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
8077 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
8078 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
8079 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
8080 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
8081 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
8082 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
8083 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
8084 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
8085 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
8086 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
8087 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
8088 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
8089 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
8090 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
8091 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
8093 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
8094 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
8095 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
8096 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
8097 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date},
8098 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
8099 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
8100 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
8101 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
8102 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
8104 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
8105 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
8106 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
8108 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
8109 last function in the list. You should probably always include
8110 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
8111 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
8112 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
8113 ascending article order.
8115 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
8116 by number, you could do something like:
8119 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
8120 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
8121 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
8122 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
8125 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
8126 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
8127 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
8128 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
8129 which the articles arrived.
8131 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
8135 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
8136 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
8137 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
8140 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
8141 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
8142 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
8143 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
8146 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
8147 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
8148 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-date
8149 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
8150 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
8151 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
8152 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
8153 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
8154 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-number
8155 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
8156 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
8157 variable. It is very similar to the
8158 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
8159 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
8160 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
8161 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
8162 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
8163 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
8164 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
8166 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
8170 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
8171 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
8172 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
8175 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
8176 @xref{Group Parameters}.
8179 @node Asynchronous Fetching
8180 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
8181 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
8182 @cindex article pre-fetch
8185 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
8186 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
8187 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
8188 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
8189 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
8191 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
8192 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
8194 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
8195 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
8196 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
8197 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
8198 connection is blocked.
8200 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
8201 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
8202 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
8203 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
8205 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
8206 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
8207 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
8208 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
8211 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
8214 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
8215 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
8216 happen automatically.
8218 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
8219 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
8220 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
8221 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
8222 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
8223 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
8224 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
8226 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
8227 @findex gnus-async-unread-p
8228 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
8229 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
8230 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
8231 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
8232 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
8233 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
8234 article data structure as the only parameter.
8236 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
8237 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
8240 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
8241 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
8242 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
8243 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
8246 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
8249 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
8250 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
8251 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
8253 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
8254 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
8255 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
8256 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
8260 Remove articles when they are read.
8263 Remove articles when exiting the group.
8266 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
8268 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
8269 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
8270 @c from the next group.
8273 @node Article Caching
8274 @section Article Caching
8275 @cindex article caching
8278 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
8279 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
8280 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
8281 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
8282 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
8284 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
8286 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8287 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
8288 @vindex gnus-use-cache
8289 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
8290 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
8291 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
8292 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
8293 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
8295 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
8296 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
8297 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
8298 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
8299 as dormant, and don't worry.
8301 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
8303 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
8304 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
8305 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
8306 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
8307 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
8308 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
8309 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
8310 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
8311 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
8312 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
8314 @findex gnus-jog-cache
8315 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
8316 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
8317 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
8318 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
8319 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
8320 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
8321 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
8322 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
8323 not then be downloaded by this command.
8325 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
8326 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
8327 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
8328 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
8329 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
8330 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
8332 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
8333 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
8334 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
8335 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
8336 variables, the group is not cached.
8338 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
8339 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
8340 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
8341 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
8342 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
8343 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
8344 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
8345 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
8346 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
8349 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
8350 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
8351 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
8352 where, isn't that cool?
8354 @node Persistent Articles
8355 @section Persistent Articles
8356 @cindex persistent articles
8358 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
8359 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
8360 useful in my opinion.
8362 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
8363 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
8364 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
8365 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
8366 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
8367 the expiry going on at the news server.
8369 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
8370 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
8371 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
8377 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
8378 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
8381 @kindex M-* (Summary)
8382 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
8383 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
8384 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
8388 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
8390 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
8391 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
8392 interested in persistent articles:
8395 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
8398 @node Sticky Articles
8399 @section Sticky Articles
8400 @cindex sticky articles
8402 When you select an article the current article buffer will be reused
8403 according to the value of the variable
8404 @code{gnus-single-article-buffer}. If its value is non-@code{nil} (the
8405 default) all articles reuse the same article buffer. Else each group
8406 has its own article buffer.
8408 This implies that it's not possible to have more than one article buffer
8409 in a group at a time. But sometimes you might want to display all the
8410 latest emails from your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle and
8411 your 17 cousins to coordinate the next christmas party.
8413 That's where sticky articles come in handy. A sticky article buffer
8414 basically is a normal article buffer, but it won't be reused when you
8415 select another article. You can make an article sticky with:
8419 @kindex A S (Summary)
8420 @findex gnus-sticky-article
8421 Make the current article sticky. If a prefix arg is given, ask for a
8422 name for this sticky article buffer.
8425 To close a sticky article buffer you can use these commands:
8431 Puts this sticky article buffer at the end of the list of all buffers.
8435 @findex gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffer
8436 Kills this sticky article buffer.
8439 To kill all sticky article buffers you can use:
8441 @defun gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffers ARG
8442 Kill all sticky article buffers.
8443 If a prefix ARG is given, ask for confirmation.
8446 @node Article Backlog
8447 @section Article Backlog
8449 @cindex article backlog
8451 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
8452 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
8453 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
8454 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
8455 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
8456 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
8457 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
8458 increase memory usage some.
8460 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
8461 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
8462 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
8463 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
8464 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
8465 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
8466 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
8468 The default value is 20.
8471 @node Saving Articles
8472 @section Saving Articles
8473 @cindex saving articles
8475 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
8476 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
8477 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
8478 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
8479 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
8481 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
8482 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
8483 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
8485 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
8486 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
8487 unwanted headers before saving the article.
8489 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
8490 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
8491 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
8492 deleted before saving.
8498 @kindex O o (Summary)
8500 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
8501 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
8502 Save the current article using the default article saver
8503 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
8506 @kindex O m (Summary)
8507 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
8508 Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
8509 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
8512 @kindex O r (Summary)
8513 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
8514 Save the current article in Rmail format
8515 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
8518 @kindex O f (Summary)
8519 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
8520 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
8521 Save the current article in plain file format
8522 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
8525 @kindex O F (Summary)
8526 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
8527 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
8528 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
8531 @kindex O b (Summary)
8532 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
8533 Save the current article body in plain file format
8534 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
8537 @kindex O h (Summary)
8538 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
8539 Save the current article in mh folder format
8540 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
8543 @kindex O v (Summary)
8544 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
8545 Save the current article in a VM folder
8546 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
8550 @kindex O p (Summary)
8552 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
8553 @vindex gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command
8554 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
8555 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
8556 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
8557 complete headers in the piped output. The symbolic prefix @code{r} is
8558 special; it lets this command pipe a raw article including all headers.
8559 The @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} variable can be set
8560 to a string containing the default command and options (default
8564 @kindex O P (Summary)
8565 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
8566 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
8567 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
8568 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
8569 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
8570 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
8571 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
8575 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
8576 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
8577 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
8578 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
8579 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
8580 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
8581 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
8582 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
8583 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
8584 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
8585 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
8586 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
8590 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
8591 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
8592 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
8593 functions below, or you can create your own.
8597 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
8598 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
8599 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
8600 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8601 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
8602 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8603 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
8605 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
8606 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
8607 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
8608 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
8609 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8610 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
8612 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
8613 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
8614 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
8615 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8616 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
8617 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8618 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8620 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
8621 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
8622 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
8623 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
8624 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8625 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8627 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
8628 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
8629 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
8630 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8631 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8633 @item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
8634 @findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
8635 Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
8636 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
8637 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8638 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8640 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
8641 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
8642 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
8643 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
8644 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
8647 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
8648 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
8649 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
8650 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
8651 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
8653 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
8654 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
8655 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
8656 reader to use this setting.
8658 @item gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
8659 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
8660 Pipe the article to a shell command. This function takes optional two
8661 arguments COMMAND and RAW. Valid values for COMMAND include:
8665 The executable command name and possibly arguments.
8667 You will be prompted for the command in the minibuffer.
8668 @item the symbol @code{default}@*
8669 It will be replaced with the command which the variable
8670 @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} holds or the command
8671 last used for saving.
8674 Non-@code{nil} value for RAW overrides @code{:decode} and
8675 @code{:headers} properties (see below) and the raw article including all
8676 headers will be piped.
8679 The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
8683 The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
8684 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
8685 @code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
8686 @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file},
8687 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}, and
8688 @code{gnus-summary-save-in-pipe}.
8691 The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
8692 overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
8693 articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
8694 @code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
8695 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
8696 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
8699 The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
8700 specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
8701 @code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
8702 headers should be saved.
8705 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
8706 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
8707 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
8708 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
8711 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
8712 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
8713 available functions that generate names:
8717 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
8718 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
8719 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8721 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
8722 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8723 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8725 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
8726 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
8727 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8729 @item gnus-plain-save-name
8730 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8731 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8733 @item gnus-sender-save-name
8734 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
8735 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
8738 @vindex gnus-split-methods
8739 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
8740 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
8741 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
8742 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
8746 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
8747 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
8748 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
8749 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
8752 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
8753 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
8754 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
8755 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
8756 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
8757 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
8758 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
8759 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
8760 called returns a string or a list of strings.
8762 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
8763 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
8764 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
8765 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
8767 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
8768 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
8769 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
8772 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
8773 lots of mail groups called things like
8774 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
8775 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
8776 following will do just that:
8779 (defun my-save-name (group)
8780 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
8781 (substring group (match-end 0))))
8783 (setq gnus-split-methods
8784 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
8789 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8790 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
8791 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
8792 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
8793 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
8794 all the files in the top level directory
8795 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
8796 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
8797 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
8798 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
8800 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
8801 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
8802 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
8803 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
8804 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
8807 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
8811 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
8812 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
8813 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
8816 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
8817 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
8818 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
8819 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
8822 @node Decoding Articles
8823 @section Decoding Articles
8824 @cindex decoding articles
8826 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
8827 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
8830 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
8831 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
8832 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
8833 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
8834 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
8835 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
8839 @cindex article series
8840 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
8841 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
8842 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
8843 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
8844 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
8846 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
8847 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
8848 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
8850 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
8851 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
8852 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
8854 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
8855 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
8856 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
8859 @node Uuencoded Articles
8860 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
8862 @cindex uuencoded articles
8867 @kindex X u (Summary)
8868 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
8869 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
8870 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
8873 @kindex X U (Summary)
8874 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
8875 Uudecodes and saves the current series
8876 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8879 @kindex X v u (Summary)
8880 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
8881 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
8884 @kindex X v U (Summary)
8885 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
8886 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
8887 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
8891 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
8892 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
8893 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
8894 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
8895 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8897 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
8898 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
8899 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
8900 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
8903 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
8904 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
8905 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
8906 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
8907 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
8908 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
8912 @node Shell Archives
8913 @subsection Shell Archives
8915 @cindex shell archives
8916 @cindex shared articles
8918 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
8919 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
8920 some commands to deal with these:
8925 @kindex X s (Summary)
8926 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
8927 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
8930 @kindex X S (Summary)
8931 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
8932 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
8935 @kindex X v s (Summary)
8936 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
8937 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
8940 @kindex X v S (Summary)
8941 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
8942 Unshars, views and saves the current series
8943 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
8947 @node PostScript Files
8948 @subsection PostScript Files
8954 @kindex X p (Summary)
8955 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
8956 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
8959 @kindex X P (Summary)
8960 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
8961 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
8962 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
8965 @kindex X v p (Summary)
8966 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
8967 View the current PostScript series
8968 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
8971 @kindex X v P (Summary)
8972 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
8973 View and save the current PostScript series
8974 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
8979 @subsection Other Files
8983 @kindex X o (Summary)
8984 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
8985 Save the current series
8986 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
8989 @kindex X b (Summary)
8990 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
8991 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
8992 doesn't really work yet.
8995 @kindex X Y (Summary)
8996 @findex gnus-uu-decode-yenc
8997 yEnc-decode the current series and save it (@code{gnus-uu-decode-yenc}).
9001 @node Decoding Variables
9002 @subsection Decoding Variables
9004 Adjective, not verb.
9007 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
9008 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
9009 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
9013 @node Rule Variables
9014 @subsubsection Rule Variables
9015 @cindex rule variables
9017 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
9018 variables are of the form
9021 (list '(regexp1 command2)
9028 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
9029 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
9031 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
9032 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
9035 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
9036 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
9039 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
9040 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
9041 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
9042 user and default view rules.
9044 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
9045 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
9046 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
9051 @node Other Decode Variables
9052 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
9055 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
9057 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
9058 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
9059 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
9060 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
9061 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
9065 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
9066 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
9069 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
9070 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
9071 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
9074 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
9075 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
9076 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
9077 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
9078 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
9081 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
9082 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
9083 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
9085 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
9086 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
9087 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
9088 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
9089 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
9092 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
9093 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
9094 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
9096 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
9097 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
9098 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
9099 looking for files to display.
9101 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
9102 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
9103 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
9106 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
9107 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
9108 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
9111 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
9112 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
9113 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
9116 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
9117 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
9118 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
9121 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
9122 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
9123 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
9124 decoded articles as unread.
9126 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
9127 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
9128 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
9129 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
9131 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
9132 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
9133 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
9135 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
9136 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
9138 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
9139 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
9140 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
9141 @code{metamail} for viewing.
9143 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
9144 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
9145 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
9146 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
9147 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
9148 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
9149 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
9150 simply dropped them.
9155 @node Uuencoding and Posting
9156 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
9160 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
9161 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
9162 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
9163 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
9164 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
9165 for you when you post the article.
9167 @item gnus-uu-post-length
9168 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
9169 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
9170 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
9172 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
9173 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
9174 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
9175 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
9176 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
9177 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
9178 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
9180 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
9181 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
9182 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
9183 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
9184 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
9185 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
9186 Default is @code{t}.
9192 @subsection Viewing Files
9193 @cindex viewing files
9194 @cindex pseudo-articles
9196 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
9197 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
9198 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
9199 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
9200 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
9201 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
9202 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
9204 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
9205 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
9206 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
9207 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
9209 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
9210 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
9211 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
9213 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
9214 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
9215 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
9216 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
9217 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
9219 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
9220 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
9221 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
9222 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
9223 a list of parameters to that command.
9225 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
9226 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
9227 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
9229 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
9230 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
9231 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
9234 @node Article Treatment
9235 @section Article Treatment
9237 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
9238 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
9239 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
9240 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
9241 these articles easier.
9244 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
9245 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
9246 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
9247 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
9248 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
9249 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
9250 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
9251 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
9252 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
9253 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
9254 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
9258 @node Article Highlighting
9259 @subsection Article Highlighting
9260 @cindex highlighting
9262 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
9263 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
9268 @kindex W H a (Summary)
9269 @findex gnus-article-highlight
9270 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
9271 Do much highlighting of the current article
9272 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
9273 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
9276 @kindex W H h (Summary)
9277 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
9278 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
9279 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
9280 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
9281 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
9282 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
9283 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
9284 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
9285 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
9286 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
9287 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
9290 @kindex W H c (Summary)
9291 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
9292 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
9294 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
9297 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
9299 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
9300 If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
9301 25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
9303 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
9304 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
9305 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
9307 @item gnus-cite-face-list
9308 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
9309 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
9310 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
9311 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
9312 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
9314 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
9315 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
9316 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
9318 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
9319 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
9320 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
9322 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
9323 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
9324 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
9325 that it's a citation.
9327 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
9328 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
9329 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
9331 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
9332 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
9333 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
9335 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
9336 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
9337 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
9338 cited text belonging to the attribution.
9340 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
9341 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
9342 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
9343 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
9344 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
9351 @kindex W H s (Summary)
9352 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9353 @vindex gnus-signature-face
9354 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
9355 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
9356 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
9357 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
9358 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
9363 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
9366 @node Article Fontisizing
9367 @subsection Article Fontisizing
9369 @cindex article emphasis
9371 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
9372 @kindex W e (Summary)
9373 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
9374 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
9375 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
9376 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
9378 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
9379 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
9380 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
9381 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
9382 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
9383 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
9384 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
9385 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
9389 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
9390 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
9391 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
9400 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
9401 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
9402 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
9403 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
9404 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
9405 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
9406 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
9407 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
9408 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
9409 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
9410 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
9411 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
9412 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
9414 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
9415 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
9416 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
9420 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
9423 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
9425 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
9426 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
9427 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
9428 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
9430 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
9433 @node Article Hiding
9434 @subsection Article Hiding
9435 @cindex article hiding
9437 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
9438 too much cruft in most articles.
9443 @kindex W W a (Summary)
9444 @findex gnus-article-hide
9445 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
9446 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
9447 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
9450 @kindex W W h (Summary)
9451 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
9452 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
9456 @kindex W W b (Summary)
9457 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9458 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
9459 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
9462 @kindex W W s (Summary)
9463 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
9464 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
9468 @kindex W W l (Summary)
9469 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
9470 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
9471 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
9472 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
9473 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
9474 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
9475 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
9479 @item gnus-list-identifiers
9480 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
9481 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
9482 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
9487 @kindex W W P (Summary)
9488 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
9489 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
9490 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
9493 @kindex W W B (Summary)
9494 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
9495 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
9496 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9499 @cindex stripping advertisements
9500 @cindex advertisements
9501 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
9502 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
9503 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
9504 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
9505 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
9506 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
9507 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
9508 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
9509 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
9510 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
9513 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
9514 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
9515 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
9519 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9520 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9521 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
9522 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
9523 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
9524 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
9525 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
9526 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
9527 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
9528 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
9529 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
9532 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
9533 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
9539 @kindex W W c (Summary)
9540 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
9541 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
9542 customizing the hiding:
9546 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
9547 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
9548 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
9549 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
9550 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
9551 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
9552 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
9557 Starting point of the hidden text.
9559 Ending point of the hidden text.
9561 Number of characters in the hidden region.
9563 Number of lines of hidden text.
9566 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
9567 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
9568 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
9569 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
9570 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
9575 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
9576 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
9578 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
9579 following two variables:
9582 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
9583 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
9584 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
9585 50), hide the cited text.
9587 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
9588 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
9589 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
9594 @kindex W W C (Summary)
9595 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
9596 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
9597 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
9598 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
9599 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
9603 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
9604 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
9605 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
9607 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
9608 citation customization.
9610 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
9614 @node Article Washing
9615 @subsection Article Washing
9617 @cindex article washing
9619 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
9620 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
9622 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
9623 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
9626 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
9627 articles by default.
9632 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
9633 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
9637 Force redisplaying of the current article
9638 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
9639 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
9640 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
9641 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
9644 @kindex W l (Summary)
9645 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
9646 Remove page breaks from the current article
9647 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
9651 @kindex W r (Summary)
9652 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
9653 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
9654 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
9655 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
9656 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
9657 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
9659 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
9660 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
9661 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
9662 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
9665 @kindex W m (Summary)
9666 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
9667 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
9670 @kindex W i (Summary)
9671 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
9672 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
9673 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
9674 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
9675 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
9676 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
9681 @kindex W t (Summary)
9683 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
9684 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
9685 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
9688 @kindex W v (Summary)
9689 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
9690 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
9691 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
9694 @kindex W o (Summary)
9695 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
9696 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
9699 @kindex W d (Summary)
9700 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
9701 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
9703 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
9705 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
9706 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
9707 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
9708 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
9711 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
9712 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
9713 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
9714 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
9717 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
9718 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
9719 @cindex Outlook Express
9720 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
9721 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
9722 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
9725 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
9726 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
9727 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
9728 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
9729 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
9730 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
9731 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
9732 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
9733 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
9734 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
9737 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
9738 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
9739 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
9740 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
9743 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
9744 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
9745 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
9746 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
9749 @kindex W w (Summary)
9750 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
9751 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
9753 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
9757 @kindex W Q (Summary)
9758 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
9759 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
9762 @kindex W C (Summary)
9763 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
9764 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
9765 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
9768 @kindex W c (Summary)
9769 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
9770 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
9771 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
9772 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
9773 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
9776 @kindex W q (Summary)
9777 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
9778 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
9779 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
9780 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
9781 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
9782 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
9783 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9784 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9785 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9788 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
9789 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
9790 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
9791 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
9792 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
9793 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9794 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9795 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9798 @kindex W Z (Summary)
9799 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
9800 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
9801 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
9802 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
9805 @kindex W A (Summary)
9806 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
9807 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
9808 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
9809 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
9810 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
9813 @kindex W u (Summary)
9814 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
9815 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
9816 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
9817 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
9818 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
9821 @kindex W h (Summary)
9822 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
9823 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
9824 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9825 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
9827 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
9828 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
9829 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
9831 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
9832 The default is to use the function specified by
9833 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
9834 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
9835 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
9836 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
9844 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
9846 @item w3m-standalone
9847 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
9850 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
9853 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
9856 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
9861 @kindex W b (Summary)
9862 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
9863 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
9864 @xref{Article Buttons}.
9867 @kindex W B (Summary)
9868 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
9869 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
9870 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
9873 @kindex W p (Summary)
9874 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
9875 Verify a signed control message
9876 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
9877 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
9878 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
9879 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
9880 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
9881 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
9884 @kindex W s (Summary)
9885 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
9886 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
9887 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
9888 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
9891 @kindex W a (Summary)
9892 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
9893 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
9894 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
9897 @kindex W E l (Summary)
9898 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
9899 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
9900 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
9903 @kindex W E m (Summary)
9904 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
9905 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
9906 lines with a single empty line.
9907 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
9910 @kindex W E t (Summary)
9911 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
9912 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
9913 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
9916 @kindex W E a (Summary)
9917 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
9918 Do all the three commands above
9919 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
9922 @kindex W E A (Summary)
9923 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
9924 Remove all blank lines
9925 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
9928 @kindex W E s (Summary)
9929 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
9930 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
9931 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
9934 @kindex W E e (Summary)
9935 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
9936 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
9937 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
9941 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
9944 @node Article Header
9945 @subsection Article Header
9947 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
9952 @kindex W G u (Summary)
9953 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
9954 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
9957 @kindex W G n (Summary)
9958 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
9959 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
9960 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
9963 @kindex W G f (Summary)
9964 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
9965 Fold all the message headers
9966 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
9969 @kindex W E w (Summary)
9970 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
9971 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
9972 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
9977 @node Article Buttons
9978 @subsection Article Buttons
9981 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
9982 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
9983 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
9984 button on these references.
9986 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9987 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
9988 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
9989 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
9990 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
9994 @item gnus-button-alist
9995 @vindex gnus-button-alist
9996 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
9999 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
10005 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
10006 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
10007 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
10008 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
10009 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
10012 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
10013 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
10014 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
10017 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
10018 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
10019 avoid false matches. Often variables named
10020 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
10021 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
10023 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
10026 This function will be called when you click on this button.
10029 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
10030 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
10034 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
10037 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
10040 @item gnus-header-button-alist
10041 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
10042 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
10043 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
10044 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
10047 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
10050 @var{header} is a regular expression.
10053 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
10056 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
10057 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
10059 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
10061 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
10062 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
10063 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
10064 default values of the variables above.
10066 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
10068 @item gnus-button-man-handler
10069 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
10070 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
10071 argument with a string naming the man page.
10073 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
10075 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
10076 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
10077 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
10079 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
10080 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
10081 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
10082 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
10083 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
10084 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
10085 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
10086 @code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
10087 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
10088 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
10089 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
10090 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
10092 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
10093 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
10094 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
10095 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
10096 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
10099 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
10100 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
10101 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
10102 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
10104 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
10106 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
10107 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
10108 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
10109 argument, the string naming the URL.
10111 @item gnus-ctan-url
10112 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
10113 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
10114 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
10118 @item gnus-article-button-face
10119 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
10120 Face used on buttons.
10122 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
10123 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
10124 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
10128 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
10131 @node Article Button Levels
10132 @subsection Article button levels
10133 @cindex button levels
10134 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
10135 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
10136 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
10137 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
10138 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
10139 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
10140 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
10141 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
10144 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
10145 (setq gnus-parameters
10146 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
10147 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
10148 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
10153 @item gnus-button-browse-level
10154 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
10155 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
10156 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
10157 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
10158 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
10160 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
10161 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
10162 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
10163 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
10164 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
10165 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
10166 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
10167 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
10168 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
10169 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
10170 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
10171 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
10172 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
10174 @item gnus-button-man-level
10175 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
10176 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
10177 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
10179 @item gnus-button-message-level
10180 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
10181 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
10182 Related variables and functions include
10183 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
10184 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
10185 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
10186 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
10188 @item gnus-button-tex-level
10189 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
10190 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
10191 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
10192 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
10193 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
10194 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
10200 @subsection Article Date
10202 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
10203 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
10204 when the article was sent.
10209 @kindex W T u (Summary)
10210 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
10211 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
10212 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
10215 @kindex W T i (Summary)
10216 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
10218 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
10219 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
10222 @kindex W T l (Summary)
10223 @findex gnus-article-date-local
10224 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
10227 @kindex W T p (Summary)
10228 @findex gnus-article-date-english
10229 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
10230 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
10233 @kindex W T s (Summary)
10234 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
10235 @findex gnus-article-date-user
10236 @findex format-time-string
10237 Display the date using a user-defined format
10238 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
10239 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
10240 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
10241 for a list of possible format specs.
10244 @kindex W T e (Summary)
10245 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
10246 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
10247 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
10248 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
10249 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
10252 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
10255 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
10256 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
10257 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
10260 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
10261 into wonderful absurdities.
10263 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
10266 (gnus-start-date-timer)
10269 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
10270 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
10274 @kindex W T o (Summary)
10275 @findex gnus-article-date-original
10276 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
10277 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
10278 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
10279 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
10280 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
10284 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
10285 preferred format automatically.
10288 @node Article Display
10289 @subsection Article Display
10294 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
10295 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
10297 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
10298 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
10300 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
10301 headers (@pxref{Face}).
10303 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
10304 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
10306 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
10307 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
10309 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
10310 they'll be removed.
10314 @kindex W D x (Summary)
10315 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
10316 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
10317 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
10320 @kindex W D d (Summary)
10321 @findex gnus-article-display-face
10322 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
10323 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
10326 @kindex W D s (Summary)
10327 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
10328 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
10331 @kindex W D f (Summary)
10332 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
10333 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
10336 @kindex W D m (Summary)
10337 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
10338 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
10339 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
10342 @kindex W D n (Summary)
10343 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
10344 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
10345 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
10348 @kindex W D D (Summary)
10349 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
10350 Remove all images from the article buffer
10351 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
10357 @node Article Signature
10358 @subsection Article Signature
10360 @cindex article signature
10362 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
10363 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
10364 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
10365 that says what is to be considered a signature is
10366 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
10367 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
10368 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
10369 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
10370 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
10373 (setq gnus-signature-separator
10374 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
10375 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
10376 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
10377 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
10378 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
10379 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
10380 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
10383 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
10386 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
10387 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
10388 signature when displaying articles.
10392 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
10395 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
10398 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
10399 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
10401 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
10402 in question is not a signature.
10405 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
10406 listed above. Here's an example:
10409 (setq gnus-signature-limit
10410 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
10413 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
10414 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
10415 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
10416 signature after all.
10419 @node Article Miscellanea
10420 @subsection Article Miscellanea
10424 @kindex A t (Summary)
10425 @findex gnus-article-babel
10426 Translate the article from one language to another
10427 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
10432 @node MIME Commands
10433 @section MIME Commands
10434 @cindex MIME decoding
10435 @cindex attachments
10436 @cindex viewing attachments
10438 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
10439 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
10444 @kindex b (Summary)
10445 @kindex K v (Summary)
10446 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
10449 @kindex K o (Summary)
10450 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
10453 @kindex K O (Summary)
10454 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
10455 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
10456 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
10459 @kindex K r (Summary)
10460 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
10463 @kindex K d (Summary)
10464 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
10468 @kindex K c (Summary)
10469 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
10472 @kindex K e (Summary)
10473 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
10476 @kindex K i (Summary)
10477 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
10480 @kindex K | (Summary)
10481 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
10484 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
10489 @kindex K H (Summary)
10490 @findex gnus-article-browse-html-article
10491 View @samp{text/html} parts of the current article with a WWW browser.
10492 The message header is added to the beginning of every html part unless
10493 the prefix argument is given.
10495 Warning: Spammers use links to images in HTML articles to verify whether
10496 you have read the message. As this command passes the @acronym{HTML}
10497 content to the browser without eliminating these ``web bugs'' you should
10498 only use it for mails from trusted senders.
10500 If you always want to display @acronym{HTML} parts in the browser, set
10501 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} to @code{nil}.
10504 @kindex K b (Summary)
10505 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
10506 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
10510 @kindex K m (Summary)
10511 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
10512 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
10513 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
10514 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
10515 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
10518 @kindex X m (Summary)
10519 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
10520 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
10521 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
10522 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10525 @kindex M-t (Summary)
10526 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
10527 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
10528 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
10531 @kindex W M w (Summary)
10532 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
10533 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
10534 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
10537 @kindex W M c (Summary)
10538 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
10539 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
10540 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
10542 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
10543 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
10544 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
10545 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
10546 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
10547 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
10550 @kindex W M v (Summary)
10551 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
10552 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
10553 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
10557 Relevant variables:
10560 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
10561 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
10562 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10563 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
10566 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
10569 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
10573 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
10574 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
10575 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
10576 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
10577 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
10578 default is @code{t}.
10580 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
10581 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
10584 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
10585 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
10586 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
10587 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
10588 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
10589 single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
10590 for encoding in Gnus.
10592 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
10593 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
10594 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10595 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
10596 displayed or this variable is overridden by
10597 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
10598 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
10599 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
10601 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
10602 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
10603 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10604 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
10605 displayed. This variable overrides
10606 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
10607 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
10610 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
10611 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
10612 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
10614 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
10615 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
10616 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
10617 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
10618 Emacs MIME Manual}).
10620 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
10621 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
10622 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
10623 default value is @code{nil}.
10625 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
10626 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
10627 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
10628 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
10629 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
10630 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
10631 save all jpegs into some directory).
10633 Here's an example function the does the latter:
10636 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
10637 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
10639 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
10640 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
10641 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
10642 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
10643 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
10646 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
10647 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
10648 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
10650 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
10651 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
10652 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
10654 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
10655 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
10656 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
10658 If displaying @samp{text/html} is discouraged, see
10659 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
10660 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
10661 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
10662 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
10664 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
10665 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
10666 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
10667 overrides @code{nil} values of
10668 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
10669 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
10671 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10672 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10673 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
10674 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
10676 Ready-made functions include@*
10677 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
10678 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
10679 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
10680 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
10681 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
10682 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
10683 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
10684 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
10685 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10686 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10687 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10688 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10690 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
10691 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
10693 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
10694 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
10695 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
10698 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10699 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10700 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10701 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
10705 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
10714 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
10715 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
10716 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
10717 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
10718 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
10719 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
10720 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
10722 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
10723 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
10724 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
10725 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
10727 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
10728 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
10729 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
10730 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
10731 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
10732 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
10733 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
10734 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
10735 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
10737 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
10738 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
10739 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
10740 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
10741 quoted-printable header encoding.
10743 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
10744 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
10745 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
10749 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
10752 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
10753 means encode all charsets),
10755 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
10756 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
10757 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
10764 @cindex coding system aliases
10765 @cindex preferred charset
10767 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
10768 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
10769 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
10771 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
10773 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
10774 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
10777 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
10778 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
10781 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
10782 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
10784 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
10787 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
10790 This will almost do the right thing.
10792 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
10796 (codepage-setup 1251)
10797 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
10801 @node Article Commands
10802 @section Article Commands
10809 @kindex A P (Summary)
10810 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
10811 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
10812 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
10813 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
10814 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
10815 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
10820 @node Summary Sorting
10821 @section Summary Sorting
10822 @cindex summary sorting
10824 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
10825 can't really see why you'd want that.
10830 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10831 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
10832 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
10834 @item C-c C-s C-m C-n
10835 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10836 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number
10837 Sort by most recent article number
10838 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number}).
10841 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
10842 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
10843 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
10846 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
10847 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
10848 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
10851 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
10852 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
10853 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
10856 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
10857 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
10858 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
10860 @item C-c C-s C-m C-d
10861 @kindex C-c C-s C-m C-d (Summary)
10862 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date
10863 Sort by most recent date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date}).
10866 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
10867 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
10868 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
10871 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
10872 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
10873 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
10876 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
10877 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
10878 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
10881 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
10882 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
10883 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
10886 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
10887 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
10888 Sort using the default sorting method
10889 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
10892 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
10893 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
10894 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
10895 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
10896 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
10899 If a prefix argument if given, the sort order is reversed.
10902 @node Finding the Parent
10903 @section Finding the Parent
10904 @cindex parent articles
10905 @cindex referring articles
10909 @kindex ^ (Summary)
10910 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
10911 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
10912 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
10913 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
10914 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
10915 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
10916 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
10917 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
10918 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
10920 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
10921 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
10922 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
10923 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
10924 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
10927 @item A R (Summary)
10928 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
10929 @kindex A R (Summary)
10930 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
10931 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
10933 @item A T (Summary)
10934 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
10935 @kindex A T (Summary)
10936 Display the full thread where the current article appears
10937 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
10938 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
10939 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
10940 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
10941 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
10942 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
10944 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
10945 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
10946 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
10947 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
10948 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
10949 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
10951 @item M-^ (Summary)
10952 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
10953 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
10955 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
10956 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
10957 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
10958 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
10959 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
10960 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
10962 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
10963 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
10964 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
10967 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
10968 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
10969 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
10970 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
10971 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
10972 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
10975 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
10976 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
10977 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
10980 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
10981 then ask Google if that fails:
10984 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
10986 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
10989 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
10990 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
10991 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
10992 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
10993 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
10994 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
10995 not support this at all.
10998 @node Alternative Approaches
10999 @section Alternative Approaches
11001 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
11002 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
11005 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
11006 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
11010 @node Pick and Read
11011 @subsection Pick and Read
11012 @cindex pick and read
11014 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
11015 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
11016 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
11017 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
11019 @findex gnus-pick-mode
11020 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
11021 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
11022 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
11023 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
11024 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
11026 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
11031 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
11032 Pick the article or thread on the current line
11033 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
11034 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
11035 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
11036 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
11037 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
11038 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
11041 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
11042 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
11043 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
11044 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
11048 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
11049 Unpick the thread or article
11050 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
11051 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
11052 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
11053 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
11054 the thread or article at that line.
11058 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
11059 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
11060 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
11061 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
11062 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
11063 will still be visible when you are reading.
11067 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
11068 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
11069 which is mapped to the same function
11070 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
11072 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
11075 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
11078 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
11079 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
11081 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
11082 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
11083 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
11085 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
11086 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
11087 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
11088 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
11089 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
11090 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
11091 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
11094 @node Binary Groups
11095 @subsection Binary Groups
11096 @cindex binary groups
11098 @findex gnus-binary-mode
11099 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
11100 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
11101 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
11102 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
11103 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
11104 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
11107 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
11108 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
11109 command, when you have turned on this mode
11110 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
11112 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
11113 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
11117 @section Tree Display
11120 @vindex gnus-use-trees
11121 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
11122 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
11123 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
11124 in the tree buffer.
11126 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
11129 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
11130 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
11131 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
11133 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
11134 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
11135 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
11136 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
11137 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
11139 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
11140 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
11141 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
11142 default is @code{modeline}.
11144 @item gnus-tree-line-format
11145 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
11146 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
11147 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
11148 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
11149 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
11150 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
11156 The name of the poster.
11158 The @code{From} header.
11160 The number of the article.
11162 The opening bracket.
11164 The closing bracket.
11169 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
11171 Variables related to the display are:
11174 @item gnus-tree-brackets
11175 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
11176 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
11177 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
11179 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
11180 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
11181 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
11183 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
11185 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
11186 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
11187 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
11188 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
11192 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
11193 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
11194 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
11195 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
11196 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
11197 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
11198 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
11199 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
11200 other windows displayed next to it.
11202 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
11206 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
11207 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
11210 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
11211 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
11212 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
11213 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
11214 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
11215 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
11216 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
11220 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
11223 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
11233 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
11238 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
11239 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
11241 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
11243 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
11249 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
11250 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
11251 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11254 (setq gnus-use-trees t
11255 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
11256 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
11257 (gnus-add-configuration
11261 (summary 0.75 point)
11266 @xref{Window Layout}.
11269 @node Mail Group Commands
11270 @section Mail Group Commands
11271 @cindex mail group commands
11273 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
11274 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
11276 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
11277 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11282 @kindex B e (Summary)
11283 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
11284 @cindex expiring mail
11285 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
11286 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
11287 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
11288 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
11291 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
11292 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
11293 @cindex expiring mail
11294 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
11295 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
11296 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
11297 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
11300 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
11301 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
11302 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
11303 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
11304 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
11305 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
11308 @kindex B m (Summary)
11310 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
11311 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
11312 Move the article from one mail group to another
11313 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
11314 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
11317 @kindex B c (Summary)
11319 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
11320 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
11321 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
11322 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
11323 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
11326 @kindex B B (Summary)
11327 @cindex crosspost mail
11328 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
11329 Crosspost the current article to some other group
11330 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
11331 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
11332 be properly updated.
11335 @kindex B i (Summary)
11336 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
11337 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
11338 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
11339 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
11342 @kindex B I (Summary)
11343 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
11344 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
11345 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
11346 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
11349 @kindex B r (Summary)
11350 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
11351 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
11352 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
11353 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
11354 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
11355 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
11356 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
11357 (which is the default).
11361 @kindex B w (Summary)
11362 @kindex e (Summary)
11363 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
11364 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
11365 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
11366 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
11367 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
11368 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
11369 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
11372 @kindex B q (Summary)
11373 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
11374 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
11375 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
11376 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
11379 @kindex B t (Summary)
11380 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
11381 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
11382 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
11385 @kindex B p (Summary)
11386 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
11387 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
11388 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
11389 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
11390 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
11391 article from your news server (or rather, from
11392 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
11393 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
11394 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
11395 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
11396 just not have arrived yet.
11399 @kindex K E (Summary)
11400 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
11401 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
11402 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
11403 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
11404 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
11408 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
11409 @cindex moving articles
11410 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
11411 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
11412 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
11413 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
11414 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
11415 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
11416 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
11419 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
11420 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
11421 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
11422 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
11426 @node Various Summary Stuff
11427 @section Various Summary Stuff
11430 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
11431 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
11432 * Summary Generation Commands::
11433 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
11437 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
11438 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
11439 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
11440 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
11441 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
11442 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
11444 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
11445 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
11446 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
11449 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
11450 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
11451 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
11453 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
11454 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
11455 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
11456 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
11457 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
11458 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
11461 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
11462 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
11463 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
11464 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
11465 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
11467 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
11468 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
11469 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
11472 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
11473 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
11474 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
11475 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
11476 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
11477 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
11478 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
11479 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
11480 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
11481 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
11483 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
11484 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
11485 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
11486 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
11487 list of articles to be selected.
11489 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
11490 the list in one particular group:
11493 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
11494 (if (string= group "some.group")
11495 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
11499 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
11500 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
11501 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
11502 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
11503 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
11506 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
11507 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
11508 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
11509 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
11510 variable will be used instead.
11512 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
11513 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
11514 buffers. For example:
11517 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
11518 '(message-use-followup-to
11519 (gnus-visible-headers .
11520 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
11523 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
11525 @vindex gnus-propagate-marks
11526 @item gnus-propagate-marks
11527 If non-@code{nil}, propagate marks to the backends for possible
11528 storing. @xref{NNTP marks}, and friends, for a more fine-grained
11534 @node Summary Group Information
11535 @subsection Summary Group Information
11540 @kindex H f (Summary)
11541 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
11542 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
11543 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
11544 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
11545 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
11546 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
11547 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
11548 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
11549 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
11552 @kindex H d (Summary)
11553 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
11554 Give a brief description of the current group
11555 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
11556 rereading the description from the server.
11559 @kindex H h (Summary)
11560 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
11561 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
11562 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
11565 @kindex H i (Summary)
11566 @findex gnus-info-find-node
11567 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
11571 @node Searching for Articles
11572 @subsection Searching for Articles
11577 @kindex M-s (Summary)
11578 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
11579 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
11580 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
11583 @kindex M-r (Summary)
11584 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
11585 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
11586 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
11589 @kindex M-S (Summary)
11590 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
11591 Repeat the previous search forwards
11592 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
11595 @kindex M-R (Summary)
11596 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
11597 Repeat the previous search backwards
11598 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
11601 @kindex & (Summary)
11602 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
11603 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
11604 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
11605 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
11606 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
11607 search backward instead.
11609 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
11610 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
11613 @kindex M-& (Summary)
11614 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
11615 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
11616 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
11619 @node Summary Generation Commands
11620 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
11625 @kindex Y g (Summary)
11626 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
11627 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
11630 @kindex Y c (Summary)
11631 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
11632 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11633 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
11636 @kindex Y d (Summary)
11637 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
11638 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11639 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
11642 @kindex Y t (Summary)
11643 @findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
11644 Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11645 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
11650 @node Really Various Summary Commands
11651 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
11657 @kindex C-d (Summary)
11658 @kindex A D (Summary)
11659 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
11660 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
11661 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
11662 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
11663 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
11664 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
11665 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
11666 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
11669 @vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
11670 The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
11671 article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
11676 Select the next article.
11679 Select the next unread article.
11681 @item next-noselect
11682 Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
11684 @item next-unread-noselect
11685 Move the cursor to the next unread article.
11688 If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
11689 article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
11692 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
11693 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
11694 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
11695 several documents into one biiig group
11696 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
11697 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
11698 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
11699 command understands the process/prefix convention
11700 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11703 @kindex C-t (Summary)
11704 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
11705 Toggle truncation of summary lines
11706 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
11707 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
11708 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
11711 @kindex = (Summary)
11712 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
11713 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
11714 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
11717 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
11718 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
11719 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11720 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
11723 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
11724 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
11725 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11726 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
11731 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
11732 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
11733 @cindex summary exit
11734 @cindex exiting groups
11736 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
11737 group and return you to the group buffer.
11744 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
11745 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
11746 @kindex q (Summary)
11747 @findex gnus-summary-exit
11748 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
11749 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
11750 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
11751 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
11752 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
11753 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
11754 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
11755 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
11756 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
11757 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
11758 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
11762 @kindex Z E (Summary)
11763 @kindex Q (Summary)
11764 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
11765 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
11766 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
11770 @kindex Z c (Summary)
11771 @kindex c (Summary)
11772 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
11773 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
11774 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
11775 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
11778 @kindex Z C (Summary)
11779 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
11780 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
11781 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
11784 @kindex Z n (Summary)
11785 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
11786 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
11787 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
11790 @kindex Z p (Summary)
11791 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
11792 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
11793 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
11797 @kindex Z R (Summary)
11798 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
11799 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
11800 Exit this group, and then enter it again
11801 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
11802 all articles, both read and unread.
11806 @kindex Z G (Summary)
11807 @kindex M-g (Summary)
11808 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
11809 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
11810 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
11811 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
11812 articles, both read and unread.
11815 @kindex Z N (Summary)
11816 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
11817 Exit the group and go to the next group
11818 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
11821 @kindex Z P (Summary)
11822 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
11823 Exit the group and go to the previous group
11824 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
11827 @kindex Z s (Summary)
11828 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
11829 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
11830 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
11831 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
11832 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
11835 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
11836 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
11837 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
11838 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
11840 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
11841 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
11842 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
11843 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
11844 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
11845 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
11846 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
11847 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
11848 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
11849 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
11850 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
11851 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
11853 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
11855 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
11856 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
11857 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
11858 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
11859 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
11860 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
11861 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
11862 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
11863 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
11866 @node Crosspost Handling
11867 @section Crosspost Handling
11871 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
11872 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
11873 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
11874 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
11875 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
11876 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
11879 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
11880 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
11881 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
11882 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
11883 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
11885 @cindex cross-posting
11887 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
11888 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
11889 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
11890 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
11891 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
11892 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
11893 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
11894 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
11895 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
11896 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
11897 the cross reference mechanism.
11899 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
11900 @cindex overview.fmt
11901 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
11902 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
11903 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
11904 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
11905 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
11906 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
11909 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
11910 set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
11911 considerably. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
11915 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
11918 @node Duplicate Suppression
11919 @section Duplicate Suppression
11921 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
11922 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
11923 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
11924 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
11929 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
11930 is evil and not very common.
11933 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
11934 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
11937 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
11938 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
11941 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
11944 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
11945 well, but these four are the most common situations.
11947 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
11948 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
11949 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
11950 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
11951 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
11952 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
11953 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
11956 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
11957 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
11958 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
11959 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
11960 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
11961 saw the article in.
11964 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
11965 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
11966 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
11968 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
11969 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
11970 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
11971 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
11972 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
11973 session are suppressed.
11975 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
11976 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
11977 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
11978 suppression list. The default is 10000.
11980 @item gnus-duplicate-file
11981 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
11982 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
11983 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
11986 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
11987 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
11988 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
11989 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
11990 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
11991 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
11992 to you to figure out, I think.
11997 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
11998 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
11999 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
12004 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
12005 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
12006 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
12007 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
12010 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
12011 or newer is recommended.
12015 The variables that control security functionality on reading messages
12019 @item mm-verify-option
12020 @vindex mm-verify-option
12021 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
12022 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
12023 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
12025 @item mm-decrypt-option
12026 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
12027 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
12028 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
12029 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
12032 @vindex mml1991-use
12033 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
12034 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
12035 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
12039 @vindex mml2015-use
12040 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
12041 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
12042 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
12047 By default the buttons that display security information are not
12048 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
12049 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
12050 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
12051 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
12052 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
12053 how to customize these variables to always display security
12056 @cindex snarfing keys
12057 @cindex importing PGP keys
12058 @cindex PGP key ring import
12059 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
12060 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
12061 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
12062 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
12063 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
12064 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
12065 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
12066 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
12067 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
12070 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
12073 This happens to also be the default action defined in
12074 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
12076 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
12077 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
12078 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
12081 @section Mailing List
12082 @cindex mailing list
12085 @kindex A M (summary)
12086 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
12087 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
12088 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
12089 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
12092 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
12097 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
12098 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
12099 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
12102 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
12103 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
12104 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
12107 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
12108 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
12109 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
12113 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
12114 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
12115 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
12118 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
12119 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
12120 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
12123 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
12124 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
12125 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
12130 @node Article Buffer
12131 @chapter Article Buffer
12132 @cindex article buffer
12134 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
12135 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
12136 tell Gnus otherwise.
12139 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
12140 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
12141 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
12142 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
12143 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
12147 @node Hiding Headers
12148 @section Hiding Headers
12149 @cindex hiding headers
12150 @cindex deleting headers
12152 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
12153 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
12155 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
12156 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
12157 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
12158 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
12159 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
12160 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
12161 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
12162 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
12163 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
12165 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
12169 @item gnus-visible-headers
12170 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
12171 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
12172 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
12173 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
12175 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
12176 the article and the subject, you'd say:
12179 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
12182 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
12185 @item gnus-ignored-headers
12186 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
12187 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
12188 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
12189 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
12190 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
12192 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
12193 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
12196 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
12199 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
12202 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
12203 variable will have no effect.
12207 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
12208 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
12209 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
12210 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
12211 the headers are to be displayed.
12213 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
12214 and then the subject, you might say something like:
12217 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
12220 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
12221 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
12223 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
12224 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
12225 You can hide further boring headers by setting
12226 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
12227 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
12228 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
12229 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
12232 These conditions are:
12235 Remove all empty headers.
12237 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
12238 @code{Newsgroups} header.
12240 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
12241 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
12244 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
12247 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
12248 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
12250 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
12251 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
12253 Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
12254 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
12256 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
12259 Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
12261 Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
12264 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
12267 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
12268 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
12271 This is also the default value for this variable.
12275 @section Using MIME
12276 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12278 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
12279 while people stand around yawning.
12281 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
12282 while all newsreaders die of fear.
12284 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
12285 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
12286 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
12288 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
12289 @findex gnus-display-mime
12290 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
12291 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
12292 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
12293 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
12295 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
12296 @acronym{MIME} button:
12299 @findex gnus-article-press-button
12300 @item RET (Article)
12301 @kindex RET (Article)
12302 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
12303 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
12304 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
12305 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
12306 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
12307 object is displayed inline.
12309 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
12310 @item M-RET (Article)
12311 @kindex M-RET (Article)
12313 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
12314 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
12316 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
12318 @kindex t (Article)
12319 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
12320 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
12322 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
12324 @kindex C (Article)
12325 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
12326 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
12328 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
12330 @kindex o (Article)
12331 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
12332 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
12334 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
12335 @item C-o (Article)
12336 @kindex C-o (Article)
12337 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
12338 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
12339 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
12340 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
12341 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
12342 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
12344 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
12346 @kindex r (Article)
12347 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
12348 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
12349 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
12351 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
12353 @kindex d (Article)
12354 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
12355 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
12356 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
12358 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
12360 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
12362 @kindex c (Article)
12363 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
12364 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
12365 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
12366 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
12367 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
12368 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
12369 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
12370 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
12372 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
12374 @kindex p (Article)
12375 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
12376 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
12377 @file{.mailcap} file.
12379 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
12381 @kindex i (Article)
12382 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
12383 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as @samp{text/plain}. If given a prefix, insert
12384 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
12385 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
12386 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
12387 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
12388 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
12389 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
12390 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
12392 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
12394 @kindex E (Article)
12395 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
12396 viewer is available, use an external viewer
12397 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
12399 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
12401 @kindex e (Article)
12402 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
12403 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
12405 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
12407 @kindex | (Article)
12408 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
12410 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
12412 @kindex . (Article)
12413 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
12414 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
12418 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
12419 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
12420 @acronym{MIME} manual.
12422 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
12423 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
12424 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
12425 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
12426 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
12427 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
12428 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
12429 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
12430 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
12432 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
12434 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
12437 @node Customizing Articles
12438 @section Customizing Articles
12439 @cindex article customization
12441 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
12442 exist. You can call these functions interactively
12443 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
12444 called automatically when you select the articles.
12446 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
12447 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
12448 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
12449 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
12451 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
12452 for sensible values.
12456 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
12459 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
12462 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
12465 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
12468 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
12471 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
12475 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
12476 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
12477 regexps in the list.
12480 A list where the first element is not a string:
12482 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
12483 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
12484 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
12488 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
12493 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
12494 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
12495 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
12496 considered to contain just a single part.
12498 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
12499 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
12500 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
12501 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
12502 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
12503 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
12504 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
12507 @c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
12508 @c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
12510 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
12511 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
12512 @vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
12513 @vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
12514 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
12515 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
12516 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
12517 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
12518 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
12519 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
12520 @vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
12521 @vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
12522 @vindex gnus-treat-date-english
12523 @vindex gnus-treat-date-iso8601
12524 @vindex gnus-treat-date-lapsed
12525 @vindex gnus-treat-date-local
12526 @vindex gnus-treat-date-original
12527 @vindex gnus-treat-date-user-defined
12528 @vindex gnus-treat-date-ut
12529 @vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
12530 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
12531 @vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
12532 @vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
12533 @vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
12534 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12535 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12536 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12537 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12538 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12539 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12540 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12541 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12542 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12543 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12544 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12545 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12546 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12547 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12548 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12549 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12550 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
12551 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12552 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12553 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12554 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12555 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12558 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
12559 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
12560 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
12561 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
12564 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
12565 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
12567 @xref{Article Buttons}.
12569 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
12570 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
12571 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
12572 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
12573 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
12574 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
12575 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
12576 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
12577 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
12578 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
12580 @xref{Article Washing}.
12582 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
12583 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
12584 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
12585 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
12586 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
12587 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
12588 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
12590 @xref{Article Date}.
12592 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
12593 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
12594 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
12598 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
12600 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
12602 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
12603 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
12604 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
12608 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12609 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
12613 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12614 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
12618 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12619 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
12620 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12621 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
12622 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12623 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
12624 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12625 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
12626 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12627 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
12628 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12629 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
12630 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12631 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
12632 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12633 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
12634 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12635 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
12636 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12637 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
12639 @xref{Article Hiding}.
12641 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12642 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
12643 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12644 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
12645 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12646 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
12648 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
12650 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12651 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
12652 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
12653 @item gnus-treat-translate
12654 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
12655 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12656 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
12658 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12659 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
12660 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12661 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
12662 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12663 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
12664 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12665 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
12667 @xref{Article Header}.
12672 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
12673 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
12674 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
12675 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
12676 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
12680 @node Article Keymap
12681 @section Article Keymap
12683 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
12684 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
12685 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
12686 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
12689 @kindex v (Article)
12690 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
12691 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
12692 command or better use it as a prefix key.
12694 A few additional keystrokes are available:
12699 @kindex SPACE (Article)
12700 @findex gnus-article-next-page
12701 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
12702 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
12705 @kindex DEL (Article)
12706 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
12707 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
12708 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
12711 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
12712 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
12713 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
12714 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
12715 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
12718 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
12719 @findex gnus-article-mail
12720 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
12721 given a prefix, include the mail.
12724 @kindex s (Article)
12725 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
12726 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
12727 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
12730 @kindex ? (Article)
12731 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
12732 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
12733 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
12736 @kindex TAB (Article)
12737 @findex gnus-article-next-button
12738 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
12739 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
12742 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
12743 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
12744 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
12747 @kindex R (Article)
12748 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
12749 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
12750 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If the region is active,
12751 only yank the text in the region.
12754 @kindex S W (Article)
12755 @findex gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original
12756 Send a wide reply to the current article and yank the current article
12757 (@code{gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original}). If the region is
12758 active, only yank the text in the region.
12761 @kindex F (Article)
12762 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
12763 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
12764 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If the region is active,
12765 only yank the text in the region.
12772 @section Misc Article
12776 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
12777 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
12778 @cindex article buffers, several
12779 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
12780 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
12783 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
12784 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
12785 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12786 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
12787 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
12789 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
12790 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
12791 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
12792 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
12793 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
12794 the contents of the article buffer.
12796 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
12797 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
12798 Hook called in article mode buffers.
12800 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12801 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12802 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
12803 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
12805 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
12806 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
12807 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
12808 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
12810 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
12811 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
12812 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
12813 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
12814 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
12815 with two extensions:
12820 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
12821 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
12822 performed. The characters and their meaning:
12827 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
12830 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
12833 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
12834 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
12835 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
12838 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
12841 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
12844 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasized strings in the article buffer.
12849 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
12853 @vindex gnus-break-pages
12855 @item gnus-break-pages
12856 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
12857 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
12858 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
12859 paging will not be done.
12861 @item gnus-page-delimiter
12862 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
12863 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
12867 @cindex internationalized domain names
12868 @vindex gnus-use-idna
12869 @item gnus-use-idna
12870 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
12871 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
12872 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
12873 for how to compose such messages. This requires
12874 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
12875 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
12880 @node Composing Messages
12881 @chapter Composing Messages
12882 @cindex composing messages
12885 @cindex sending mail
12890 @cindex using s/mime
12891 @cindex using smime
12893 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
12894 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
12895 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
12896 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
12897 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
12898 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
12901 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
12902 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
12903 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
12904 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
12905 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
12906 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
12907 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
12908 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
12909 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
12912 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
12913 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
12919 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
12922 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
12923 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
12924 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
12925 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
12926 @code{nil} include all headers.
12928 @item gnus-add-to-list
12929 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
12930 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
12931 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
12933 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12934 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12935 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
12936 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
12937 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
12938 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
12939 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
12940 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
12942 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
12943 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
12945 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
12946 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
12947 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
12948 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
12949 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
12954 @node Posting Server
12955 @section Posting Server
12957 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
12958 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
12960 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
12962 It can be quite complicated.
12964 @vindex gnus-post-method
12965 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
12966 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
12967 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
12968 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
12969 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
12970 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
12971 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
12972 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
12973 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
12976 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
12979 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
12980 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
12981 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
12982 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
12984 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
12985 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
12987 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
12988 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
12991 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
12992 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
12994 @vindex message-send-mail-function
12995 When sending mail, Message invokes the function specified by the
12996 variable @code{message-send-mail-function}. Gnus tries to set it to a
12997 value suitable for your system.
12998 @xref{Mail Variables, ,Mail Variables,message,Message manual}, for more
13001 @node POP before SMTP
13002 @section POP before SMTP
13003 @cindex pop before smtp
13004 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
13005 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
13007 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
13008 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
13009 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
13010 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
13011 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13014 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
13015 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
13019 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
13020 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
13021 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
13022 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
13023 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
13024 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
13025 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
13026 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
13028 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
13029 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
13030 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
13031 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
13032 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
13033 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
13036 (setq mail-source-primary-source
13037 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13038 :password "secret"))
13042 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
13043 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
13046 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
13048 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
13049 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13050 :password "secret")))
13051 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
13054 @node Mail and Post
13055 @section Mail and Post
13057 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
13061 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
13062 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
13063 @cindex mailing lists
13065 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
13066 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
13067 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
13068 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
13069 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
13070 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
13071 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
13072 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
13073 still a pain, though.
13075 @item gnus-user-agent
13076 @vindex gnus-user-agent
13079 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
13080 User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
13081 symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
13082 version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
13083 (show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
13084 configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
13085 string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
13089 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
13090 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
13091 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
13094 @findex ispell-message
13096 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
13099 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
13100 you're in, you could say something like the following:
13103 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
13107 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
13108 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
13110 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
13113 Modify to suit your needs.
13115 @vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
13116 If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is t, different levels of
13117 citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
13120 @node Archived Messages
13121 @section Archived Messages
13122 @cindex archived messages
13123 @cindex sent messages
13125 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
13126 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
13127 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
13128 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
13131 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
13132 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
13135 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
13136 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
13137 use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
13138 actually being used it is expanded into:
13141 (nnfolder "archive"
13142 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
13143 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
13144 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
13145 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
13149 @vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
13150 Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
13151 so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
13152 @code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
13153 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
13154 since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
13155 even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
13156 afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
13157 mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
13158 saved method to reflect always the value of
13159 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
13160 @code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
13161 value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
13164 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
13165 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
13166 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
13167 directory chosen, you could say something like:
13170 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
13171 '(nnfolder "archive"
13172 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
13173 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
13174 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
13177 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
13179 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
13180 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
13181 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
13183 This variable can be used to do the following:
13187 Messages will be saved in that group.
13189 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
13190 message will not be stored in the select method given by
13191 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
13192 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
13193 has the default value shown above. Then setting
13194 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
13195 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
13196 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
13199 @item a list of strings
13200 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
13202 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
13203 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
13206 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
13211 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
13213 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
13216 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
13218 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
13221 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
13223 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13224 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
13225 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
13226 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
13229 More complex stuff:
13231 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13232 '((if (message-news-p)
13237 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
13238 messages in one file per month:
13241 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13242 '((if (message-news-p)
13244 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
13247 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
13248 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
13250 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
13251 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
13252 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
13253 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
13254 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
13255 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
13256 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
13257 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
13258 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
13259 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
13261 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
13262 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
13263 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
13264 this will disable archiving.
13267 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
13268 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
13269 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
13270 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
13271 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
13274 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
13275 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
13276 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
13279 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
13280 but the latter is the preferred method.
13282 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
13283 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
13284 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
13286 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
13287 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
13288 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
13289 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
13290 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
13291 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
13292 changed in the future.
13297 @node Posting Styles
13298 @section Posting Styles
13299 @cindex posting styles
13302 All them variables, they make my head swim.
13304 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
13305 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
13306 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
13309 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
13310 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
13311 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
13312 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
13313 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
13318 (signature "Peace and happiness")
13319 (organization "What me?"))
13321 (signature "Death to everybody"))
13322 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
13323 (organization "Emacs is it")))
13326 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
13327 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
13328 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
13329 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
13330 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
13331 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
13332 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
13333 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
13335 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
13336 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
13337 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
13338 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
13339 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
13340 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
13341 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
13342 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
13343 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
13344 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
13345 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
13346 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
13347 said to @dfn{match}.
13349 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
13350 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
13351 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
13352 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
13353 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
13354 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
13355 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
13356 name can be one of:
13359 @item @code{signature}
13360 @item @code{signature-file}
13361 @item @code{x-face-file}
13362 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
13363 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
13367 Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
13368 @code{message-signature-directory}.
13370 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
13371 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
13372 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
13373 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
13374 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
13376 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
13377 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
13378 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
13379 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
13380 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
13381 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
13382 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
13383 references chars lines xref extra.
13385 @vindex message-reply-headers
13387 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
13388 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
13389 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
13391 @findex message-mail-p
13392 @findex message-news-p
13394 So here's a new example:
13397 (setq gnus-posting-styles
13399 (signature-file "~/.signature")
13401 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
13402 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
13403 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
13405 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
13406 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
13407 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
13408 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
13409 (signature my-news-signature))
13410 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
13411 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
13412 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
13413 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
13414 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
13415 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
13416 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
13417 (address "user@@bar.foo")
13418 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
13419 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
13421 (From (save-excursion
13422 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
13423 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
13425 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
13428 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
13429 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
13430 if you fill many roles.
13431 You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
13432 @xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
13438 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
13439 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
13440 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
13441 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
13442 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
13444 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
13445 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
13446 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
13447 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
13448 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
13452 @vindex nndraft-directory
13453 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
13454 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
13455 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
13456 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
13457 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
13458 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
13460 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
13461 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
13462 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
13463 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
13464 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
13465 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
13466 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
13467 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
13468 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
13470 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
13471 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
13472 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
13473 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
13474 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
13475 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
13476 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
13477 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
13478 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
13479 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
13480 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
13481 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
13482 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
13483 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
13485 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
13486 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
13487 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
13489 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
13490 @kindex D e (Draft)
13491 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
13492 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
13493 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
13495 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
13498 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
13499 @kindex D s (Draft)
13500 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
13501 @kindex D S (Draft)
13502 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
13503 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
13504 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
13505 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
13506 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
13509 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
13510 @kindex D t (Draft)
13511 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
13512 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
13513 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
13516 @node Rejected Articles
13517 @section Rejected Articles
13518 @cindex rejected articles
13520 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
13521 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
13522 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
13523 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
13525 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
13526 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
13527 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
13528 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
13529 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
13531 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
13532 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
13533 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
13535 @node Signing and encrypting
13536 @section Signing and encrypting
13538 @cindex using s/mime
13539 @cindex using smime
13541 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
13542 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
13543 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
13544 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
13546 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
13547 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
13548 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
13549 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
13550 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
13551 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
13552 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
13553 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
13554 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
13555 automatically encrypted messages.
13557 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
13558 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
13559 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
13564 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
13565 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
13567 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13570 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
13571 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13573 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13576 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
13577 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13579 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13582 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
13583 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
13585 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13588 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
13589 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
13591 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13594 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
13595 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
13597 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13600 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
13601 @findex mml-unsecure-message
13602 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
13606 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
13608 @node Select Methods
13609 @chapter Select Methods
13610 @cindex foreign groups
13611 @cindex select methods
13613 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
13614 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
13615 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
13616 personal mail group.
13618 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
13619 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
13620 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
13621 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
13622 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
13623 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
13625 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
13626 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
13628 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
13631 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
13632 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
13633 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
13634 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
13635 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
13637 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
13640 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
13641 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
13642 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
13643 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
13644 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
13645 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
13646 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
13647 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
13648 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
13652 @node Server Buffer
13653 @section Server Buffer
13655 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
13656 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
13657 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
13658 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
13659 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
13660 back end represents a virtual server.
13662 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
13663 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
13664 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
13665 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
13667 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
13668 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
13669 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
13670 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
13671 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
13672 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
13673 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
13675 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
13676 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
13679 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
13680 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
13681 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
13682 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
13683 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
13684 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
13685 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
13688 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
13689 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
13692 @node Server Buffer Format
13693 @subsection Server Buffer Format
13694 @cindex server buffer format
13696 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
13697 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
13698 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
13699 variable, with some simple extensions:
13704 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
13707 The name of this server.
13710 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
13713 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
13716 Whether this server is agentized.
13719 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
13720 The mode line can also be customized by using the
13721 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
13722 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
13732 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
13735 @node Server Commands
13736 @subsection Server Commands
13737 @cindex server commands
13743 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
13744 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
13745 command or better use it as a prefix key.
13749 @findex gnus-server-add-server
13750 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
13754 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
13755 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
13758 @kindex SPACE (Server)
13759 @findex gnus-server-read-server
13760 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
13764 @findex gnus-server-exit
13765 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
13769 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
13770 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
13774 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
13775 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
13779 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
13780 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
13784 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
13785 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
13789 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
13790 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
13791 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
13796 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
13797 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
13798 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
13799 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
13803 @findex gnus-server-compact-server
13805 Compact all groups in the server under point
13806 (@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
13807 nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
13808 hence getting a correct total article count.
13813 @node Example Methods
13814 @subsection Example Methods
13816 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
13819 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
13822 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
13828 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
13829 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
13832 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
13833 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
13835 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
13836 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
13840 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
13843 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
13844 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
13846 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
13847 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
13848 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
13852 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
13855 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
13858 Here's the method for a public spool:
13862 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
13863 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
13869 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
13870 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
13871 on the firewall machine and connect with
13872 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} from there to the
13873 @acronym{NNTP} server.
13874 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
13875 should probably look something like this:
13879 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)
13880 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
13881 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host"))
13884 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
13885 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
13886 configuration to the example above:
13889 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13892 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
13893 an indirect connection:
13896 (setq gnus-select-method
13898 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
13899 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
13900 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
13901 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13902 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C"))
13903 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)))
13906 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
13907 provide automatic authorization, of course.
13909 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
13910 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
13911 netcat connection to the news server as follows:
13915 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13916 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
13917 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13921 @node Creating a Virtual Server
13922 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
13924 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
13925 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
13927 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
13928 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
13929 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
13931 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
13933 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
13934 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
13935 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
13936 will contain the following:
13946 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
13947 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
13950 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
13951 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
13952 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
13955 @node Server Variables
13956 @subsection Server Variables
13957 @cindex server variables
13958 @cindex server parameters
13960 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
13961 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
13962 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
13963 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
13964 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
13966 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
13967 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
13968 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
13969 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
13970 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
13971 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
13972 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
13973 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
13974 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
13978 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
13979 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
13980 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
13983 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
13985 @node Servers and Methods
13986 @subsection Servers and Methods
13988 Wherever you would normally use a select method
13989 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
13990 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
13991 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
13995 @node Unavailable Servers
13996 @subsection Unavailable Servers
13998 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
13999 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
14000 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
14001 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
14002 actually the case or not.
14004 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
14005 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
14006 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
14007 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
14008 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
14009 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
14010 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
14011 it will regard that server as ``down''.
14013 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
14014 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
14016 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
14017 with the following commands:
14023 @findex gnus-server-open-server
14024 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
14025 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
14029 @findex gnus-server-close-server
14030 Close the connection (if any) to the server
14031 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
14035 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
14036 Mark the current server as unreachable
14037 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
14040 @kindex M-o (Server)
14041 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
14042 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
14043 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
14046 @kindex M-c (Server)
14047 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
14048 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
14049 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
14053 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
14054 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
14055 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
14059 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
14060 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
14066 @section Getting News
14067 @cindex reading news
14068 @cindex news back ends
14070 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
14071 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
14072 or it can read from a local spool.
14075 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
14076 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
14084 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
14085 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
14086 server as the, uhm, address.
14088 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
14089 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
14090 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
14091 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14093 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
14094 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
14095 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
14097 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
14102 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
14103 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
14104 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
14106 @cindex authentication
14107 @cindex nntp authentication
14108 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
14109 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
14110 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
14111 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
14112 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
14113 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
14114 present in this hook.
14116 @item nntp-authinfo-function
14117 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
14118 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
14119 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
14120 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
14121 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
14122 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
14123 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
14124 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
14125 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
14126 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
14127 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
14131 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
14134 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
14136 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
14137 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
14138 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
14139 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
14140 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
14141 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
14142 @samp{force} is explained below.
14146 Here's an example file:
14149 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
14150 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
14153 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
14154 have to be first, for instance.
14156 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
14157 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
14158 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
14159 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
14160 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
14161 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
14162 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
14164 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
14165 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
14171 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
14172 previously mentioned.
14174 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
14176 @item nntp-server-action-alist
14177 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
14178 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
14179 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
14180 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
14183 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
14184 '(("innd" (ding))))
14187 You probably don't want to do that, though.
14189 The default value is
14192 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
14193 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
14194 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
14197 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
14198 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
14200 @item nntp-maximum-request
14201 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
14202 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
14203 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
14204 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
14205 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
14206 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
14207 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
14209 @item nntp-connection-timeout
14210 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
14211 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
14212 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
14213 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
14214 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
14215 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
14216 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
14217 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
14218 no timeouts are done.
14220 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
14221 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
14222 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
14223 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
14226 @item nntp-xover-commands
14227 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
14228 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
14230 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
14231 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
14235 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
14236 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
14237 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
14238 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
14239 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
14240 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
14241 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
14242 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
14243 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
14244 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
14245 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
14247 @item nntp-xref-number-is-evil
14248 @vindex nntp-xref-number-is-evil
14249 When Gnus refers to an article having the @code{Message-ID} that a user
14250 specifies or having the @code{Message-ID} of the parent article of the
14251 current one (@pxref{Finding the Parent}), Gnus sends a @code{HEAD}
14252 command to the @acronym{NNTP} server to know where it is, and the server
14253 returns the data containing the pairs of a group and an article number
14254 in the @code{Xref} header. Gnus normally uses the article number to
14255 refer to the article if the data shows that that article is in the
14256 current group, while it uses the @code{Message-ID} otherwise. However,
14257 some news servers, e.g., ones running Diablo, run multiple engines
14258 having the same articles but article numbers are not kept synchronized
14259 between them. In that case, the article number that appears in the
14260 @code{Xref} header varies by which engine is chosen, so you cannot refer
14261 to the parent article that is in the current group, for instance. If
14262 you connect to such a server, set this variable to a non-@code{nil}
14263 value, and Gnus never uses article numbers. For example:
14266 (setq gnus-select-method
14268 (nntp-address "newszilla.example.com")
14269 (nntp-xref-number-is-evil t)
14273 The default value of this server variable is @code{nil}.
14275 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
14276 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
14277 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
14279 @item nntp-record-commands
14280 @vindex nntp-record-commands
14281 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
14282 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
14283 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
14284 that doesn't seem to work.
14286 @item nntp-open-connection-function
14287 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
14288 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
14289 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
14290 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
14291 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
14292 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
14293 indirect ones (three pre-made).
14295 @item nntp-never-echoes-commands
14296 @vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
14297 Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
14298 reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
14299 to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
14300 @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
14301 example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
14302 @code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
14303 overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
14305 @item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
14306 @vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
14307 List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
14308 you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
14309 not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
14310 @code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
14311 default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
14313 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
14314 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
14315 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
14316 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
14317 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
14318 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
14319 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
14322 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
14325 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
14326 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
14331 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
14332 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
14333 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
14334 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
14338 @node Direct Functions
14339 @subsubsection Direct Functions
14340 @cindex direct connection functions
14342 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
14343 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
14344 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
14345 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14348 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
14349 @item nntp-open-network-stream
14350 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
14353 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
14354 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
14355 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
14356 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
14357 installed. You then define a server as follows:
14360 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
14361 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
14363 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
14364 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
14365 (nntp-port-number )
14366 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
14369 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
14370 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
14371 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
14372 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
14373 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
14374 then define a server as follows:
14377 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
14378 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
14380 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
14381 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
14382 (nntp-port-number 563)
14383 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
14386 @findex nntp-open-netcat-stream
14387 @item nntp-open-netcat-stream
14388 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server using the @code{netcat}
14389 program. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have
14390 the default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
14391 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
14392 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
14393 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
14397 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14398 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
14399 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
14402 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
14403 session, which is not a good idea.
14405 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
14406 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
14407 Like @code{nntp-open-netcat-stream}, but uses @code{telnet} rather than
14408 @code{netcat}. @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things
14409 like line-end-conversion, but sometimes netcat is simply
14410 not available. The previous example would turn into:
14414 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14415 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
14416 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
14417 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
14422 @node Indirect Functions
14423 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
14424 @cindex indirect connection functions
14426 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
14427 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14428 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
14429 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
14430 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
14431 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14434 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
14435 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
14436 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then uses @code{netcat} to connect
14437 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
14438 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
14440 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
14443 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
14444 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
14445 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
14446 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
14448 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14449 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14450 List of strings to be used as the switches to
14451 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
14452 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
14453 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections.
14456 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
14457 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
14458 Does essentially the same, but uses @code{telnet} instead of @samp{netcat}
14459 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
14460 @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things like
14461 line-end-conversion, but sometimes @code{netcat} is simply not available.
14463 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
14466 @item nntp-telnet-command
14467 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
14468 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
14469 intermediate host. The default is @samp{telnet}.
14471 @item nntp-telnet-switches
14472 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
14473 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14474 @code{nntp-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{("-8")}.
14476 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
14477 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
14478 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
14479 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
14481 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14482 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14483 List of strings to be used as the switches to
14484 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. If you use @samp{ssh}, you may need to set
14485 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
14486 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
14487 host. The default is @code{nil}.
14490 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14491 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14493 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
14494 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
14495 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
14496 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
14498 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
14501 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
14502 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
14503 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
14506 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
14507 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
14508 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14509 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
14511 @item nntp-via-user-password
14512 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
14513 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
14515 @item nntp-via-envuser
14516 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
14517 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
14518 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
14519 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
14521 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
14522 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
14523 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
14524 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
14528 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14529 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14533 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
14538 @item nntp-via-user-name
14539 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
14540 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
14542 @item nntp-via-address
14543 @vindex nntp-via-address
14544 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
14549 @node Common Variables
14550 @subsubsection Common Variables
14552 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
14553 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
14554 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
14555 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
14556 variables individually).
14560 @item nntp-pre-command
14561 @vindex nntp-pre-command
14562 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
14563 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
14564 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
14565 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
14568 @vindex nntp-address
14569 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14571 @item nntp-port-number
14572 @vindex nntp-port-number
14573 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14574 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
14575 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
14576 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
14577 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
14578 not work with named ports.
14580 @item nntp-end-of-line
14581 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
14582 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
14583 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
14584 using a non native telnet connection function.
14586 @item nntp-netcat-command
14587 @vindex nntp-netcat-command
14588 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
14589 @samp{netcat}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
14590 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14593 @item nntp-netcat-switches
14594 @vindex nntp-netcat-switches
14595 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-netcat-command}. The default
14601 @subsubsection NNTP marks
14602 @cindex storing NNTP marks
14604 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
14605 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
14606 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
14607 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
14608 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
14609 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
14610 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
14611 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
14613 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
14614 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
14615 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
14616 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
14617 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
14619 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
14620 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
14621 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
14622 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
14623 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
14624 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
14625 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
14627 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
14628 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
14629 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
14635 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
14636 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
14637 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
14638 default is @code{nil}.
14640 @item nntp-marks-directory
14641 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
14642 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
14648 @subsection News Spool
14652 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
14653 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
14654 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
14657 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
14658 anything else) as the address.
14660 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
14661 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
14662 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
14663 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
14667 @item nnspool-inews-program
14668 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
14669 Program used to post an article.
14671 @item nnspool-inews-switches
14672 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
14673 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
14675 @item nnspool-spool-directory
14676 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
14677 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
14678 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
14680 @item nnspool-nov-directory
14681 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
14682 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
14683 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
14685 @item nnspool-lib-dir
14686 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
14687 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
14689 @item nnspool-active-file
14690 @vindex nnspool-active-file
14691 The name of the active file.
14693 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
14694 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
14695 The name of the group descriptions file.
14697 @item nnspool-history-file
14698 @vindex nnspool-history-file
14699 The name of the news history file.
14701 @item nnspool-active-times-file
14702 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
14703 The name of the active date file.
14705 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
14706 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
14707 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
14710 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14711 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14713 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
14714 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
14715 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
14722 @section Getting Mail
14723 @cindex reading mail
14726 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
14730 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
14731 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
14732 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
14733 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
14734 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
14735 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
14736 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
14737 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
14738 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
14739 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
14740 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
14741 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
14742 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
14746 @node Mail in a Newsreader
14747 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
14749 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
14750 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
14751 of a culture shock.
14753 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
14754 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
14756 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
14757 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
14758 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
14759 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
14761 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
14763 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
14764 deleted? How awful!
14766 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
14767 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
14768 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
14769 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
14772 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
14773 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
14774 they want to treat a message.
14776 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
14777 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
14778 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
14779 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
14780 archived somewhere else.
14782 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
14783 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
14784 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
14785 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
14786 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
14788 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
14789 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
14790 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
14792 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
14793 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
14796 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
14797 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
14798 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
14799 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
14800 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
14802 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
14803 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
14804 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
14805 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
14806 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
14807 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
14811 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
14812 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
14814 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
14815 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
14816 and things will happen automatically.
14818 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
14819 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14822 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
14825 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
14826 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
14827 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
14828 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
14829 like any other group.
14831 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
14834 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14835 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14836 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14840 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
14841 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
14842 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
14845 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
14846 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
14847 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
14850 @node Splitting Mail
14851 @subsection Splitting Mail
14852 @cindex splitting mail
14853 @cindex mail splitting
14854 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
14856 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
14857 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
14858 to be split into groups.
14861 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14862 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14863 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14864 ("mail.other" "")))
14867 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
14868 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
14869 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
14870 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
14871 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
14872 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
14873 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
14876 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
14880 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
14881 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14883 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14884 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
14885 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
14886 mail belongs in that group.
14888 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
14889 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
14890 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
14891 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
14892 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
14893 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
14894 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
14895 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
14896 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
14897 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
14899 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
14900 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
14901 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
14902 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
14903 thinks should carry this mail message.
14905 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
14906 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
14907 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
14908 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
14910 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
14911 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
14912 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
14913 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
14914 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
14916 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
14919 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
14920 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
14921 links. If that's the case for you, set
14922 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
14923 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
14925 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
14926 @findex nnmail-split-history
14927 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
14928 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
14929 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
14930 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
14933 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
14934 Header lines longer than the value of
14935 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
14938 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
14939 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
14940 By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
14941 non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
14942 articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
14943 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
14944 In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
14945 variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
14946 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
14947 value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
14948 string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
14949 charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
14951 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
14952 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
14953 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
14954 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
14955 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
14956 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
14957 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
14958 other kinds of entries.)
14960 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
14961 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
14962 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
14963 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
14964 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
14965 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
14966 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
14967 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
14968 month's rent money.
14972 @subsection Mail Sources
14974 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
14975 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
14976 maildir, for instance.
14979 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
14980 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
14981 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
14985 @node Mail Source Specifiers
14986 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
14988 @cindex mail server
14991 @cindex mail source
14993 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
14994 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
14999 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
15002 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
15003 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
15004 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
15007 The @code{mail-sources} is global for all mail groups. You can specify
15008 an additional mail source for a particular group by including the
15009 @code{group} mail specifier in @code{mail-sources}, and setting a
15010 @code{mail-source} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) specifying
15011 a single mail source. When this is used, @code{mail-sources} is
15012 typically just @code{(group)}; the @code{mail-source} parameter for a
15013 group might look like this:
15016 (mail-source . (file :path "home/user/spools/foo.spool"))
15019 This means that the group's (and only this group's) messages will be
15020 fetched from the spool file @samp{/user/spools/foo.spool}.
15022 The following mail source types are available:
15026 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
15032 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
15033 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
15034 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
15038 Script run before/after fetching mail.
15041 An example file mail source:
15044 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
15047 Or using the default file name:
15053 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
15054 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
15055 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
15056 mail spool while moving the mail.
15058 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
15062 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
15065 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
15069 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
15072 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
15074 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
15077 Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
15078 file you want to use.
15082 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
15083 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
15084 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
15085 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
15086 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
15087 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
15088 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
15089 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
15090 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
15091 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
15093 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
15094 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
15095 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
15096 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
15102 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
15106 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
15110 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
15111 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
15112 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
15113 predicate are considered.
15117 Script run before/after fetching mail.
15121 An example directory mail source:
15124 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
15129 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
15135 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
15136 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
15139 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
15140 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
15141 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
15142 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
15143 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
15146 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
15150 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
15151 the user is prompted.
15154 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
15155 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
15158 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
15161 The valid format specifier characters are:
15165 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
15166 included in this string.
15169 The name of the server.
15172 The port number of the server.
15175 The user name to use.
15178 The password to use.
15181 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
15182 corresponding keywords.
15185 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
15186 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
15189 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
15190 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
15193 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
15194 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
15195 mail should be moved to.
15197 @item :authentication
15198 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
15199 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
15204 @vindex pop3-movemail
15205 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
15206 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
15207 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server}
15208 is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
15209 after fetching when using @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers
15210 maintain no state information between sessions, so what the client
15211 believes is there and what is actually there may not match up. If they
15212 do not, then you may get duplicate mails or the whole thing can fall
15213 apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
15215 Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
15216 Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
15217 name, and default fetcher:
15223 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
15226 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
15227 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
15230 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
15233 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
15237 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
15238 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
15239 contains exactly one mail.
15245 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
15246 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
15249 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
15250 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
15252 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
15253 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
15254 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
15257 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
15258 from locking problems).
15262 Two example maildir mail sources:
15265 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
15266 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
15270 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
15275 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
15276 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
15277 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
15278 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
15279 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
15281 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
15282 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
15288 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
15289 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
15292 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
15293 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
15296 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
15300 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
15304 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
15305 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
15306 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
15307 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
15309 @item :authentication
15310 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
15311 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
15312 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
15313 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
15316 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
15317 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
15318 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
15324 Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
15325 don't forget to redirect the error output to the void. The valid format
15326 specifier characters are:
15330 The name of the server.
15333 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
15336 The port number of the server.
15339 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
15340 corresponding keywords.
15343 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
15344 which normally is the mailbox which receives incoming mail.
15347 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
15348 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
15349 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
15350 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
15351 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
15352 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
15355 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
15356 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
15357 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
15358 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
15361 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
15362 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
15366 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
15369 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
15371 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
15375 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
15376 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
15377 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
15379 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
15380 required for url "4.0pre.46".
15382 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
15388 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
15389 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
15392 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
15396 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
15400 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
15401 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
15405 An example webmail source:
15408 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
15410 :password "secret")
15414 Get the actual mail source from the @code{mail-source} group parameter,
15415 @xref{Group Parameters}.
15420 @item Common Keywords
15421 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
15427 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
15428 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
15433 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
15438 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
15439 useful when you use local mail and news.
15444 @subsubsection Function Interface
15446 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
15447 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
15448 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
15449 consider the following mail-source setting:
15452 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
15453 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
15456 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
15457 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
15458 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
15459 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
15460 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
15462 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
15465 @node Mail Source Customization
15466 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
15468 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
15469 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
15473 @item mail-source-crash-box
15474 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
15475 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
15476 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
15479 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
15480 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
15481 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
15482 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
15483 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
15484 (the deletion will only happen when receiving new mail). You may also
15485 set @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
15486 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
15487 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{10} in alpha Gnusae
15488 and @code{2} in released Gnusae. @xref{Gnus Development}.
15490 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15491 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15492 If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
15493 files. This variable only applies when
15494 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
15496 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
15497 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
15498 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
15500 @item mail-source-directory
15501 @vindex mail-source-directory
15502 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
15503 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
15504 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
15505 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
15507 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15508 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15509 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
15510 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
15511 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
15512 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
15515 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
15516 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
15517 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
15519 @item mail-source-movemail-program
15520 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
15521 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
15522 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
15527 @node Fetching Mail
15528 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
15530 @vindex mail-sources
15531 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
15532 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
15533 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
15535 If this variable is @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to
15536 fetch mail by themselves.
15538 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
15539 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
15544 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15545 :password "secret")))
15548 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
15552 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
15553 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15556 :password "secret")))
15560 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
15561 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
15562 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
15563 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
15564 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
15565 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
15569 @node Mail Back End Variables
15570 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
15572 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
15576 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15577 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15578 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
15579 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
15581 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
15582 @item nnmail-split-hook
15583 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
15584 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
15585 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
15586 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
15587 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
15588 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
15589 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
15590 in the buffer will show up in any files.
15591 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
15594 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15595 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15596 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15597 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15598 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
15599 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
15600 starting to handle the new mail) and
15601 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
15602 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
15603 default file modes the new mail files get:
15606 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15607 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
15609 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15610 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
15613 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
15614 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
15615 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
15616 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
15617 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
15618 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
15619 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
15621 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
15622 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
15623 @findex delete-file
15624 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
15626 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15627 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15628 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
15629 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
15630 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
15632 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15633 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15634 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
15635 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
15636 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
15638 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
15639 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
15640 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
15645 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
15646 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
15647 @cindex mail splitting
15648 @cindex fancy mail splitting
15650 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
15651 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
15652 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
15653 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
15654 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
15655 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
15657 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
15660 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
15661 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
15662 ;; @r{from real errors.}
15663 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
15665 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
15666 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
15667 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
15668 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
15669 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
15670 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
15671 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
15672 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
15673 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
15674 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
15675 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
15676 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
15677 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
15678 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
15679 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
15680 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
15681 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
15685 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
15686 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
15687 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
15692 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
15693 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
15695 @c Don't fold this line.
15696 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
15697 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
15698 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
15699 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
15702 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
15703 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
15704 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
15705 @var{split} is processed.
15707 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
15708 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
15709 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
15710 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15712 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
15713 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
15714 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
15715 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
15716 stored in one or more groups.
15718 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
15719 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
15720 process all @var{split}s in the list.
15723 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
15724 this message. Use with extreme caution.
15726 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
15727 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
15728 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
15729 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
15732 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
15733 body of the messages:
15736 (defun split-on-body ()
15740 (goto-char (point-min))
15741 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
15745 The buffer is narrowed to the header of the message in question when
15746 @var{function} is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called
15747 after @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
15748 above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
15749 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
15750 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
15751 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
15753 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
15754 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
15755 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
15756 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
15757 should return a split.
15760 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
15764 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
15766 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
15767 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
15768 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
15769 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
15773 (any "joe" "joemail")
15777 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
15778 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
15779 of the following three ways:
15783 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
15784 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
15785 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
15786 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
15787 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
15790 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
15793 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
15794 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
15795 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
15796 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
15797 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
15800 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
15801 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
15802 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
15803 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15804 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
15805 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15806 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15809 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
15810 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
15811 they are expanded as specified by the variable
15812 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
15813 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
15814 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
15815 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
15819 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
15821 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
15822 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
15824 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
15827 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
15828 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
15829 when all this splitting is performed.
15831 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
15832 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
15833 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
15836 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
15839 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
15840 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
15842 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
15843 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
15844 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
15845 groupings 1 through 9.
15847 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
15848 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
15849 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
15850 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
15851 groups when users send to an address using different case
15852 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
15855 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
15856 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
15857 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
15858 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
15859 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
15860 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
15861 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
15862 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
15863 it once per thread.
15865 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
15866 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
15867 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
15868 using the colon feature, like so:
15870 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
15871 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
15873 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
15874 ;; @r{other splits go here}
15878 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
15879 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
15880 in the file specified by the variable
15881 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
15882 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
15883 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
15884 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
15885 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
15886 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
15887 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
15888 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
15889 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
15890 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
15891 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
15892 300 kBytes in size.)
15893 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15894 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
15895 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
15896 messages goes into the new group.
15898 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
15899 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
15900 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
15901 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
15902 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
15903 ``outgoing'' group.
15906 @node Group Mail Splitting
15907 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
15908 @cindex mail splitting
15909 @cindex group mail splitting
15911 @findex gnus-group-split
15912 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
15913 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
15914 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
15915 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
15916 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
15917 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
15918 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
15919 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
15921 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
15922 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
15923 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
15924 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
15926 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
15927 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
15928 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
15929 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
15930 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
15931 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
15932 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
15934 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
15935 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
15936 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
15937 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
15938 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
15939 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
15940 @code{gnus-group-split}.
15942 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
15943 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
15944 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
15945 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
15946 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
15947 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
15948 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
15949 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
15950 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
15951 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
15952 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
15953 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
15954 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
15956 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
15961 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
15962 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
15964 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
15965 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
15966 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
15967 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
15969 ((split-spec . catch-all))
15972 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
15973 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
15974 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
15977 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
15978 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
15979 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
15983 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
15984 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
15985 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
15989 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
15992 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
15993 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
15994 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
15995 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
15996 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
15997 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
15998 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
15999 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
16000 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
16002 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
16003 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
16004 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
16005 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
16006 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
16007 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
16008 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
16009 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
16010 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
16012 @findex gnus-group-split-update
16013 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
16014 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
16015 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
16016 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
16017 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
16020 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
16023 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
16024 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
16025 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
16026 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
16027 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
16030 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
16031 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
16032 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
16033 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
16035 @node Incorporating Old Mail
16036 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
16037 @cindex incorporating old mail
16038 @cindex import old mail
16040 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
16041 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
16042 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
16045 Doing so can be quite easy.
16047 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
16048 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
16049 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
16050 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
16051 your @code{nnml} groups.
16057 Go to the group buffer.
16060 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
16061 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
16064 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
16067 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
16068 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
16071 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
16072 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
16075 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
16076 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
16077 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
16078 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
16079 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
16081 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
16082 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
16083 using the new mail back end.
16086 @node Expiring Mail
16087 @subsection Expiring Mail
16088 @cindex article expiry
16089 @cindex expiring mail
16091 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
16092 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
16093 different approach to mail reading.
16095 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
16096 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
16097 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
16098 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
16099 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
16100 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
16103 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
16104 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
16105 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
16106 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
16107 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
16108 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
16109 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
16110 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
16111 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
16113 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
16114 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
16115 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
16116 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
16117 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
16118 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
16119 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
16122 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
16123 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
16124 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
16125 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
16126 into its own group.)
16128 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
16129 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
16130 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
16131 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
16132 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
16133 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
16134 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
16135 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
16138 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
16139 Groups that match the regular expression
16140 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
16141 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
16142 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
16144 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
16145 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
16146 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
16147 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
16148 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
16150 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
16152 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
16153 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
16154 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
16157 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
16158 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
16159 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
16160 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
16161 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
16163 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
16164 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
16167 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
16168 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
16171 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
16172 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
16174 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
16175 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
16176 don't really mix very well.
16178 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
16179 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
16180 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
16181 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
16184 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
16185 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
16186 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
16187 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
16190 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16192 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16194 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
16196 ((string= group "mail.junk")
16198 ((string= group "important")
16204 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
16205 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
16207 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
16208 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
16209 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
16212 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
16213 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
16215 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
16216 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
16217 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
16218 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
16219 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
16220 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
16221 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
16222 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
16223 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
16224 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
16225 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
16226 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
16227 name or @code{delete}.
16229 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
16231 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
16234 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
16235 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
16236 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
16237 expire mail to groups according to the variable
16238 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
16241 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
16242 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
16243 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
16244 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
16245 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
16248 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
16249 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
16250 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
16251 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
16252 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
16253 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
16255 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
16256 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
16257 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
16258 easier for procmail users.
16260 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
16261 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
16262 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
16263 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
16264 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
16265 caution. Even more dangerous is the
16266 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
16267 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
16268 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
16269 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
16270 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
16271 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
16272 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
16275 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
16277 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
16278 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
16279 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
16280 auto-expire turned on.
16284 @subsection Washing Mail
16285 @cindex mail washing
16286 @cindex list server brain damage
16287 @cindex incoming mail treatment
16289 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
16290 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
16291 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
16292 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
16293 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
16294 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
16296 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
16297 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
16298 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
16301 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
16302 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
16303 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
16304 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
16307 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
16308 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
16309 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
16310 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
16311 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
16314 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
16315 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
16316 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
16317 Emacs running on MS machines.
16321 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
16322 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
16323 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
16324 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
16327 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
16328 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
16329 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
16330 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
16332 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
16333 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
16334 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
16335 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
16336 into a feature by documenting it.)
16338 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
16339 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
16340 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
16341 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
16342 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
16343 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
16344 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
16347 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
16348 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
16351 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
16352 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
16355 This can also be done non-destructively with
16356 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
16358 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
16359 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
16360 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
16362 @item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
16363 @findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
16364 @c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
16367 Some mail user agents (e.g. Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
16368 @code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
16369 function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
16370 contain a line matching the regular expression
16371 @code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
16375 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16376 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16377 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
16381 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
16382 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
16383 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
16390 @subsection Duplicates
16392 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
16393 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
16394 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
16395 @cindex duplicate mails
16396 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
16397 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
16398 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
16399 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
16400 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
16401 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
16402 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
16403 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
16404 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
16405 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
16406 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
16407 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
16408 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
16410 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
16411 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
16412 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
16413 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
16415 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
16418 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
16419 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
16423 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
16424 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
16425 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
16426 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
16427 (any mail "mail.misc")
16428 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16434 (setq nnmail-split-methods
16435 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
16436 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16440 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
16441 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
16442 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
16443 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
16444 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
16447 @node Not Reading Mail
16448 @subsection Not Reading Mail
16450 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
16451 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
16452 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
16454 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
16455 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
16456 mail, which should help.
16458 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16459 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16460 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16461 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16462 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16463 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
16464 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
16465 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
16466 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
16467 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
16468 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
16470 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
16471 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
16475 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
16476 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
16478 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
16479 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
16480 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
16482 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
16483 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
16484 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
16488 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
16489 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
16490 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
16491 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
16492 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
16493 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
16494 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
16498 @node Unix Mail Box
16499 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
16501 @cindex unix mail box
16503 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16504 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16505 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
16506 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
16507 which group it belongs in.
16509 Virtual server settings:
16512 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
16513 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16514 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
16517 @item nnmbox-active-file
16518 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16519 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
16520 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
16522 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
16523 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16524 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
16525 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
16530 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
16534 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16535 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16536 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
16537 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
16538 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
16540 Virtual server settings:
16543 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
16544 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16545 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
16547 @item nnbabyl-active-file
16548 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16549 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
16550 @file{~/.rmail-active}
16552 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16553 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16554 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
16560 @subsubsection Mail Spool
16562 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
16564 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
16565 format. It should be used with some caution.
16567 @vindex nnml-directory
16568 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
16569 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
16570 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
16571 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
16573 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
16576 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
16577 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
16578 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
16579 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
16580 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
16581 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
16582 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
16583 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
16585 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
16586 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
16587 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
16588 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
16590 @cindex self contained nnml servers
16592 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
16593 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
16594 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
16595 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
16596 for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
16597 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
16598 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
16599 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
16602 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
16603 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
16604 them next time it starts.
16606 Virtual server settings:
16609 @item nnml-directory
16610 @vindex nnml-directory
16611 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
16612 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
16615 @item nnml-active-file
16616 @vindex nnml-active-file
16617 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
16618 @file{~/Mail/active}.
16620 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
16621 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
16622 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16623 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
16625 @item nnml-get-new-mail
16626 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16627 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
16630 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
16631 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
16632 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16633 default is @code{nil}.
16635 @item nnml-nov-file-name
16636 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
16637 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
16639 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16640 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16641 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
16643 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
16644 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
16645 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
16646 default is @code{nil}.
16648 @item nnml-marks-file-name
16649 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
16650 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
16652 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
16653 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
16654 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
16655 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
16656 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
16657 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
16658 as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
16659 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
16660 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
16662 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16663 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16664 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
16665 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
16666 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
16670 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
16671 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
16672 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
16673 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
16674 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
16675 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
16676 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
16681 @subsubsection MH Spool
16683 @cindex mh-e mail spool
16685 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
16686 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
16687 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
16688 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
16691 Virtual server settings:
16694 @item nnmh-directory
16695 @vindex nnmh-directory
16696 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
16697 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
16700 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
16701 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16702 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
16706 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
16707 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
16708 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
16709 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
16710 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
16711 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
16712 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
16717 @subsubsection Maildir
16721 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
16722 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
16723 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
16724 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
16725 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
16728 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
16729 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
16730 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
16731 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
16732 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
16733 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
16734 that appear as group in Gnus.
16736 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
16737 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
16738 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
16740 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
16741 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
16742 another, and you will keep your marks.
16744 Virtual server settings:
16748 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
16749 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
16750 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
16751 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
16752 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
16753 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
16754 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
16755 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
16756 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
16757 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
16759 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
16760 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
16761 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
16762 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
16763 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
16764 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
16765 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
16766 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
16767 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
16768 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
16771 @item target-prefix
16772 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
16773 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
16774 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
16777 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
16778 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
16779 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
16780 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
16781 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
16782 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
16783 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
16784 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
16785 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
16787 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
16788 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
16789 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
16790 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
16791 symlinks pointing to them will be).
16793 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
16794 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
16795 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
16796 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
16797 @code{force} argument.
16799 @item directory-files
16800 This should be a function with the same interface as
16801 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
16802 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
16803 parameter is optional; the default is
16804 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
16805 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
16806 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
16807 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
16808 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
16809 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
16812 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
16813 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
16814 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
16815 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
16816 value is @code{nil}.
16818 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
16819 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
16820 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
16821 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
16822 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
16825 @subsubsection Group parameters
16827 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
16828 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
16829 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
16830 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
16831 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
16832 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
16835 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
16836 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
16837 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
16838 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
16839 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
16840 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
16841 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
16842 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
16843 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
16847 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
16848 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
16849 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
16850 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
16851 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
16852 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
16853 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
16854 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
16855 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
16856 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
16857 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
16858 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
16859 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
16862 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
16864 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
16866 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
16867 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
16868 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
16869 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
16870 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
16871 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
16872 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
16873 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
16874 article. So that form can refer to
16875 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
16876 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
16877 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
16878 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
16881 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
16882 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
16883 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
16884 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
16885 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
16886 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
16887 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
16888 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
16889 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
16890 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
16891 contain extra copies of the articles.
16893 @item directory-files
16894 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
16895 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
16896 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
16897 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
16899 @item distrust-Lines:
16900 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
16901 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
16902 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
16905 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
16906 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16907 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
16908 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
16909 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
16910 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
16913 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
16914 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16915 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
16916 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
16917 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
16918 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
16919 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
16921 @item nov-cache-size
16922 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
16923 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
16924 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
16925 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
16926 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
16927 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
16928 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
16929 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
16930 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
16931 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
16932 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
16935 @subsubsection Article identification
16936 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
16937 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
16938 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
16939 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
16940 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
16941 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
16942 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
16943 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
16944 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
16945 request the article in the summary buffer.
16947 @subsubsection NOV data
16948 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
16949 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
16950 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
16951 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
16952 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
16953 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
16954 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
16955 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
16956 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
16957 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
16958 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
16960 @subsubsection Article marks
16961 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
16962 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
16963 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
16964 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
16965 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
16966 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
16967 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
16968 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
16970 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
16971 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
16972 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
16973 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
16974 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
16975 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
16976 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
16977 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
16978 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
16982 @subsubsection Mail Folders
16984 @cindex mbox folders
16985 @cindex mail folders
16987 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
16988 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
16989 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
16990 numbers and arrival dates.
16992 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
16994 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
16995 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
16996 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
16997 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
16998 Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
16999 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
17000 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
17001 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
17002 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
17003 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
17005 Virtual server settings:
17008 @item nnfolder-directory
17009 @vindex nnfolder-directory
17010 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
17011 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
17012 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
17014 @item nnfolder-active-file
17015 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
17016 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
17018 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
17019 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
17020 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
17021 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
17023 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
17024 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
17025 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
17026 default is @code{t}
17028 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
17029 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
17030 @cindex backup files
17031 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
17032 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
17033 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
17034 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
17037 (defun turn-off-backup ()
17038 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
17040 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
17043 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
17044 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
17045 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
17046 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
17047 extract some information from it before removing it.
17049 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
17050 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
17051 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
17052 default is @code{nil}.
17054 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
17055 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
17056 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
17058 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
17059 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
17060 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
17061 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
17063 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
17064 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
17065 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
17066 default is @code{nil}.
17068 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
17069 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
17070 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
17072 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
17073 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
17074 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
17075 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
17080 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
17081 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
17082 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
17083 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
17084 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
17085 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
17088 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
17089 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
17091 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
17092 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
17093 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
17094 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
17095 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
17097 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
17098 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
17099 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
17100 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
17101 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
17102 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
17103 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
17104 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
17107 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
17108 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
17109 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
17110 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
17115 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
17116 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
17117 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
17118 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
17119 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
17120 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
17121 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
17122 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
17123 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
17124 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
17125 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
17126 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
17127 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
17132 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
17133 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
17134 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
17135 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
17136 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
17137 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
17138 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
17139 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
17140 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
17141 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
17142 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
17143 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
17144 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
17145 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
17147 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
17148 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
17153 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
17154 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
17155 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
17156 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
17157 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
17158 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
17159 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
17160 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
17161 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
17162 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
17163 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
17164 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
17165 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
17166 provided by the active file and overviews.
17168 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
17169 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
17170 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
17171 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
17172 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
17175 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
17176 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
17181 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
17182 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
17183 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
17184 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
17185 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
17186 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
17187 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
17191 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
17192 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
17193 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
17194 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
17195 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
17196 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
17197 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
17198 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
17199 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
17201 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
17202 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
17203 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
17204 friendly mail back end all over.
17208 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
17209 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
17212 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
17213 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
17214 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
17215 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
17216 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
17217 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
17218 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
17219 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
17222 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
17223 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
17224 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
17225 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
17226 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
17227 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
17228 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
17229 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
17230 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
17231 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
17232 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
17234 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
17235 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
17236 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
17237 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
17238 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
17241 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
17242 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
17243 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
17244 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
17245 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
17246 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
17247 removed in the future.
17249 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
17250 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
17251 on your file system.
17253 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
17254 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
17259 @node Browsing the Web
17260 @section Browsing the Web
17262 @cindex browsing the web
17266 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
17267 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
17268 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
17269 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
17270 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
17271 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
17272 even know what a news group is.
17274 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
17275 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
17276 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
17277 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
17278 you mad in the end.
17280 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
17283 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
17284 interfaces to these sources.
17288 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
17289 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
17290 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
17291 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
17292 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
17293 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
17296 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
17297 alternatives to work.
17299 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
17300 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
17301 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
17302 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
17303 though, you should be ok.
17305 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
17306 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
17307 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
17308 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
17309 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
17311 @node Archiving Mail
17312 @subsection Archiving Mail
17313 @cindex archiving mail
17314 @cindex backup of mail
17316 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
17317 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
17318 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
17319 marks is fairly simple.
17321 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
17322 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
17325 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
17326 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
17327 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
17328 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
17329 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
17330 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
17331 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
17332 before you restore the data.
17334 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
17335 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
17336 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
17337 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
17338 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
17339 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
17340 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
17341 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
17342 is unnecessary in that case.
17345 @subsection Web Searches
17350 @cindex Usenet searches
17351 @cindex searching the Usenet
17353 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
17354 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
17355 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
17356 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
17357 searches without having to use a browser.
17359 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
17360 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
17361 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
17362 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
17363 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
17365 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
17366 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
17367 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
17368 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
17369 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
17370 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
17371 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
17372 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
17373 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
17374 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
17377 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
17378 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
17379 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
17380 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
17381 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
17382 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
17384 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
17385 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
17386 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
17388 Virtual server variables:
17393 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
17394 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
17395 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
17398 @vindex nnweb-search
17399 The search string to feed to the search engine.
17401 @item nnweb-max-hits
17402 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
17403 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
17406 @item nnweb-type-definition
17407 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
17408 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
17409 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
17414 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
17418 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
17421 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
17424 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
17428 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
17435 @subsection Slashdot
17439 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
17440 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
17441 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
17443 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
17444 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
17447 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
17448 '((nnslashdot "")))
17451 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
17452 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
17453 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
17454 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
17455 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
17458 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
17459 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
17461 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
17462 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
17463 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
17464 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
17465 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
17466 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
17467 @acronym{HTML} forms.
17469 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
17472 @item nnslashdot-threaded
17473 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
17474 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
17475 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
17476 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
17477 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
17478 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
17480 @item nnslashdot-login-name
17481 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
17482 The login name to use when posting.
17484 @item nnslashdot-password
17485 @vindex nnslashdot-password
17486 The password to use when posting.
17488 @item nnslashdot-directory
17489 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
17490 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
17491 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
17493 @item nnslashdot-active-url
17494 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
17495 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
17496 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
17497 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
17499 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
17500 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
17501 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
17503 @item nnslashdot-article-url
17504 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
17505 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
17506 article. The default is
17507 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
17509 @item nnslashdot-threshold
17510 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
17511 The score threshold. The default is -1.
17513 @item nnslashdot-group-number
17514 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
17515 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
17516 updated. The default is 0.
17523 @subsection Ultimate
17525 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
17527 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
17528 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
17529 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
17530 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
17532 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
17533 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
17534 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
17535 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
17536 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
17537 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
17538 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
17540 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
17543 @item nnultimate-directory
17544 @vindex nnultimate-directory
17545 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
17546 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
17551 @subsection Web Archive
17553 @cindex Web Archive
17555 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
17556 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
17557 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
17558 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
17561 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
17562 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
17563 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
17564 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
17565 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
17566 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
17567 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
17568 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
17570 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
17573 @item nnwarchive-directory
17574 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
17575 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
17576 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
17578 @item nnwarchive-login
17579 @vindex nnwarchive-login
17580 The account name on the web server.
17582 @item nnwarchive-passwd
17583 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
17584 The password for your account on the web server.
17592 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
17593 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
17594 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
17595 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
17596 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
17598 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
17599 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
17601 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
17602 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
17603 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
17606 @kindex G R (Group)
17607 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
17608 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
17609 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
17610 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
17612 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
17613 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
17614 subscribe to groups.
17616 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
17617 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
17618 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
17619 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
17620 variable. If it is @code{nil}, in Emacs the coding system defaults to
17621 the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system}. If you are using
17622 XEmacs and want to use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names, you should set
17623 the value for the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} variable properly.
17625 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
17626 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
17627 and a @samp{text/html} part.
17630 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
17631 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
17634 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
17635 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
17639 @defun nnrss-opml-export
17640 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
17641 @acronym{OPML} format.
17644 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
17647 @item nnrss-directory
17648 @vindex nnrss-directory
17649 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
17650 @file{~/News/rss/}.
17652 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
17653 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
17654 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
17655 data files. The default is the value of
17656 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
17657 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
17659 @item nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17660 @vindex nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17661 Some feeds update constantly article fields during their publications,
17662 e.g. to indicate the number of comments. However, if there is
17663 a difference between the local article and the distant one, the latter
17664 is considered to be new. To avoid this and discard some fields, set this
17665 variable to the list of fields to be ignored. The default is
17666 @code{'(slash:comments)}.
17668 @item nnrss-use-local
17669 @vindex nnrss-use-local
17670 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
17671 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
17672 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
17673 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
17674 download script using @command{wget}.
17676 @item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
17677 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
17678 parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
17679 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
17680 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
17681 to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
17682 simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
17683 @samp{text/html} parts.
17686 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
17687 the summary buffer.
17690 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
17691 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
17693 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
17695 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
17696 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
17699 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
17703 (require 'browse-url)
17705 (defun browse-nnrss-url (arg)
17707 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
17710 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
17711 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
17714 (browse-url (cdr url))
17715 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
17716 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
17718 (eval-after-load "gnus"
17719 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
17720 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
17721 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
17724 Even if you have added @samp{text/html} to the
17725 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
17726 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
17727 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
17728 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
17729 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
17730 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
17731 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
17732 @code{nnrss} groups:
17735 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
17736 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
17738 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
17739 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
17740 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
17742 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
17745 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
17749 @node Customizing W3
17750 @subsection Customizing W3
17756 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
17757 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
17758 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
17761 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
17762 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
17763 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
17766 (eval-after-load "w3"
17768 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
17769 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
17770 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
17771 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
17773 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
17776 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
17777 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
17784 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
17786 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
17787 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
17788 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
17789 specify the network address of the server.
17791 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
17792 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
17793 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
17794 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
17795 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
17796 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
17798 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
17799 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
17800 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
17801 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
17803 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
17804 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
17805 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
17806 usage explained in this section.
17808 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
17809 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
17810 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
17814 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
17815 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
17816 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
17818 (nnimap-address "localhost")
17819 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
17820 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
17822 (nnimap-server-port 143)
17823 (nnimap-address "localhost")
17824 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
17825 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
17826 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
17827 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
17828 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
17829 (nnimap-stream network))
17830 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
17832 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
17833 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
17834 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
17837 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
17838 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
17839 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
17840 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
17842 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
17847 @item nnimap-address
17848 @vindex nnimap-address
17850 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
17851 server name if not specified.
17853 @item nnimap-server-port
17854 @vindex nnimap-server-port
17855 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
17857 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
17860 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17861 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
17864 @item nnimap-list-pattern
17865 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
17866 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
17867 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
17868 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
17869 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
17870 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
17872 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
17873 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
17874 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
17877 Example server specification:
17880 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17881 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
17882 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
17885 @item nnimap-stream
17886 @vindex nnimap-stream
17887 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
17888 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
17889 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
17890 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
17891 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
17893 Example server specification:
17896 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17897 (nnimap-stream ssl))
17900 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
17904 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
17905 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
17907 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
17909 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
17910 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
17913 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
17914 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
17916 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
17917 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
17919 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
17921 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
17924 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
17925 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
17926 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
17927 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
17928 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
17929 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
17930 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
17931 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
17932 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
17935 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
17936 needed. It is available from
17937 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
17939 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
17940 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
17941 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
17942 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
17943 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
17944 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
17945 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
17948 @vindex imap-ssl-program
17949 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
17950 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
17951 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
17952 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
17953 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
17954 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
17957 @vindex imap-shell-program
17958 @vindex imap-shell-host
17959 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the
17960 variable @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call. Make
17961 sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g., don't
17962 forget to redirect the error output to the void.
17964 @item nnimap-authenticator
17965 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
17967 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
17968 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
17970 Example server specification:
17973 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17974 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
17977 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
17981 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
17982 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
17984 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
17987 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
17988 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
17990 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
17992 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
17994 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
17997 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
17999 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
18000 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
18001 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
18002 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
18003 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
18004 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
18007 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
18008 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
18009 running in circles yet?
18011 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
18012 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
18015 The possible options are:
18020 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
18023 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
18024 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
18025 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
18026 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
18028 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
18033 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
18034 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
18036 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
18037 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
18038 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
18039 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
18040 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
18043 Probably the only reason for frobbing this would be if you're trying
18044 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
18047 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
18048 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
18049 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
18050 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
18053 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
18054 as ticked for other users.
18056 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
18058 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
18059 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18061 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
18062 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
18063 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
18064 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
18066 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
18067 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
18068 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
18069 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
18071 However, if @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}
18072 is true, this variable has no effect since the search logic
18073 is reversed, as described below.
18075 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
18076 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
18078 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
18079 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
18080 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
18081 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
18084 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
18087 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
18088 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
18089 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
18090 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
18093 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
18094 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
18096 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
18097 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
18100 @item nnimap-nov-is-evil
18101 @vindex nnimap-nov-is-evil
18102 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
18103 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
18105 Never generate or use a local @acronym{NOV} database. Defaults to the
18106 value of @code{gnus-agent}.
18108 Using a @acronym{NOV} database usually makes header fetching much
18109 faster, but it uses the @code{UID SEARCH UID} command, which is very
18110 slow on some servers (notably some versions of Courier). Since the Gnus
18111 Agent caches the information in the @acronym{NOV} database without using
18112 the slow command, this variable defaults to true if the Agent is in use,
18113 and false otherwise.
18115 @item nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
18116 @vindex nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
18117 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
18118 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18120 Avoid the @code{UID SEARCH UID @var{message numbers} NOT SINCE
18121 @var{date}} command, which is slow on some @acronym{IMAP} servers
18122 (notably, some versions of Courier). Instead, use @code{UID SEARCH SINCE
18123 @var{date}} and prune the list of expirable articles within Gnus.
18125 When Gnus expires your mail (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), it starts with a
18126 list of expirable articles and asks the IMAP server questions like ``Of
18127 these articles, which ones are older than a week?'' While this seems
18128 like a perfectly reasonable question, some IMAP servers take a long time
18129 to answer it, since they seemingly go looking into every old article to
18130 see if it is one of the expirable ones. Curiously, the question ``Of
18131 @emph{all} articles, which ones are newer than a week?'' seems to be
18132 much faster to answer, so setting this variable causes Gnus to ask this
18133 question and figure out the answer to the real question itself.
18135 This problem can really sneak up on you: when you first configure Gnus,
18136 everything works fine, but once you accumulate a couple thousand
18137 messages, you start cursing Gnus for being so slow. On the other hand,
18138 if you get a lot of email within a week, setting this variable will
18139 cause a lot of network traffic between Gnus and the IMAP server.
18141 @item nnimap-logout-timeout
18142 @vindex nnimap-logout-timeout
18144 There is a case where a connection to a @acronym{IMAP} server is unable
18145 to close, when connecting to the server via a certain kind of network,
18146 e.g. @acronym{VPN}. In that case, it will be observed that a connection
18147 between Emacs and the local network looks alive even if the server has
18148 closed a connection for some reason (typically, a timeout).
18149 Consequently, Emacs continues waiting for a response from the server for
18150 the @code{LOGOUT} command that Emacs sent, or hangs in other words. If
18151 you are in such a network, setting this variable to a number of seconds
18152 will be helpful. If it is set, a hung connection will be closed
18153 forcibly, after this number of seconds from the time Emacs sends the
18154 @code{LOGOUT} command. It should not be too small value but too large
18155 value will be inconvenient too. Perhaps the value 1.0 will be a good
18156 candidate but it might be worth trying some other values.
18158 Example server specification:
18161 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
18162 (nnimap-logout-timeout 1.0))
18168 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
18169 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
18170 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
18171 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
18172 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
18173 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
18178 @node Splitting in IMAP
18179 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
18180 @cindex splitting imap mail
18182 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
18183 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
18184 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
18185 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
18186 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
18190 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
18191 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
18192 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
18194 Here are the variables of interest:
18198 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
18199 @cindex splitting, crosspost
18201 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
18203 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
18204 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
18205 found will be used.
18207 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
18209 @item nnimap-split-inbox
18210 @cindex splitting, inbox
18212 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
18214 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
18215 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
18216 splitting is disabled!
18219 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
18220 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
18223 No nnmail equivalent.
18225 @item nnimap-split-rule
18226 @cindex splitting, rules
18227 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
18229 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
18232 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
18233 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
18234 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
18235 Neither did I, we need examples.
18238 (setq nnimap-split-rule
18240 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
18241 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
18242 ("INBOX.private" "")))
18245 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
18246 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
18247 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
18249 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
18250 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
18254 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
18257 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
18258 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
18260 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
18261 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
18262 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
18263 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
18265 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
18266 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
18267 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
18268 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
18269 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
18270 them every time you fetch new mail.)
18272 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
18273 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
18274 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
18276 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
18277 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
18278 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
18280 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
18282 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
18283 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
18284 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
18287 (setq nnimap-split-rule
18288 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
18289 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
18290 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
18291 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
18292 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
18295 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
18296 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
18297 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
18298 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
18299 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
18300 group/function elements.
18302 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
18304 @item nnimap-split-predicate
18306 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
18308 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
18309 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
18311 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
18312 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
18313 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
18316 @item nnimap-split-fancy
18317 @cindex splitting, fancy
18318 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
18319 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
18321 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
18322 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
18323 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
18325 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
18326 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
18327 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
18328 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
18333 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
18334 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
18337 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
18339 @item nnimap-split-download-body
18340 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
18341 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
18343 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
18344 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
18345 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
18346 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
18350 @node Expiring in IMAP
18351 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
18352 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18354 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
18355 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
18356 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
18357 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
18358 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
18359 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
18362 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
18363 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
18364 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
18365 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
18366 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
18367 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
18368 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
18369 messages. Most do, fortunately.
18371 If expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail seems very slow, try setting the server
18372 variable @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}.
18376 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
18377 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
18379 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
18380 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
18382 @item nnmail-expiry-target
18384 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
18385 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
18386 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
18387 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
18391 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
18392 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
18393 @cindex editing imap acls
18394 @cindex Access Control Lists
18395 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
18396 @kindex G l (Group)
18397 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
18399 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
18400 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
18401 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
18404 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
18405 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
18406 editing window with detailed instructions.
18408 Some possible uses:
18412 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
18413 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
18414 follow the list without subscribing to it.
18416 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
18417 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
18418 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
18422 @node Expunging mailboxes
18423 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
18427 @cindex manual expunging
18428 @kindex G x (Group)
18429 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
18431 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
18432 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
18433 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
18435 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
18438 @node A note on namespaces
18439 @subsection A note on namespaces
18440 @cindex IMAP namespace
18443 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
18444 by the following text in the RFC2060:
18447 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
18449 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
18450 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
18451 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
18452 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
18454 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
18455 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
18456 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
18457 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
18458 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
18459 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
18462 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
18463 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
18464 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
18466 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
18467 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
18468 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
18469 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
18470 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
18471 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
18472 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
18473 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
18476 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
18477 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
18478 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
18480 @node Debugging IMAP
18481 @subsection Debugging IMAP
18482 @cindex IMAP debugging
18483 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
18485 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
18486 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
18487 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
18488 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
18490 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
18491 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
18492 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
18493 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
18494 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
18495 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
18496 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
18500 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
18501 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
18508 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
18509 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
18510 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
18511 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
18514 @node Other Sources
18515 @section Other Sources
18517 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
18518 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
18522 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
18523 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
18524 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
18525 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
18526 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
18530 @node Directory Groups
18531 @subsection Directory Groups
18533 @cindex directory groups
18535 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
18536 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
18539 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
18540 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
18541 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
18542 back end to read directories. Big deal.
18544 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
18545 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
18546 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
18547 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
18548 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
18550 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
18552 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
18553 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
18554 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
18555 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
18558 @node Anything Groups
18559 @subsection Anything Groups
18562 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
18563 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
18564 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
18567 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
18568 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
18569 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
18570 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
18571 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
18572 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
18573 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
18574 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
18575 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
18576 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
18579 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
18580 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
18581 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
18582 in the article buffer, just as usual.
18584 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
18585 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
18586 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
18587 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
18589 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
18590 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
18591 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
18592 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
18593 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
18594 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
18595 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
18596 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
18601 @item nneething-map-file-directory
18602 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
18603 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
18604 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
18606 @item nneething-exclude-files
18607 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
18608 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
18609 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
18611 @item nneething-include-files
18612 @vindex nneething-include-files
18613 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
18614 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
18616 @item nneething-map-file
18617 @vindex nneething-map-file
18618 Name of the map files.
18622 @node Document Groups
18623 @subsection Document Groups
18625 @cindex documentation group
18628 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
18629 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
18635 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
18640 The standard Unix mbox file.
18642 @cindex MMDF mail box
18644 The MMDF mail box format.
18647 Several news articles appended into a file.
18649 @cindex rnews batch files
18651 The rnews batch transport format.
18654 Netscape mail boxes.
18657 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
18659 @item standard-digest
18660 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
18663 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
18665 @item lanl-gov-announce
18666 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
18668 @cindex forwarded messages
18669 @item rfc822-forward
18670 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
18673 The Outlook mail box.
18676 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
18679 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
18682 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
18685 An RFC934-forwarded message.
18691 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
18694 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
18700 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
18701 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
18702 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
18705 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
18706 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
18707 group. And that's it.
18709 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
18710 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
18711 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
18712 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
18713 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
18714 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
18715 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
18716 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
18717 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
18718 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
18720 Virtual server variables:
18723 @item nndoc-article-type
18724 @vindex nndoc-article-type
18725 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
18726 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
18727 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
18728 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
18729 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
18731 @item nndoc-post-type
18732 @vindex nndoc-post-type
18733 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
18734 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
18739 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
18743 @node Document Server Internals
18744 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
18746 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
18747 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
18748 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
18749 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
18751 First, here's an example document type definition:
18755 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
18756 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
18759 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
18760 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
18761 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
18762 types can be defined with very few settings:
18765 @item first-article
18766 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
18767 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
18770 @item article-begin
18771 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
18772 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
18773 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
18774 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
18776 @item article-begin-function
18777 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
18778 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
18781 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
18782 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
18783 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
18785 @item head-begin-function
18786 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
18787 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
18790 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
18791 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
18794 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
18795 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
18796 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
18798 @item body-begin-function
18799 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
18800 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
18803 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
18804 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
18805 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
18807 @item body-end-function
18808 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
18809 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
18812 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
18813 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
18816 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
18817 regexp will be totally ignored.
18821 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
18822 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
18823 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
18824 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
18825 something that's palatable for Gnus:
18828 @item prepare-body-function
18829 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
18830 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
18831 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
18833 @item article-transform-function
18834 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
18835 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
18836 body of the article.
18838 @item generate-head-function
18839 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
18840 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
18841 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
18842 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
18844 @item generate-article-function
18845 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
18846 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
18847 parameter when requesting all articles.
18849 @item dissection-function
18850 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
18851 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
18852 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
18853 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
18854 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
18855 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
18859 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
18864 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
18865 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
18866 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
18867 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
18868 (head-end . "^ ?$")
18869 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
18870 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
18871 (subtype digest guess))
18874 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
18875 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
18876 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
18877 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
18878 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
18880 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
18881 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
18882 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
18883 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
18884 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
18885 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
18886 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
18887 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
18888 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
18889 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
18890 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
18891 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
18899 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
18900 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
18901 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
18903 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
18904 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
18905 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
18908 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
18909 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
18910 that interested in doing things properly.
18912 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
18913 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
18916 First some terminology:
18921 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
18922 get news and/or mail from.
18925 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
18926 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
18929 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
18933 @item message packets
18934 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
18935 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
18936 default, where @var{x} is a number.
18938 @item response packets
18939 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
18940 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
18941 default, where @var{x} is a number.
18951 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
18952 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
18953 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
18954 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
18957 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
18960 You put the packet in your home directory.
18963 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
18964 the native or secondary server.
18967 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
18968 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
18971 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
18975 You transfer this packet to the server.
18978 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
18981 You then repeat until you die.
18985 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
18986 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
18989 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
18990 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
18991 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
18995 @node SOUP Commands
18996 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
18998 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
19002 @kindex G s b (Group)
19003 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
19004 Pack all unread articles in the current group
19005 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
19006 process/prefix convention.
19009 @kindex G s w (Group)
19010 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
19011 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
19014 @kindex G s s (Group)
19015 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
19016 Send all replies from the replies packet
19017 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
19020 @kindex G s p (Group)
19021 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
19022 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
19025 @kindex G s r (Group)
19026 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
19027 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
19030 @kindex O s (Summary)
19031 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
19032 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
19033 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
19034 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19039 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
19044 @item gnus-soup-directory
19045 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
19046 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
19047 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
19049 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
19050 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
19051 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
19052 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
19054 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
19055 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
19056 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
19057 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
19059 @item gnus-soup-packer
19060 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
19061 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
19062 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
19064 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
19065 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
19066 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
19067 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
19069 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
19070 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
19071 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
19073 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
19074 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
19075 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
19076 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
19082 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
19085 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
19086 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
19087 you can read them at leisure.
19089 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
19093 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
19094 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
19095 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
19096 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
19098 @item nnsoup-directory
19099 @vindex nnsoup-directory
19100 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
19101 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
19103 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
19104 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
19105 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
19106 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
19108 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
19109 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
19110 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
19111 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
19112 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
19114 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
19115 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
19116 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
19117 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
19119 @item nnsoup-active-file
19120 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
19121 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
19122 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
19123 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
19124 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
19126 @item nnsoup-packer
19127 @vindex nnsoup-packer
19128 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
19129 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
19131 @item nnsoup-unpacker
19132 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
19133 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
19134 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
19136 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
19137 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
19138 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
19141 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
19142 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
19143 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
19146 @item nnsoup-always-save
19147 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
19148 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
19154 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
19156 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
19157 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
19158 more for that to happen.
19160 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
19161 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
19162 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
19165 In specific, this is what it does:
19168 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
19169 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
19172 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
19173 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
19174 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
19177 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
19178 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
19179 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
19182 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
19183 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
19184 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
19186 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
19192 @item nngateway-address
19193 @vindex nngateway-address
19194 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
19196 @item nngateway-header-transformation
19197 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
19198 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
19199 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
19200 transformation should be called, and defaults to
19201 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
19202 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
19205 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
19206 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
19207 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
19210 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
19213 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
19216 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
19219 The following pre-defined functions exist:
19221 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
19224 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
19225 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
19226 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
19228 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
19230 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
19231 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
19232 @code{nngateway-address}.
19240 (setq gnus-post-method
19242 "mail2news@@replay.com"
19243 (nngateway-header-transformation
19244 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
19247 So, to use this, simply say something like:
19250 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
19255 @node Combined Groups
19256 @section Combined Groups
19258 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
19262 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
19263 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
19267 @node Virtual Groups
19268 @subsection Virtual Groups
19270 @cindex virtual groups
19271 @cindex merging groups
19273 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
19276 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
19277 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
19278 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
19280 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
19281 regexp to match component groups.
19283 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
19284 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
19285 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
19286 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
19287 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
19288 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
19289 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
19290 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
19292 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
19293 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
19296 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
19299 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
19300 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
19302 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
19303 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
19304 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
19305 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
19308 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
19311 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
19312 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
19313 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
19315 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
19316 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
19317 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
19318 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
19319 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
19321 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
19322 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
19323 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
19325 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
19326 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
19327 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
19328 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
19329 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
19330 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
19331 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
19332 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
19333 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
19334 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
19335 it---it'll have much the same effect.
19337 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
19338 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
19339 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
19340 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
19341 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
19342 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
19343 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
19345 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
19346 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
19348 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
19349 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
19353 @node Kibozed Groups
19354 @subsection Kibozed Groups
19358 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
19359 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
19360 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
19361 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
19363 @kindex G k (Group)
19364 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
19367 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
19368 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
19369 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
19370 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
19372 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
19373 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
19374 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
19376 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
19377 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
19378 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
19379 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
19380 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
19381 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
19382 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
19383 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
19385 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
19386 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
19387 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
19388 Stranger things have happened.
19390 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
19391 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
19393 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
19394 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
19395 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
19396 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
19397 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
19398 information on what groups have been searched through to find
19399 component articles.
19401 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
19402 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
19405 @node Email Based Diary
19406 @section Email Based Diary
19408 @cindex email based diary
19411 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
19412 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
19413 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
19414 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
19415 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
19416 namely, as event reminders.
19418 Here is a typical scenario:
19422 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
19423 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
19425 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
19427 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
19429 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
19430 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
19431 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
19433 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
19434 of the night you're gonna have.
19436 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
19437 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
19440 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
19441 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
19442 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
19443 explained in the sections below.
19446 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
19447 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
19448 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
19452 @node The NNDiary Back End
19453 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
19455 @cindex the nndiary back end
19457 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
19458 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
19459 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
19460 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
19461 directory per group.
19463 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
19464 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
19465 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
19466 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
19469 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
19470 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
19471 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
19474 @node Diary Messages
19475 @subsubsection Diary Messages
19476 @cindex nndiary messages
19477 @cindex nndiary mails
19479 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
19480 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
19481 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
19482 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
19483 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
19484 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
19485 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
19489 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
19490 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
19491 (separated by a comma).
19493 A field is either an integer, or a range.
19495 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
19497 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
19498 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
19499 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
19501 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
19502 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
19503 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
19505 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
19506 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
19507 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
19508 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
19509 list of available time zone values, see the variable
19510 @code{nndiary-headers}.
19513 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
19514 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
19515 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
19520 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
19523 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
19525 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
19528 @node Running NNDiary
19529 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
19530 @cindex running nndiary
19531 @cindex nndiary operation modes
19533 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
19534 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
19535 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
19536 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
19537 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
19538 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
19540 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
19541 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
19542 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
19543 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
19544 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
19545 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
19546 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
19549 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
19554 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
19555 line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
19558 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
19561 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
19562 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
19563 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
19564 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
19565 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
19567 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
19568 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
19577 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
19578 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
19580 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
19581 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
19582 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
19583 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
19586 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
19587 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
19588 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
19591 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
19592 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
19593 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
19595 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
19596 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
19597 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
19598 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
19599 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
19601 @node Customizing NNDiary
19602 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
19603 @cindex customizing nndiary
19604 @cindex nndiary customization
19606 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
19607 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
19608 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
19609 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
19611 @defvar nndiary-reminders
19612 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
19613 appointments (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
19614 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
19615 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
19619 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
19620 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
19625 @node The Gnus Diary Library
19626 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
19628 @cindex the gnus diary library
19630 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
19631 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
19632 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
19633 useful things for you.
19635 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
19638 (require 'gnus-diary)
19641 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
19642 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
19643 (sorry if you used them before).
19647 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
19648 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
19649 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
19650 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
19653 @node Diary Summary Line Format
19654 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
19655 @cindex diary summary buffer line
19656 @cindex diary summary line format
19658 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
19659 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
19660 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
19661 see the event's date.
19663 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
19664 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
19665 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
19666 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
19667 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
19669 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
19670 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
19671 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
19674 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
19677 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
19678 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
19681 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
19684 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
19685 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
19686 with the following user options:
19688 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
19689 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
19690 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
19691 diary groups'parameters.
19694 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
19695 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
19696 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
19699 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
19700 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
19701 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
19702 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
19703 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
19706 @node Diary Articles Sorting
19707 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
19708 @cindex diary articles sorting
19709 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
19710 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
19711 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
19712 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
19714 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
19715 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
19716 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
19717 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
19718 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
19720 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
19721 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
19722 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
19723 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
19726 @node Diary Headers Generation
19727 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
19728 @cindex diary headers generation
19729 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
19731 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
19732 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
19733 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
19734 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
19737 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
19738 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
19739 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c C-f d} in
19740 @code{message-mode} and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the
19741 process of converting a usual mail to a diary one.
19743 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
19744 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
19745 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
19748 @node Diary Group Parameters
19749 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
19750 @cindex diary group parameters
19752 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
19753 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
19754 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
19755 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
19756 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
19757 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
19758 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
19759 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
19761 @node Sending or Not Sending
19762 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
19764 Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
19765 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
19769 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
19770 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
19771 appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
19772 sending the diary message to them as well.
19774 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
19775 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
19776 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
19777 comes in very handy for private appointments.
19780 @node Gnus Unplugged
19781 @section Gnus Unplugged
19786 @cindex Gnus unplugged
19788 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
19789 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
19790 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
19791 read news. Believe it or not.
19793 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
19794 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
19795 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
19796 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
19797 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
19799 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
19800 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
19801 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
19802 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
19803 reading news on a machine.
19805 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
19806 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
19807 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
19809 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
19812 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
19813 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
19814 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
19815 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
19816 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
19817 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
19818 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
19819 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
19820 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
19821 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
19822 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
19823 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
19824 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
19825 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
19830 @subsection Agent Basics
19832 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
19834 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
19835 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
19836 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
19837 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
19839 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
19840 connected to the net continuously.
19842 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
19843 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
19845 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
19846 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
19847 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
19848 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
19849 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
19851 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
19852 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
19853 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
19854 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
19855 they're kinda like plugged always).
19857 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
19858 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
19859 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
19862 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
19863 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
19864 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
19865 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
19866 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
19868 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
19873 @findex gnus-unplugged
19874 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
19875 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
19876 already fetched while in this mode.
19879 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
19880 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
19881 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
19882 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
19883 Source Specifiers}).
19886 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
19887 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
19888 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
19889 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
19890 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
19893 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
19894 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
19895 then you read the news offline.
19898 And then you go to step 2.
19901 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
19907 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
19908 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
19909 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
19910 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
19911 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
19912 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
19913 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
19914 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
19917 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
19918 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
19919 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
19920 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
19922 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
19923 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
19924 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
19925 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
19926 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
19927 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
19931 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
19935 @node Agent Categories
19936 @subsection Agent Categories
19938 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
19939 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
19940 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
19941 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
19942 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
19943 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
19944 you're interested in the articles anyway.
19946 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
19947 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
19948 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
19949 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
19950 buffer for creating and managing categories.
19952 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
19953 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
19954 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
19955 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
19956 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
19959 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
19960 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
19961 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
19962 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
19963 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
19964 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
19968 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
19969 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
19970 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
19974 @node Category Syntax
19975 @subsubsection Category Syntax
19977 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
19978 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
19979 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
19982 @cindex Agent Parameters
19985 The list of groups that are in this category.
19987 @item agent-predicate
19988 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
19989 are eligible for downloading; and
19992 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
19993 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
19994 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
19996 @item agent-enable-expiration
19997 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
19998 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
19999 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
20000 only groups that should not be expired.
20002 @item agent-days-until-old
20003 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
20004 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
20006 @item agent-low-score
20007 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
20009 @item agent-high-score
20010 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
20012 @item agent-short-article
20013 an integer that overrides the value of
20014 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
20016 @item agent-long-article
20017 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
20019 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
20020 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
20021 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
20022 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
20023 undownloaded faces.
20026 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
20029 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
20030 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
20031 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
20034 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
20035 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
20036 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
20037 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
20039 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
20040 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
20041 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
20043 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
20044 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
20045 operators sprinkled in between.
20047 Perhaps some examples are in order.
20049 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
20050 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
20056 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
20057 short (for some value of ``short'').
20059 Here's a more complex predicate:
20068 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
20069 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
20072 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
20073 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
20074 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
20076 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
20077 you want to do, you can write your own.
20079 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
20080 bound to the value determined by calling
20081 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
20082 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
20083 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
20084 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
20085 predicate to individual groups.
20089 True if the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
20090 lines; default 100.
20093 True if the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
20094 lines; default 200.
20097 True if the article has a download score less than
20098 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
20101 True if the article has a download score greater than
20102 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
20105 True if the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
20106 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
20107 checksum and sees whether articles match.
20116 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
20117 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
20118 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
20121 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
20122 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
20123 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
20124 something along the lines of the following:
20127 (defun my-article-old-p ()
20128 "Say whether an article is old."
20129 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
20130 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
20133 with the predicate then defined as:
20136 (not my-article-old-p)
20139 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
20140 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
20144 (require 'gnus-agent)
20145 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
20146 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
20147 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
20150 and simply specify your predicate as:
20156 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
20157 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
20158 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
20159 just don't give a damn.
20161 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
20162 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
20163 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
20164 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
20165 parameters like so:
20168 (agent-predicate . short)
20171 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
20172 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
20173 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
20175 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
20178 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
20181 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
20182 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
20183 predicate is assumed to be a list.
20186 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
20187 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
20188 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
20189 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
20190 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
20191 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
20193 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
20194 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
20195 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
20196 if it's to be specific to that group.
20198 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
20205 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
20206 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
20212 Category specification
20216 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
20222 Group/Topic Parameter specification
20225 (agent-score ("from"
20226 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
20231 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
20237 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
20238 keywords stated above.
20244 Category specification
20247 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
20253 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
20257 Group Parameter specification
20260 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
20263 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
20268 Use @code{normal} score files
20270 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
20271 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
20272 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
20273 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
20275 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
20276 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
20277 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
20278 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
20282 Category Specification
20289 Group Parameter specification
20292 (agent-score . file)
20297 @node Category Buffer
20298 @subsubsection Category Buffer
20300 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
20301 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
20302 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
20304 The following commands are available in this buffer:
20308 @kindex q (Category)
20309 @findex gnus-category-exit
20310 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
20313 @kindex e (Category)
20314 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
20315 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
20316 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
20319 @kindex k (Category)
20320 @findex gnus-category-kill
20321 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
20324 @kindex c (Category)
20325 @findex gnus-category-copy
20326 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
20329 @kindex a (Category)
20330 @findex gnus-category-add
20331 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
20334 @kindex p (Category)
20335 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
20336 Edit the predicate of the current category
20337 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
20340 @kindex g (Category)
20341 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
20342 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
20343 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
20346 @kindex s (Category)
20347 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
20348 Edit the download score rule of the current category
20349 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
20352 @kindex l (Category)
20353 @findex gnus-category-list
20354 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
20358 @node Category Variables
20359 @subsubsection Category Variables
20362 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
20363 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
20364 Hook run in category buffers.
20366 @item gnus-category-line-format
20367 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
20368 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
20369 Variables}). Valid elements are:
20373 The name of the category.
20376 The number of groups in the category.
20379 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
20380 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
20381 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
20383 @item gnus-agent-short-article
20384 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
20385 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
20387 @item gnus-agent-long-article
20388 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
20389 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
20391 @item gnus-agent-low-score
20392 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
20393 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
20396 @item gnus-agent-high-score
20397 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
20398 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
20401 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
20402 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
20403 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
20404 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
20405 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
20406 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
20407 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
20408 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
20412 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
20413 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
20414 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
20415 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
20416 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
20417 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
20418 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
20423 @node Agent Commands
20424 @subsection Agent Commands
20425 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
20426 @kindex J j (Agent)
20428 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
20429 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
20430 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
20434 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
20435 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
20436 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
20442 @node Group Agent Commands
20443 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
20447 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
20448 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
20449 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
20450 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
20453 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
20454 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
20455 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
20458 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
20459 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
20460 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
20461 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
20464 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
20465 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
20466 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
20467 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
20470 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
20471 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
20472 Add the current group to an Agent category
20473 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
20474 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
20477 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
20478 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
20479 Remove the current group from its category, if any
20480 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
20481 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
20484 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
20485 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20486 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
20492 @node Summary Agent Commands
20493 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
20497 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
20498 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
20499 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
20502 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
20503 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
20504 Remove the downloading mark from the article
20505 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
20509 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
20510 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
20511 Toggle whether to download the article
20512 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
20516 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
20517 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
20518 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
20521 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
20522 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
20523 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
20524 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
20527 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
20528 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
20529 Download all processable articles in this group.
20530 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
20533 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
20534 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
20535 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
20536 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
20541 @node Server Agent Commands
20542 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
20546 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
20547 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
20548 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
20549 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
20552 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
20553 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
20554 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
20555 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
20560 @node Agent Visuals
20561 @subsection Agent Visuals
20563 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
20564 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
20565 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
20566 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
20567 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
20568 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
20569 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
20570 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
20571 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
20572 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
20574 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
20575 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
20576 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
20577 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
20578 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
20579 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
20580 the download status of each article so that you always know which
20581 articles will be available when unplugged.
20583 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
20584 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
20585 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
20586 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
20587 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
20588 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
20589 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
20590 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
20592 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
20593 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
20594 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
20595 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
20596 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
20597 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
20598 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
20599 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
20600 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
20602 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
20603 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
20604 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
20605 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
20606 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
20607 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
20608 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
20609 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
20610 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
20611 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
20613 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
20614 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
20615 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
20616 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
20617 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
20618 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
20620 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
20621 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
20622 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
20623 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
20624 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
20625 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
20626 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
20627 expiring'' articles.
20629 @node Agent as Cache
20630 @subsection Agent as Cache
20632 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
20633 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
20634 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
20635 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
20636 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
20637 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
20638 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
20639 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
20640 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
20642 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
20643 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
20644 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
20645 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
20646 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
20649 @subsection Agent Expiry
20651 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
20652 @findex gnus-agent-expire
20653 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
20654 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
20655 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
20656 @cindex agent expiry
20657 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
20658 @cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
20660 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
20661 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
20662 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
20663 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
20664 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
20665 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
20666 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
20667 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
20669 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
20670 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
20671 synchronized with the group.
20673 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
20674 prevent expiration in selected groups.
20676 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
20677 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
20678 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
20679 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
20680 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
20681 be kept indefinitely.
20683 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
20684 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
20685 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
20686 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
20688 @node Agent Regeneration
20689 @subsection Agent Regeneration
20691 @cindex agent regeneration
20692 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
20693 @cindex regeneration
20695 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
20696 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
20697 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
20698 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
20699 internal inconsistencies.
20701 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
20702 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
20703 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
20704 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
20705 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
20706 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
20708 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
20709 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
20710 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
20711 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
20712 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
20713 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
20715 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
20716 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
20717 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
20718 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
20719 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
20720 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
20723 @node Agent and flags
20724 @subsection Agent and flags
20726 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
20727 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
20728 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
20729 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
20730 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
20731 to the flags in its own files.
20733 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
20734 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
20735 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
20737 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20738 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
20739 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
20740 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
20741 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
20742 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
20744 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
20745 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
20746 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
20747 in the group buffer.
20749 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
20750 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
20751 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
20752 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
20753 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
20754 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
20755 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
20756 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
20758 @node Agent and IMAP
20759 @subsection Agent and IMAP
20761 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
20762 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
20763 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
20764 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
20766 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
20767 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
20772 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
20775 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
20779 @node Outgoing Messages
20780 @subsection Outgoing Messages
20782 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
20783 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
20784 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
20786 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
20787 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
20788 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
20790 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
20791 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
20792 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
20793 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
20796 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
20797 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
20798 ask you to confirm your action (see
20799 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
20801 @node Agent Variables
20802 @subsection Agent Variables
20807 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
20808 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
20809 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
20810 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
20812 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
20813 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
20816 @item gnus-agent-directory
20817 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
20818 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
20819 @file{~/News/agent/}.
20821 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
20822 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
20823 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
20824 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
20825 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
20828 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
20829 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
20830 Hook run when connecting to the network.
20832 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
20833 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
20834 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
20836 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
20837 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
20838 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
20840 @item gnus-agent-cache
20841 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
20842 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
20843 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
20844 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
20846 @item gnus-agent-go-online
20847 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
20848 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
20849 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
20850 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
20851 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
20852 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
20855 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
20856 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
20857 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
20858 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
20859 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
20860 read. The default is @code{t}.
20862 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20863 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20864 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
20865 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
20866 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
20867 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
20868 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
20870 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
20871 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
20872 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
20873 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
20874 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
20875 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
20876 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
20877 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
20878 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
20879 over and over again.
20881 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
20882 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
20883 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
20884 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
20885 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
20886 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
20887 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
20888 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
20889 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
20890 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
20891 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
20892 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
20895 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
20896 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
20897 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
20898 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
20899 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
20900 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
20901 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
20902 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
20903 is only valid if the Agent is used.
20905 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
20906 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
20907 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
20908 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
20909 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
20910 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
20912 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
20913 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
20914 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
20915 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
20916 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
20918 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
20919 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
20920 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
20921 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
20922 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
20923 mail. The default is @code{t}.
20925 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
20926 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
20927 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
20928 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
20929 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
20931 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
20932 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
20933 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
20934 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
20935 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
20936 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
20937 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
20938 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
20939 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
20940 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
20941 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
20946 @node Example Setup
20947 @subsection Example Setup
20949 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
20950 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
20951 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
20954 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
20955 ;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
20956 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
20958 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
20959 ;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
20960 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
20962 ;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
20963 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
20965 ;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
20966 ;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
20967 ;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
20970 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
20971 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
20974 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
20975 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
20976 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
20977 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
20978 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
20981 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
20982 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
20983 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
20984 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
20985 back all the killed groups.)
20987 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
20988 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
20989 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
20992 @node Batching Agents
20993 @subsection Batching Agents
20994 @findex gnus-agent-batch
20996 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
20997 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
20998 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
21000 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
21001 following incantation:
21005 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
21009 @node Agent Caveats
21010 @subsection Agent Caveats
21012 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
21013 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
21017 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
21019 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
21020 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
21021 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
21023 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
21024 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
21026 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
21030 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
21031 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
21032 locally stored articles.
21039 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
21040 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
21041 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
21044 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
21045 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
21046 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
21047 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
21048 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
21050 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
21051 before generating the summary buffer.
21053 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
21054 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
21055 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
21057 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
21058 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
21059 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
21060 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
21063 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
21064 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
21065 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
21066 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
21067 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
21068 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
21069 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
21070 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
21071 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
21072 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
21073 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
21074 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
21075 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
21076 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
21077 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
21078 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
21082 @node Summary Score Commands
21083 @section Summary Score Commands
21084 @cindex score commands
21086 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
21087 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
21088 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
21089 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
21090 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
21092 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
21093 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
21094 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
21095 score file the current one.
21097 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
21102 @kindex V s (Summary)
21103 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
21104 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
21107 @kindex V S (Summary)
21108 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
21109 Display the score of the current article
21110 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
21113 @kindex V t (Summary)
21114 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
21115 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
21116 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
21117 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
21118 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
21119 score file and edit it.
21122 @kindex V w (Summary)
21123 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
21124 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
21127 @kindex V R (Summary)
21128 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
21129 Run the current summary through the scoring process
21130 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
21131 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
21132 effect you're having.
21135 @kindex V c (Summary)
21136 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
21137 Make a different score file the current
21138 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
21141 @kindex V e (Summary)
21142 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
21143 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
21144 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
21148 @kindex V f (Summary)
21149 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
21150 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
21151 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
21154 @kindex V F (Summary)
21155 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
21156 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
21157 after editing score files.
21160 @kindex V C (Summary)
21161 @findex gnus-score-customize
21162 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
21163 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
21167 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
21172 @kindex V m (Summary)
21173 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
21174 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
21175 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
21178 @kindex V x (Summary)
21179 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
21180 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
21181 expunge all articles below this score
21182 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
21185 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
21186 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
21189 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
21190 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
21194 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
21195 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
21197 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
21198 keys are available:
21202 Score on the author name.
21205 Score on the subject line.
21208 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
21211 Score on the @code{References} line.
21217 Score on the number of lines.
21220 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
21223 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
21224 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
21227 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
21228 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
21229 @file{ADAPT} files.)
21238 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
21244 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
21245 what headers you are scoring on.
21257 Substring matching.
21260 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
21289 Greater than number.
21294 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
21295 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
21296 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
21301 Temporary score entry.
21304 Permanent score entry.
21307 Immediately scoring.
21311 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
21312 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
21313 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
21317 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
21318 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
21319 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
21320 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
21322 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
21323 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
21324 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
21325 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
21326 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
21328 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
21329 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
21330 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
21331 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
21332 current score file.
21334 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
21335 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
21336 pretend they are keymaps or not.
21339 @node Group Score Commands
21340 @section Group Score Commands
21341 @cindex group score commands
21343 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
21348 @kindex W e (Group)
21349 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
21350 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
21351 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
21354 @kindex W f (Group)
21355 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
21356 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
21357 all the time. This command will flush the cache
21358 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
21362 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
21364 @findex gnus-batch-score
21365 @cindex batch scoring
21367 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
21371 @node Score Variables
21372 @section Score Variables
21373 @cindex score variables
21377 @item gnus-use-scoring
21378 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
21379 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
21380 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
21382 @item gnus-kill-killed
21383 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
21384 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
21385 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
21386 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
21387 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
21388 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
21389 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
21391 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
21392 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
21393 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
21394 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
21395 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
21397 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
21398 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
21399 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
21400 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
21402 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
21403 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
21404 @cindex score cache
21405 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
21406 score files. However, this might make your Emacs grow big and
21407 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
21408 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
21409 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
21410 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
21411 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
21414 @item gnus-save-score
21415 @vindex gnus-save-score
21416 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
21417 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
21418 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
21420 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
21421 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
21422 across group visits.
21424 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
21425 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
21426 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
21427 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
21428 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
21429 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
21430 manually entered data.
21432 @item gnus-summary-default-score
21433 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
21434 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
21436 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
21437 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
21438 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
21439 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
21440 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
21441 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
21443 @item gnus-score-over-mark
21444 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
21445 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
21446 default. Default is @samp{+}.
21448 @item gnus-score-below-mark
21449 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
21450 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
21451 default. Default is @samp{-}.
21453 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
21454 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
21455 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
21456 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
21458 Predefined functions available are:
21461 @item gnus-score-find-single
21462 @findex gnus-score-find-single
21463 Only apply the group's own score file.
21465 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
21466 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
21467 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
21468 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
21469 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
21470 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
21471 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
21472 then a regexp match is done.
21474 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
21475 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
21477 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
21478 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
21479 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
21480 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
21482 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
21483 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
21484 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
21485 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
21486 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
21490 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
21491 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
21492 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
21493 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
21494 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
21495 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
21496 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
21499 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
21500 overall score file, you could use the value
21502 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
21503 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
21506 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
21507 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
21508 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
21509 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
21510 are expired. It's 7 by default.
21512 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
21513 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
21514 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
21515 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
21516 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
21517 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
21518 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
21519 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
21521 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
21522 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
21523 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
21525 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
21526 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
21527 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
21528 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
21529 threading---according to the current value of
21530 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
21531 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
21532 simplified in this manner.
21537 @node Score File Format
21538 @section Score File Format
21539 @cindex score file format
21541 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
21542 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
21543 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
21545 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
21549 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
21551 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
21553 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
21555 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
21560 (mark-and-expunge -10)
21564 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
21565 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
21566 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
21567 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
21571 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
21572 Scoring}, for a different approach.
21574 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
21575 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
21576 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
21578 Six keys are supported by this alist:
21583 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
21584 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
21585 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
21586 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
21587 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
21588 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
21589 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
21590 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
21591 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
21592 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
21593 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
21594 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
21595 to articles that matches these score entries.
21597 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
21598 score entry has one to four elements.
21602 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
21603 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
21607 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
21608 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
21609 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
21610 is successful. If this element is not present, the
21611 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
21612 instead. This is 1000 by default.
21615 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
21616 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
21617 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
21618 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
21619 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
21622 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
21623 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
21624 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
21625 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
21628 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
21629 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
21630 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
21631 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
21632 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
21633 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
21634 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
21635 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
21636 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
21637 instead, if you feel like.
21640 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
21641 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
21642 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
21643 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
21644 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
21645 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
21649 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
21650 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
21654 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
21655 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
21657 These predicates are true if
21660 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
21663 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
21664 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
21671 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
21672 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
21673 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
21674 it's not. I think.)
21676 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
21677 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
21678 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
21679 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
21682 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
21683 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
21684 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
21685 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
21686 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
21687 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
21688 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
21692 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
21693 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
21694 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
21695 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
21696 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
21697 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
21698 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
21699 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
21702 @item Head, Body, All
21703 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
21707 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
21708 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
21709 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
21710 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
21711 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
21712 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
21713 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
21717 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
21718 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
21719 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
21720 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
21721 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
21722 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
21723 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
21724 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
21725 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
21726 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
21727 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
21731 @cindex score file atoms
21733 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21734 lower than this number will be marked as read.
21737 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21738 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
21740 @item mark-and-expunge
21741 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21742 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
21745 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
21746 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
21747 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
21748 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
21749 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
21752 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
21753 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
21756 @item exclude-files
21757 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
21758 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
21762 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
21763 ignored when handling global score files.
21766 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
21767 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
21768 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
21769 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
21772 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
21773 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
21774 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
21775 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
21777 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
21781 (mark-and-expunge -100)
21784 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
21785 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
21786 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
21787 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
21788 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
21790 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
21791 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
21792 scoring rules exist.
21795 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
21796 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
21797 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
21798 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
21799 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
21800 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
21801 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
21802 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
21803 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
21804 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
21805 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
21809 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
21810 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
21811 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
21812 file for a number of groups.
21815 @cindex local variables
21816 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
21817 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
21818 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
21819 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
21820 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
21825 @node Score File Editing
21826 @section Score File Editing
21828 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
21829 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
21830 with a mode for that.
21832 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
21833 additional commands:
21838 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
21839 @findex gnus-score-edit-exit
21840 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
21841 (@code{gnus-score-edit-exit}).
21844 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
21845 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
21846 Insert the current date in numerical format
21847 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
21848 you were wondering.
21851 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
21852 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
21853 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
21854 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
21855 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
21860 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
21862 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
21863 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
21865 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
21866 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
21869 @node Adaptive Scoring
21870 @section Adaptive Scoring
21871 @cindex adaptive scoring
21873 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
21874 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
21875 stupidity, to be precise.
21877 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
21878 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
21879 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
21880 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
21881 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
21882 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
21883 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
21884 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
21885 variable to @code{(word line)}.
21887 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
21888 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
21889 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
21890 might look something like this:
21893 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
21894 '((gnus-unread-mark)
21895 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
21896 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
21897 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
21898 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
21899 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
21900 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
21901 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
21902 (gnus-ancient-mark)
21903 (gnus-low-score-mark)
21904 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
21907 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
21908 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
21909 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
21910 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
21911 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
21912 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
21915 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
21916 will be applied to each article.
21918 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
21919 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
21920 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
21921 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
21923 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
21924 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
21925 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
21926 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
21928 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
21929 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
21930 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
21931 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
21933 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
21934 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
21935 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
21936 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
21937 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
21938 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
21940 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
21941 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
21942 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
21944 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
21945 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
21946 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
21948 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
21949 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
21950 let you use different rules in different groups.
21952 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
21953 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
21954 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
21957 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
21958 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
21959 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
21960 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
21962 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
21963 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
21964 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
21965 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
21966 the length of the match is less than
21967 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
21968 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
21971 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
21972 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
21973 headers. If you adapt on words, the
21974 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
21975 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
21978 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
21979 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
21980 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
21981 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
21982 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
21985 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
21986 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
21987 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
21988 score with 30 points.
21990 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
21991 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
21992 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
21993 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
21994 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
21996 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
21997 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
21998 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
21999 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
22000 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
22002 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
22003 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
22004 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
22005 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
22007 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
22008 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
22009 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
22010 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
22012 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
22013 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
22014 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
22015 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
22016 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
22018 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
22019 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
22020 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
22022 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
22023 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
22024 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
22025 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
22028 @node Home Score File
22029 @section Home Score File
22031 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
22032 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
22033 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
22034 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
22036 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
22037 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
22038 could perhaps use the same home score file.
22040 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
22041 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
22046 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
22050 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
22051 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
22055 A list. The elements in this list can be:
22059 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
22060 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
22063 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
22064 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
22065 name of the group as the parameter.
22068 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
22071 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
22076 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
22079 (setq gnus-home-score-file
22080 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
22083 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
22084 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
22086 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
22088 (setq gnus-home-score-file
22089 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
22092 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
22093 Other functions include
22096 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
22097 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
22098 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
22099 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
22103 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
22104 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
22105 their own home score files:
22108 (setq gnus-home-score-file
22109 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
22110 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
22111 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
22112 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
22115 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
22116 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
22117 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
22118 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
22119 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
22121 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
22122 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
22123 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
22124 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
22125 precedence over this variable.
22128 @node Followups To Yourself
22129 @section Followups To Yourself
22131 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
22132 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
22133 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
22134 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
22135 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
22136 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
22140 @item gnus-score-followup-article
22141 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
22142 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
22145 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
22146 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
22147 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
22151 @vindex message-sent-hook
22152 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
22153 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
22155 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
22159 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
22160 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
22164 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
22165 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
22168 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
22169 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
22174 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
22178 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
22179 is system-dependent.
22182 @node Scoring On Other Headers
22183 @section Scoring On Other Headers
22184 @cindex scoring on other headers
22186 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
22187 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
22188 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
22189 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
22190 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
22192 @vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
22193 You can inhibit this slow scoring on headers or body by setting the
22194 variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
22195 @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
22196 the group matches the regexp. If it is t, slow scoring on it is
22197 inhibited for all groups.
22199 Now, there's not much you can do about the slowness for news groups, but for
22200 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
22201 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
22202 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
22203 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
22205 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
22208 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
22209 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
22212 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
22213 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
22214 time if you have much mail.
22216 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
22217 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
22223 @section Scoring Tips
22224 @cindex scoring tips
22230 @cindex scoring crossposts
22231 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
22232 the @code{Xref} header.
22234 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
22237 @item Multiple crossposts
22238 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
22239 more than, say, 3 groups:
22242 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
22246 @item Matching on the body
22247 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
22248 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
22249 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
22250 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
22251 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
22252 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
22253 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
22256 @item Marking as read
22257 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
22258 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
22259 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
22263 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
22265 @item Negated character classes
22266 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
22267 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
22268 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
22272 @node Reverse Scoring
22273 @section Reverse Scoring
22274 @cindex reverse scoring
22276 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
22277 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
22278 like this in your score file:
22282 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
22287 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
22288 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
22291 @node Global Score Files
22292 @section Global Score Files
22293 @cindex global score files
22295 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
22296 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
22297 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
22299 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
22300 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
22301 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
22303 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
22304 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
22305 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
22306 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
22307 files are applicable to which group.
22309 To use the score file
22310 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
22311 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
22315 (setq gnus-global-score-files
22316 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
22317 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
22320 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
22322 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
22323 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
22324 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
22325 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
22327 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
22328 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
22330 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
22331 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
22332 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
22333 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
22334 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
22335 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
22337 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
22343 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
22345 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
22347 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
22349 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
22350 lowered out of existence.
22352 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
22353 articles completely.
22356 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
22357 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
22358 old articles for a long time.
22361 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
22362 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
22363 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
22364 holding our breath yet?
22368 @section Kill Files
22371 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
22372 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
22373 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
22375 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
22376 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
22377 files into score files.
22379 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
22380 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
22381 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
22382 that isn't a very good idea.
22384 Normal kill files look like this:
22387 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22388 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
22392 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
22393 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
22395 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
22396 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
22399 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
22404 @kindex M-k (Summary)
22405 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
22406 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
22409 @kindex M-K (Summary)
22410 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
22411 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
22414 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
22419 @kindex M-k (Group)
22420 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
22421 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
22424 @kindex M-K (Group)
22425 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
22426 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
22429 Kill file variables:
22432 @item gnus-kill-file-name
22433 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
22434 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
22435 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
22436 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
22437 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
22438 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
22440 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
22441 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
22442 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
22443 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
22446 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
22447 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
22448 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
22449 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
22450 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
22451 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
22452 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
22453 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
22454 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
22456 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
22457 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
22458 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
22463 @node Converting Kill Files
22464 @section Converting Kill Files
22466 @cindex converting kill files
22468 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
22469 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
22470 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
22473 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Emacs by default.
22474 You can fetch it from the contrib directory of the Gnus distribution or
22476 @uref{http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
22478 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
22479 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
22480 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
22484 @node Advanced Scoring
22485 @section Advanced Scoring
22487 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
22488 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
22489 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
22490 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
22491 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
22493 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
22497 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
22498 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
22499 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
22503 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
22504 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
22506 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
22507 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
22508 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
22509 non-@code{nil} value.
22511 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
22512 operator, and various match operators.
22519 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
22520 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
22521 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
22526 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
22527 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
22528 then this operator will return @code{false}.
22533 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
22534 logical negation of the value of its argument.
22538 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
22539 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
22540 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
22541 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
22542 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
22543 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
22544 the ancestry you want to go.
22546 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
22547 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
22548 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
22549 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
22550 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
22553 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
22554 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
22556 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
22557 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
22560 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
22561 when he's talking about Gnus:
22566 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22567 ("subject" "Gnus"))
22574 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
22578 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22585 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
22586 really don't want to read what he's written:
22590 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22591 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
22595 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
22596 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
22597 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
22604 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
22605 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
22606 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
22607 ("body" "white.*socks"))
22611 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
22612 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
22613 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
22614 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
22617 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
22619 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
22623 The possibilities are endless.
22625 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
22626 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
22628 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
22629 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
22630 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
22631 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
22632 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
22633 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
22634 @samp{subject}) first.
22636 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
22637 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
22648 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
22649 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
22655 ("subject" "Gnus")))
22662 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
22663 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
22668 @section Score Decays
22669 @cindex score decays
22672 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
22673 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
22674 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
22675 use them in any sensible way.
22677 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
22678 @findex gnus-decay-score
22679 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
22680 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
22681 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
22682 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
22683 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
22684 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
22685 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
22686 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
22687 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
22688 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
22692 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
22693 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
22694 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
22696 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
22698 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
22700 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
22701 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
22702 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
22703 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
22704 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
22706 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
22710 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
22711 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
22712 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
22713 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
22717 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
22720 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
22723 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
22727 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
22728 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
22729 the new score, which should be an integer.
22731 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
22732 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
22737 @include message.texi
22738 @chapter Emacs MIME
22739 @include emacs-mime.texi
22741 @include sieve.texi
22753 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
22754 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
22755 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
22756 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
22757 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
22758 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
22759 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
22760 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
22761 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
22762 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
22763 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
22764 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
22765 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
22766 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
22767 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
22768 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
22769 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
22770 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
22771 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
22772 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
22773 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
22774 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
22775 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
22779 @node Process/Prefix
22780 @section Process/Prefix
22781 @cindex process/prefix convention
22783 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
22784 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
22786 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
22787 command to be performed on.
22791 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
22792 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
22793 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
22794 with the current one.
22796 @vindex transient-mark-mode
22797 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
22798 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
22800 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
22801 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
22804 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
22805 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
22807 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
22810 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
22811 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
22812 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
22813 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
22815 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
22816 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
22817 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
22818 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
22819 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
22820 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
22821 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
22822 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
22824 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
22825 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
22826 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
22827 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
22828 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
22832 @section Interactive
22833 @cindex interaction
22837 @item gnus-novice-user
22838 @vindex gnus-novice-user
22839 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
22840 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
22841 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
22842 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
22845 @item gnus-expert-user
22846 @vindex gnus-expert-user
22847 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
22848 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
22849 matter how strange.
22851 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
22852 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
22853 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
22854 is @code{t} by default.
22856 @item gnus-interactive-exit
22857 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
22858 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22863 @node Symbolic Prefixes
22864 @section Symbolic Prefixes
22865 @cindex symbolic prefixes
22867 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
22868 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
22869 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
22870 rule of 900 to the current article.
22872 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
22873 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
22874 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
22875 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
22876 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
22877 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
22878 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
22880 @kindex M-i (Summary)
22881 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
22882 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
22883 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
22884 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
22885 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
22886 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
22887 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
22888 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
22890 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
22891 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
22892 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
22894 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
22898 @node Formatting Variables
22899 @section Formatting Variables
22900 @cindex formatting variables
22902 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
22903 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
22904 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
22905 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
22906 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
22909 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
22910 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
22911 lots of percentages everywhere.
22914 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
22915 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
22916 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
22917 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
22918 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
22919 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
22920 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
22921 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
22924 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
22925 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
22926 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
22927 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
22928 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
22929 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
22930 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
22931 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
22933 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
22934 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
22936 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
22937 @findex gnus-update-format
22938 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
22939 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
22940 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
22941 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
22945 @node Formatting Basics
22946 @subsection Formatting Basics
22948 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
22949 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
22950 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
22952 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
22953 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
22954 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
22955 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
22956 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
22959 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
22960 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
22961 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
22962 less than 4 characters wide.
22964 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
22965 @samp{%&user-date;}.
22968 @node Mode Line Formatting
22969 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
22971 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
22972 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
22973 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
22974 with the following two differences:
22979 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
22982 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
22983 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
22984 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
22985 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
22986 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
22987 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
22988 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
22993 @node Advanced Formatting
22994 @subsection Advanced Formatting
22996 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
22997 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
22998 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
22999 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
23001 These are the valid modifiers:
23006 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
23010 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
23015 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
23018 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
23023 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
23026 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
23029 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
23032 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
23038 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
23043 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
23044 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
23045 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
23046 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
23047 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
23048 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
23049 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
23051 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
23052 last operation, padding.
23054 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
23055 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
23056 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
23057 @xref{Compilation}.
23060 @node User-Defined Specs
23061 @subsection User-Defined Specs
23063 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
23064 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
23065 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
23066 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
23067 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
23068 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
23069 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
23070 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
23071 should protect against that.
23073 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
23074 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
23076 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
23077 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
23078 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
23079 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
23083 @node Formatting Fonts
23084 @subsection Formatting Fonts
23087 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
23088 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
23089 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
23090 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
23091 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
23095 @vindex gnus-face-0
23096 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
23097 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
23098 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
23099 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
23100 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
23101 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
23103 @cindex %<<, %>>, guillemets
23104 @c @cindex %<<, %>>, %«, %», guillemets
23105 @vindex gnus-balloon-face-0
23106 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
23107 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
23108 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
23109 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
23110 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
23111 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
23112 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
23113 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
23114 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
23115 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
23116 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
23119 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
23122 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
23123 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
23124 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
23126 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
23127 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
23128 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
23129 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
23130 ;; @r{Set the color.}
23131 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
23132 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
23134 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
23135 (setq gnus-group-line-format
23136 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
23139 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
23140 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
23142 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
23143 mode-line variables.
23145 @node Positioning Point
23146 @subsection Positioning Point
23148 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
23149 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
23150 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
23152 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
23154 @findex gnus-goto-colon
23155 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
23156 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
23158 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
23159 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
23160 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
23165 @subsection Tabulation
23167 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
23168 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
23169 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
23170 about lining up the following text afterwards.
23172 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
23173 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
23175 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
23176 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
23177 This is the soft tabulator.
23179 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
23180 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
23181 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
23184 @node Wide Characters
23185 @subsection Wide Characters
23187 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
23188 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
23189 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
23191 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
23192 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
23193 these countries, that's not true.
23195 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
23196 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
23197 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
23198 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
23202 @node Window Layout
23203 @section Window Layout
23204 @cindex window layout
23206 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
23208 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
23209 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
23210 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
23211 @code{t} by default.
23213 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
23214 glitches. Use at your own peril.
23216 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
23217 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
23218 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
23221 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
23222 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
23223 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
23227 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
23228 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
23229 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
23230 possible names is listed below.
23232 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
23233 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
23236 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
23240 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
23241 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
23242 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
23243 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
23244 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
23245 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
23246 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
23247 size spec per split.
23249 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
23250 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
23251 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
23252 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
23253 present) gets focus.
23255 Here's a more complicated example:
23258 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
23259 (summary 0.25 point)
23260 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
23264 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
23265 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
23266 occupy, not a percentage.
23268 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
23269 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
23270 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
23271 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
23272 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
23275 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
23278 (article (horizontal 1.0
23283 (summary 0.25 point)
23288 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
23289 @code{horizontal} thingie?
23291 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
23292 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
23293 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
23294 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
23295 the screen is to be given to this strip.
23297 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
23298 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
23299 lines from the splits.
23301 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
23306 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
23307 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
23308 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
23309 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
23310 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
23311 size = number | frame-params
23312 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
23316 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
23317 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
23318 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
23319 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
23321 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
23322 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
23323 @cindex window height
23324 @cindex window width
23325 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
23326 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
23327 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
23328 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
23329 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
23330 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
23332 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
23333 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
23334 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
23335 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
23337 @findex gnus-configure-frame
23338 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
23339 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
23340 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
23341 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
23342 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
23343 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
23344 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
23345 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
23346 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
23347 configuration list.
23350 (gnus-configure-frame
23354 (article 0.3 point))
23362 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
23363 @code{frame} split:
23366 (gnus-configure-frame
23369 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
23371 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
23372 (user-position . t)
23373 (left . -1) (top . 1))
23378 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
23379 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
23380 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
23381 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
23382 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
23383 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
23384 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
23385 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
23387 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
23388 be found in its default value.
23390 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
23391 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
23392 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
23396 (message (horizontal 1.0
23397 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
23399 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
23404 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
23405 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
23406 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
23411 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
23412 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
23413 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
23414 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
23415 (name . "Message"))
23416 (message 1.0 point))))
23419 @findex gnus-add-configuration
23420 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
23421 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
23422 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
23423 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
23426 (gnus-add-configuration
23427 '(article (vertical 1.0
23429 (summary .25 point)
23433 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
23434 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
23435 Gnus has been loaded.
23437 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
23438 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
23439 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
23440 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
23441 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
23443 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
23444 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
23445 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
23448 @subsection Example Window Configurations
23452 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
23453 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
23468 (gnus-add-configuration
23471 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
23473 (summary 0.16 point)
23476 (gnus-add-configuration
23479 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
23480 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
23486 @node Faces and Fonts
23487 @section Faces and Fonts
23492 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
23493 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
23494 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
23499 @section Compilation
23500 @cindex compilation
23501 @cindex byte-compilation
23503 @findex gnus-compile
23505 Remember all those line format specification variables?
23506 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
23507 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
23508 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
23509 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
23510 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
23513 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
23514 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
23515 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
23516 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
23517 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
23518 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
23519 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
23523 @section Mode Lines
23526 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
23527 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
23528 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
23529 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
23530 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
23531 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
23532 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
23535 @cindex display-time
23537 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
23538 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
23539 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
23540 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
23541 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
23542 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
23543 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
23544 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
23547 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
23549 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
23550 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
23552 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
23553 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
23554 (length display-time-string)))))
23557 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
23558 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
23559 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
23560 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
23561 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
23564 @node Highlighting and Menus
23565 @section Highlighting and Menus
23567 @cindex highlighting
23570 @vindex gnus-visual
23571 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
23572 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
23573 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
23576 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
23577 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
23580 @item group-highlight
23581 Do highlights in the group buffer.
23582 @item summary-highlight
23583 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
23584 @item article-highlight
23585 Do highlights in the article buffer.
23587 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
23589 Create menus in the group buffer.
23591 Create menus in the summary buffers.
23593 Create menus in the article buffer.
23595 Create menus in the browse buffer.
23597 Create menus in the server buffer.
23599 Create menus in the score buffers.
23601 Create menus in all buffers.
23604 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
23605 buffers, you could say something like:
23608 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
23611 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
23614 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
23617 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
23618 in all Gnus buffers.
23620 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
23623 @item gnus-mouse-face
23624 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
23625 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
23626 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
23630 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
23634 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
23635 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
23636 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
23638 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
23639 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
23640 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
23642 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
23643 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
23644 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
23646 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
23647 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
23648 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
23650 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
23651 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
23652 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
23654 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
23655 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
23656 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
23667 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
23668 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
23669 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
23670 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
23671 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
23675 @vindex gnus-carpal
23676 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
23677 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
23678 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
23683 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
23684 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
23685 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
23687 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
23688 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
23689 Face used on buttons.
23691 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
23692 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
23693 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
23695 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
23696 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
23697 Buttons in the group buffer.
23699 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
23700 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
23701 Buttons in the summary buffer.
23703 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
23704 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
23705 Buttons in the server buffer.
23707 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
23708 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
23709 Buttons in the browse buffer.
23712 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
23713 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
23714 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
23722 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
23723 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
23724 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
23725 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
23726 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
23728 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
23729 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
23730 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
23732 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
23733 been idle for thirty minutes:
23736 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
23739 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
23743 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
23746 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
23747 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
23748 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23750 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
23751 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
23752 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
23753 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23755 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
23756 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
23757 @var{idle} minutes.
23759 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
23760 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
23763 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
23764 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
23765 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
23767 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
23768 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
23769 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
23770 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
23772 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
23773 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23775 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
23777 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
23780 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
23781 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
23782 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
23783 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
23784 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
23785 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
23786 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
23787 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
23788 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
23789 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
23790 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
23792 @findex gnus-demon-init
23793 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
23794 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
23795 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
23796 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
23797 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
23799 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
23800 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
23801 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
23810 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
23811 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
23813 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
23814 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
23815 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
23816 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
23819 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
23820 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
23821 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
23822 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
23824 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
23825 this will make spam disappear.
23827 There are some variables to customize, of course:
23830 @item gnus-use-nocem
23831 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
23832 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
23835 You can also set this variable to a positive number as a group level.
23836 In that case, Gnus scans NoCeM messages when checking new news if this
23837 value is not exceeding a group level that you specify as the prefix
23838 argument to some commands, e.g. @code{gnus},
23839 @code{gnus-group-get-new-news}, etc. Otherwise, Gnus does not scan
23840 NoCeM messages if you specify a group level to those commands. For
23841 example, if you use 1 or 2 on the mail groups and the levels on the news
23842 groups remain the default, 3 is the best choice.
23844 @item gnus-nocem-groups
23845 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
23846 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
23849 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
23850 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
23853 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
23854 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
23855 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
23856 people you want to listen to. The default is
23858 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
23859 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
23861 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
23863 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
23864 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
23866 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
23867 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
23868 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
23869 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
23870 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
23871 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
23872 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
23873 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
23874 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
23875 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
23877 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
23878 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
23881 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
23884 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
23885 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
23888 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
23891 The specs are applied left-to-right.
23894 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
23895 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
23897 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
23898 says she is. The default is @code{pgg-verify}, which returns
23899 non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful, otherwise (including
23900 the case the NoCeM message was not signed) returns @code{nil}. If this
23901 is too slow and you don't care for verification (which may be dangerous),
23902 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
23904 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
23905 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
23906 @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if you are willing to add the
23907 @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
23909 @item gnus-nocem-directory
23910 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
23911 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
23912 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
23914 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
23915 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
23916 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
23917 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
23918 might then see old spam.
23920 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
23921 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
23922 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
23923 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
23924 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
23927 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
23928 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
23929 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
23930 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
23934 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
23935 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
23936 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
23937 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
23944 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
23945 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
23946 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
23948 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
23949 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
23950 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
23951 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
23952 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
23953 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
23954 @code{undo} function.
23956 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
23957 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
23958 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
23959 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
23960 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
23961 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
23962 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
23963 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
23964 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
23965 never be totally undoable.
23967 @findex gnus-undo-mode
23968 @vindex gnus-use-undo
23970 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
23971 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
23972 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
23973 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
23977 @node Predicate Specifiers
23978 @section Predicate Specifiers
23979 @cindex predicate specifiers
23981 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
23982 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
23983 to type all that much.
23985 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
23990 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
23991 gnus-article-unread-p)
23994 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
23995 functions all take one parameter.
23997 @findex gnus-make-predicate
23998 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
23999 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
24000 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
24005 @section Moderation
24008 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
24009 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
24010 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
24013 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
24017 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
24020 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
24022 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
24027 You split your incoming mail by matching on
24028 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
24029 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
24032 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
24033 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
24036 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
24037 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
24041 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
24044 (setq gnus-moderated-list
24045 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
24049 @node Fetching a Group
24050 @section Fetching a Group
24051 @cindex fetching a group
24053 @findex gnus-fetch-group
24054 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
24055 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
24056 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
24057 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
24058 It takes the group name as a parameter.
24061 @node Image Enhancements
24062 @section Image Enhancements
24064 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
24065 support images, Emacs 22 does.} and up, are able to display pictures and
24066 stuff, so Gnus has taken advantage of that.
24069 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
24070 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
24071 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
24072 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
24073 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
24081 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
24082 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
24083 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
24087 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
24088 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
24089 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
24097 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
24098 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions have), or that you
24099 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
24100 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
24101 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
24102 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
24103 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends, see below. For XEmacs it's
24104 faster if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The
24105 default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
24106 @code{display} program.
24108 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is included in the
24109 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
24110 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
24111 On Windows, you may use the packages @code{netpbm} and @code{compface}
24112 from @url{http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net}. You need to add the
24113 @code{bin} directory to your @code{PATH} environment variable.
24114 @c In fact only the following DLLs and binaries seem to be required:
24115 @c compface1.dll uncompface.exe libnetpbm10.dll icontopbm.exe
24117 The variable @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} controls which programs
24118 are used to display the @code{X-Face} header. If this variable is a
24119 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
24120 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
24121 If @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches the
24122 @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
24124 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
24132 @vindex gnus-x-face
24133 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
24134 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
24135 default colors are black and white.
24137 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
24138 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
24139 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
24140 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
24141 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
24142 XEmacs. Here are examples:
24145 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
24146 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
24147 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
24148 (png . (:ascent 80))))
24150 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
24151 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
24152 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
24153 (png . (:relief -2))))
24156 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
24157 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
24158 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
24159 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
24160 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
24161 @samp{libcompface} library.
24164 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
24165 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
24166 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
24167 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
24168 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
24169 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
24171 @findex gnus-random-x-face
24172 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
24173 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
24174 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
24175 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
24176 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
24177 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
24178 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
24179 header data as a string.
24181 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
24182 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
24183 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
24184 randomly generated data.
24186 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
24187 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
24188 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
24189 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
24190 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
24192 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
24193 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24196 (setq message-required-news-headers
24197 (nconc message-required-news-headers
24198 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
24201 Using the last function would be something like this:
24204 (setq message-required-news-headers
24205 (nconc message-required-news-headers
24206 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
24207 (gnus-x-face-from-file
24208 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
24216 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
24218 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
24219 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
24220 represent the author of the message.
24223 @findex gnus-article-display-face
24224 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
24225 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
24228 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
24229 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
24231 Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
24234 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
24236 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
24238 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
24239 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
24241 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
24242 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
24243 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
24245 @findex gnus-face-from-file
24246 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
24247 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
24248 converts the file to Face format by using the
24249 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
24251 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
24252 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24255 (setq message-required-news-headers
24256 (nconc message-required-news-headers
24257 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
24258 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
24263 @subsection Smileys
24268 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
24273 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
24274 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
24276 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
24277 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24280 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
24283 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
24284 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
24285 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
24286 text and maps that to file names.
24288 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
24289 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
24290 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
24291 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
24292 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
24295 The following variables customize the appearance of the smileys:
24300 @vindex smiley-style
24301 Specifies the smiley style. Predefined smiley styles include
24302 @code{low-color} (small 13x14 pixel, three-color images), @code{medium}
24303 (more colorful images, 16x16 pixel), and @code{grayscale} (grayscale
24304 images, 14x14 pixel). The default depends on the height of the default
24307 @item smiley-data-directory
24308 @vindex smiley-data-directory
24309 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files. You shouldn't set this
24310 variable anymore. Customize @code{smiley-style} instead.
24312 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
24313 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
24314 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
24328 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
24329 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
24330 over your shoulder as you read news.
24332 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
24341 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
24342 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
24343 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
24344 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
24345 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
24346 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
24347 @code{GIF} formats.
24350 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
24351 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
24352 point your Web browser at
24353 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
24355 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
24356 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
24358 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
24359 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
24362 @vindex gnus-picon-style
24363 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
24364 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
24365 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
24367 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
24371 @item gnus-picon-databases
24372 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
24373 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
24374 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
24375 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
24376 "/usr/local/faces")}.
24378 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
24379 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
24380 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
24381 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
24383 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
24384 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
24385 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
24386 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
24388 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
24389 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
24390 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
24391 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
24392 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
24394 @item gnus-picon-file-types
24395 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
24396 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
24397 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
24403 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
24406 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
24407 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
24408 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
24409 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
24410 unusual directory structure.
24412 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
24413 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
24414 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
24419 @subsubsection Toolbar
24423 @item gnus-use-toolbar
24424 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
24425 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
24426 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
24427 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
24428 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
24429 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
24430 names show. The default is @code{default}.
24432 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
24433 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
24434 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
24435 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
24436 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
24437 The default is that of the default toolbar.
24439 @item gnus-group-toolbar
24440 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
24441 The toolbar in the group buffer.
24443 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
24444 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
24445 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
24447 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
24448 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
24449 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
24460 @node Fuzzy Matching
24461 @section Fuzzy Matching
24462 @cindex fuzzy matching
24464 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
24465 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
24467 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
24468 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
24469 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
24471 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
24472 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
24473 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
24474 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
24475 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
24478 @node Thwarting Email Spam
24479 @section Thwarting Email Spam
24483 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24485 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
24486 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
24487 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
24488 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
24489 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
24490 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
24491 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
24492 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
24495 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
24496 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
24497 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
24498 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
24499 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
24500 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
24502 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
24505 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
24506 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
24507 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
24508 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
24511 @node The problem of spam
24512 @subsection The problem of spam
24514 @cindex spam filtering approaches
24515 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
24517 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24519 First, some background on spam.
24521 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
24522 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
24523 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
24524 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
24525 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
24526 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
24527 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
24528 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
24529 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
24531 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
24532 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
24533 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
24534 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
24535 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
24536 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
24537 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
24538 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
24539 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
24542 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
24543 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
24544 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
24545 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
24546 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
24547 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
24548 from Bulgarian IPs.
24550 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
24551 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
24552 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
24553 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
24555 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
24556 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
24557 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
24558 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
24560 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
24561 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
24562 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
24563 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
24564 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
24565 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
24566 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
24567 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
24568 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
24570 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
24571 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
24572 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
24573 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
24574 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
24575 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
24576 down for some time because of the incident.
24578 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
24579 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
24580 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
24581 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
24582 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
24583 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
24584 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
24585 to store the database of spam analysis. Statistical analysis on the
24586 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
24587 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
24588 the server that it has misclassified mail.
24590 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
24591 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
24592 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
24593 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
24594 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
24595 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
24596 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
24599 @node Anti-Spam Basics
24600 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
24604 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24606 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
24607 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
24609 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
24610 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
24611 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
24612 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
24613 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
24614 part of the mail address.)
24617 (setq message-default-news-headers
24618 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
24621 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24622 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
24626 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
24627 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
24628 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
24633 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
24634 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
24635 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
24636 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
24638 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
24639 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
24640 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
24641 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
24642 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
24643 your fancy split rule in this way:
24648 (to "larsi" "misc")
24652 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
24653 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
24654 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
24655 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
24656 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
24658 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
24659 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
24660 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
24661 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
24663 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
24667 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
24668 @cindex SpamAssassin
24669 @cindex Vipul's Razor
24672 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
24673 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
24674 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
24675 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
24676 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
24677 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
24678 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
24680 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
24681 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
24682 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
24685 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
24686 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
24687 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
24688 Specifiers}) follow.
24692 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
24696 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
24699 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
24700 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
24701 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
24704 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
24708 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
24711 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
24712 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
24716 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
24717 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
24718 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
24719 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
24722 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
24724 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
24728 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
24729 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
24733 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
24734 downloaded by default. You need to set
24735 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
24736 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
24738 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
24739 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
24740 spam. And here is the nifty function:
24743 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
24744 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
24746 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d" t)
24747 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
24751 @subsection Hashcash
24754 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
24755 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
24756 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
24757 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
24758 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
24760 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
24761 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
24762 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
24763 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
24764 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
24765 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
24766 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
24767 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
24768 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
24769 one of them separately.
24772 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
24773 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
24774 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
24775 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
24776 need to install to use this feature, see
24777 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
24778 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
24780 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
24781 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
24782 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
24785 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
24788 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
24792 @item hashcash-default-payment
24793 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
24794 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
24795 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
24798 @item hashcash-payment-alist
24799 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
24800 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
24801 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
24802 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
24803 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
24804 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
24805 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
24806 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
24808 @item hashcash-path
24809 @vindex hashcash-path
24810 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
24811 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
24812 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
24813 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
24814 when you generate hashcash payments.
24818 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
24819 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
24820 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
24821 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
24822 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
24823 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
24824 Hashcash Payments}).
24827 @section Spam Package
24828 @cindex spam filtering
24831 The Spam package provides Gnus with a centralized mechanism for
24832 detecting and filtering spam. It filters new mail, and processes
24833 messages according to whether they are spam or ham. (@dfn{Ham} is the
24834 name used throughout this manual to indicate non-spam messages.)
24837 * Spam Package Introduction::
24838 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
24839 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
24840 * Spam and Ham Processors::
24841 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
24843 * Extending the Spam package::
24844 * Spam Statistics Package::
24847 @node Spam Package Introduction
24848 @subsection Spam Package Introduction
24849 @cindex spam filtering
24850 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
24853 You must read this section to understand how the Spam package works.
24854 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
24856 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
24857 events. See @xref{Extending the Spam package}.
24859 @cindex spam-initialize
24860 @vindex spam-use-stat
24861 To use the Spam package, you @strong{must} first run the function
24862 @code{spam-initialize}:
24868 This autoloads @code{spam.el} and installs the various hooks necessary
24869 to let the Spam package do its job. In order to make use of the Spam
24870 package, you have to set up certain group parameters and variables,
24871 which we will describe below. All of the variables controlling the
24872 Spam package can be found in the @samp{spam} customization group.
24874 There are two ``contact points'' between the Spam package and the rest
24875 of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and leaving a group.
24877 Checking new mail for spam is done in one of two ways: while splitting
24878 incoming mail, or when you enter a group.
24880 The first way, checking for spam while splitting incoming mail, is
24881 suited to mail back ends such as @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap}, where
24882 new mail appears in a single spool file. The Spam package processes
24883 incoming mail, and sends mail considered to be spam to a designated
24884 ``spam'' group. @xref{Filtering Incoming Mail}.
24886 The second way is suited to back ends such as @code{nntp}, which have
24887 no incoming mail spool, or back ends where the server is in charge of
24888 splitting incoming mail. In this case, when you enter a Gnus group,
24889 the unseen or unread messages in that group are checked for spam.
24890 Detected spam messages are marked as spam. @xref{Detecting Spam in
24893 @cindex spam back ends
24894 In either case, you have to tell the Spam package what method to use
24895 to detect spam messages. There are several methods, or @dfn{spam back
24896 ends} (not to be confused with Gnus back ends!) to choose from: spam
24897 ``blacklists'' and ``whitelists'', dictionary-based filters, and so
24898 forth. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24900 In the Gnus summary buffer, messages that have been identified as spam
24901 always appear with a @samp{$} symbol.
24903 The Spam package divides Gnus groups into three categories: ham
24904 groups, spam groups, and unclassified groups. You should mark each of
24905 the groups you subscribe to as either a ham group or a spam group,
24906 using the @code{spam-contents} group parameter (@pxref{Group
24907 Parameters}). Spam groups have a special property: when you enter a
24908 spam group, all unseen articles are marked as spam. Thus, mail split
24909 into a spam group is automatically marked as spam.
24911 Identifying spam messages is only half of the Spam package's job. The
24912 second half comes into play whenever you exit a group buffer. At this
24913 point, the Spam package does several things:
24915 First, it calls @dfn{spam and ham processors} to process the articles
24916 according to whether they are spam or ham. There is a pair of spam
24917 and ham processors associated with each spam back end, and what the
24918 processors do depends on the back end. At present, the main role of
24919 spam and ham processors is for dictionary-based spam filters: they add
24920 the contents of the messages in the group to the filter's dictionary,
24921 to improve its ability to detect future spam. The @code{spam-process}
24922 group parameter specifies what spam processors to use. @xref{Spam and
24925 If the spam filter failed to mark a spam message, you can mark it
24926 yourself, so that the message is processed as spam when you exit the
24936 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24937 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24938 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark
24939 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}).
24943 Similarly, you can unmark an article if it has been erroneously marked
24944 as spam. @xref{Setting Marks}.
24946 Normally, a ham message found in a non-ham group is not processed as
24947 ham---the rationale is that it should be moved into a ham group for
24948 further processing (see below). However, you can force these articles
24949 to be processed as ham by setting
24950 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
24951 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups}.
24953 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24954 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24955 The second thing that the Spam package does when you exit a group is
24956 to move ham articles out of spam groups, and spam articles out of ham
24957 groups. Ham in a spam group is moved to the group specified by the
24958 variable @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}, or the group parameter
24959 @code{ham-process-destination}. Spam in a ham group is moved to the
24960 group specified by the variable @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations},
24961 or the group parameter @code{spam-process-destination}. If these
24962 variables are not set, the articles are left in their current group.
24963 If an article cannot be moved (e.g., with a read-only backend such
24964 as @acronym{NNTP}), it is copied.
24966 If an article is moved to another group, it is processed again when
24967 you visit the new group. Normally, this is not a problem, but if you
24968 want each article to be processed only once, load the
24969 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and set the variable
24970 @code{spam-log-to-registry} to @code{t}. @xref{Spam Package
24971 Configuration Examples}.
24973 Normally, spam groups ignore @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations}.
24974 However, if you set @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only} to
24975 @code{nil}, spam will also be moved out of spam groups, depending on
24976 the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter.
24978 The final thing the Spam package does is to mark spam articles as
24979 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
24981 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
24982 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
24983 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
24985 @node Filtering Incoming Mail
24986 @subsection Filtering Incoming Mail
24987 @cindex spam filtering
24988 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
24991 To use the Spam package to filter incoming mail, you must first set up
24992 fancy mail splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}. The Spam package
24993 defines a special splitting function that you can add to your fancy
24994 split variable (either @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
24995 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on your mail back end):
25001 @vindex spam-split-group
25003 The @code{spam-split} function scans incoming mail according to your
25004 chosen spam back end(s), and sends messages identified as spam to a
25005 spam group. By default, the spam group is a group named @samp{spam},
25006 but you can change this by customizing @code{spam-split-group}. Make
25007 sure the contents of @code{spam-split-group} are an unqualified group
25008 name. For instance, in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server},
25009 the value @samp{spam} means @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The value
25010 @samp{nnimap+server:spam} is therefore wrong---it gives the group
25011 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam}.
25013 @code{spam-split} does not modify the contents of messages in any way.
25015 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
25016 Note for IMAP users: if you use the @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
25017 @code{spam-check-ifile}, and @code{spam-check-stat} spam back ends,
25018 you should also set set the variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body}
25019 to @code{t}. These spam back ends are most useful when they can
25020 ``scan'' the full message body. By default, the nnimap back end only
25021 retrieves the message headers; @code{nnimap-split-download-body} tells
25022 it to retrieve the message bodies as well. We don't set this by
25023 default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and that is not an
25024 appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user. @xref{Splitting
25027 You have to specify one or more spam back ends for @code{spam-split}
25028 to use, by setting the @code{spam-use-*} variables. @xref{Spam Back
25029 Ends}. Normally, @code{spam-split} simply uses all the spam back ends
25030 you enabled in this way. However, you can tell @code{spam-split} to
25031 use only some of them. Why this is useful? Suppose you are using the
25032 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and @code{spam-use-blackholes} spam back
25033 ends, and the following split rule:
25036 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
25037 (any "ding" "ding")
25039 ;; @r{default mailbox}
25044 The problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the ding
25045 folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam detected by
25046 SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through, when it's
25047 sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to the ding
25048 list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the invocation
25049 of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
25051 The solution is to let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, and
25052 perform the other @code{spam-split} rules (including a second
25053 invocation of the regex-headers check) after the ding rule. This is
25054 done by passing a parameter to @code{spam-split}:
25059 ;; @r{spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
25060 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
25061 (any "ding" "ding")
25062 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
25064 ;; @r{default mailbox}
25069 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
25070 your particular needs, and target the results of those checks to a
25071 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
25072 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
25073 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
25074 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
25075 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
25077 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
25078 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
25079 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
25080 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
25082 @c @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
25083 @c statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
25086 @node Detecting Spam in Groups
25087 @subsection Detecting Spam in Groups
25089 To detect spam when visiting a group, set the group's
25090 @code{spam-autodetect} and @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group
25091 parameters. These are accessible with @kbd{G c} or @kbd{G p}, as
25092 usual (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
25094 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
25095 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
25096 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
25097 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
25099 By default, only unseen articles are processed for spam. You can
25100 force Gnus to recheck all messages in the group by setting the
25101 variable @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages} to @code{t}.
25103 If you use the @code{spam-autodetect} method of checking for spam, you
25104 can specify different spam detection methods for different groups.
25105 For instance, the @samp{ding} group may have @code{spam-use-BBDB} as
25106 the autodetection method, while the @samp{suspect} group may have the
25107 @code{spam-use-blacklist} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods
25108 enabled. Unlike with @code{spam-split}, you don't have any control
25109 over the @emph{sequence} of checks, but this is probably unimportant.
25111 @node Spam and Ham Processors
25112 @subsection Spam and Ham Processors
25113 @cindex spam filtering
25114 @cindex spam filtering variables
25115 @cindex spam variables
25118 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
25119 Spam and ham processors specify special actions to take when you exit
25120 a group buffer. Spam processors act on spam messages, and ham
25121 processors on ham messages. At present, the main role of these
25122 processors is to update the dictionaries of dictionary-based spam back
25123 ends such as Bogofilter (@pxref{Bogofilter}) and the Spam Statistics
25124 package (@pxref{Spam Statistics Filtering}).
25126 The spam and ham processors that apply to each group are determined by
25127 the group's@code{spam-process} group parameter. If this group
25128 parameter is not defined, they are determined by the variable
25129 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups}.
25131 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
25132 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
25133 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
25134 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
25135 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
25136 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
25137 by customizing the corresponding variable
25138 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
25139 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
25140 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
25141 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
25142 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
25143 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
25144 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
25147 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
25149 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
25150 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
25151 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
25152 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
25153 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
25154 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
25155 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
25156 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
25157 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
25158 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
25159 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
25160 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
25161 processor which will study them as spam samples.
25163 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
25164 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
25165 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
25166 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
25167 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
25168 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
25169 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
25170 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
25173 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
25174 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
25175 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
25176 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
25177 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
25178 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
25179 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
25184 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
25185 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
25186 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
25187 you really want to.
25190 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
25191 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
25192 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
25193 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
25194 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
25195 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
25198 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
25199 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
25200 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
25201 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
25202 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
25203 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
25204 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
25205 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
25206 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
25207 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
25208 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
25209 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
25210 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
25211 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
25212 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
25214 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
25215 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
25217 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
25218 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
25219 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
25221 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
25222 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
25224 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
25225 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
25226 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
25227 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
25228 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
25230 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
25231 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
25232 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
25233 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
25234 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
25237 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
25238 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
25239 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
25240 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
25241 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
25242 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
25243 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
25244 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
25245 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
25246 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
25247 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
25248 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
25249 group buffer then you need it here as well.
25251 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
25252 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
25254 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
25255 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
25258 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
25259 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
25260 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
25261 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
25262 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
25263 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
25264 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
25266 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
25267 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
25268 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
25269 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
25271 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
25272 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
25273 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
25274 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
25275 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
25276 from the mail server.
25278 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
25279 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
25280 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
25281 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
25283 @node Spam Package Configuration Examples
25284 @subsection Spam Package Configuration Examples
25285 @cindex spam filtering
25286 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
25287 @cindex spam configuration examples
25290 @subsubheading Ted's setup
25292 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
25294 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
25295 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
25296 (gnus-registry-initialize)
25300 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
25302 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
25303 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
25304 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
25305 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
25306 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
25307 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
25308 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
25309 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
25310 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
25311 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
25312 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
25313 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
25314 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
25315 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
25316 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
25317 (any "ding" "ding")
25318 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
25320 ;; @r{default mailbox}
25323 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
25325 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
25326 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
25327 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
25328 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
25330 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
25332 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
25333 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
25334 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
25335 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
25336 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
25338 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
25339 ((spam-autodetect . t))
25341 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
25343 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
25344 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
25346 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
25347 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
25348 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
25350 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
25352 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
25353 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
25355 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
25356 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
25357 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
25359 (gnus-ticked-mark))
25360 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
25361 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
25362 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
25364 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
25365 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
25366 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
25370 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
25371 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
25373 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
25374 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
25375 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
25376 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
25377 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
25378 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
25379 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
25380 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
25381 @samp{training.spam} folders.
25383 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
25384 does most of the job for me:
25387 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
25388 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
25389 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
25390 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
25391 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
25392 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
25393 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
25398 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
25400 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
25401 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
25402 bogofilter or DCC).
25404 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
25405 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
25406 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark
25407 (@code{ham-marks}, @ref{Spam and Ham Processors}). On group exit,
25408 those messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want
25409 to have the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter)
25410 and deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
25412 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
25413 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
25414 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
25415 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
25416 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
25417 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
25419 @item @b{Ham folders:}
25421 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
25422 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
25423 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
25424 @samp{training.spam}.
25427 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
25429 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
25431 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
25432 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
25433 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
25437 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
25440 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
25441 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
25442 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
25443 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
25444 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
25446 @node Spam Back Ends
25447 @subsection Spam Back Ends
25448 @cindex spam back ends
25450 The spam package offers a variety of back ends for detecting spam.
25451 Each back end defines a set of methods for detecting spam
25452 (@pxref{Filtering Incoming Mail}, @pxref{Detecting Spam in Groups}),
25453 and a pair of spam and ham processors (@pxref{Spam and Ham
25457 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
25458 * BBDB Whitelists::
25459 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
25460 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
25462 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
25464 * SpamAssassin back end::
25465 * ifile spam filtering::
25466 * Spam Statistics Filtering::
25470 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
25471 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
25472 @cindex spam filtering
25473 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
25474 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
25477 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
25479 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
25480 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
25481 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
25482 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
25487 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
25489 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
25490 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
25491 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
25492 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
25493 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25497 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
25499 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
25500 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
25501 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
25505 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
25507 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25508 customizing the group parameters or the
25509 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25510 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25511 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
25515 Instead of the obsolete
25516 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
25517 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
25518 the same way, we promise.
25522 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
25524 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25525 customizing the group parameters or the
25526 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25527 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25528 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
25533 Instead of the obsolete
25534 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
25535 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
25536 the same way, we promise.
25540 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
25541 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
25542 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
25543 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
25544 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
25546 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
25547 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
25548 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
25549 Emacs regular expression syntax.
25551 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
25552 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
25553 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
25554 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
25555 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
25556 @file{blacklist} respectively.
25558 @node BBDB Whitelists
25559 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
25560 @cindex spam filtering
25561 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
25562 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
25565 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
25567 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
25568 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
25569 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
25570 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
25571 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
25572 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
25573 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25577 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
25579 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
25580 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
25581 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
25582 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
25583 classified as spammers.
25585 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
25586 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
25587 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
25588 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
25593 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
25595 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25596 customizing the group parameters or the
25597 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25598 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25599 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
25604 Instead of the obsolete
25605 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
25606 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
25607 the same way, we promise.
25611 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
25612 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
25613 @cindex spam reporting
25614 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
25615 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
25618 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
25620 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25621 customizing the group parameters or the
25622 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25623 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
25624 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
25627 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
25631 Instead of the obsolete
25632 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
25633 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
25634 same way, we promise.
25638 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
25640 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
25641 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
25642 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
25643 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
25644 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
25648 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
25650 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
25651 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
25652 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
25656 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
25657 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
25658 @cindex spam filtering
25659 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
25662 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
25664 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
25665 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
25666 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
25667 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
25668 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
25669 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25674 @subsubsection Blackholes
25675 @cindex spam filtering
25676 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
25679 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
25681 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
25682 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
25683 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
25684 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
25685 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
25686 contains outdated servers.
25688 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
25689 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
25690 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
25691 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
25692 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
25693 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
25697 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
25699 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
25703 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
25705 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
25706 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
25710 @defvar spam-use-dig
25712 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
25713 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
25717 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
25718 ham processor for blackholes.
25720 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
25721 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
25722 @cindex spam filtering
25723 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
25726 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
25728 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
25729 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
25730 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
25731 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
25732 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
25733 message is spam or ham, respectively.
25737 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
25739 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
25740 the message, positively identify it as spam.
25744 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
25746 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
25747 the message, positively identify it as ham.
25751 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
25752 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
25755 @subsubsection Bogofilter
25756 @cindex spam filtering
25757 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
25760 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
25762 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25765 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
25766 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
25767 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
25768 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
25769 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
25770 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
25772 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
25773 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
25776 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
25777 processing will be turned off.
25779 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
25788 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
25789 Get the Bogofilter spamicity score (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}).
25792 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
25794 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25795 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
25796 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
25797 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
25798 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
25799 installation documents for details.
25801 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
25805 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
25806 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25807 customizing the group parameters or the
25808 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25809 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
25810 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
25814 Instead of the obsolete
25815 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25816 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25817 the same way, we promise.
25820 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
25821 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25822 customizing the group parameters or the
25823 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25824 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25825 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
25826 of non-spam messages.
25830 Instead of the obsolete
25831 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25832 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25833 the same way, we promise.
25836 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
25838 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
25839 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
25840 database directory.
25844 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
25845 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25846 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
25847 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
25848 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
25849 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
25851 @node SpamAssassin back end
25852 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
25853 @cindex spam filtering
25854 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
25857 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
25859 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
25861 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
25862 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
25863 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
25864 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
25867 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
25868 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
25869 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
25870 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
25873 You should not enable this if you use
25874 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
25878 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
25880 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
25881 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
25883 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
25887 @defvar spam-spamassassin-program
25889 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
25890 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
25891 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
25892 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
25896 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
25897 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
25898 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
25899 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
25900 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
25901 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
25902 to test this functionality.
25904 @node ifile spam filtering
25905 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
25906 @cindex spam filtering
25907 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
25910 @defvar spam-use-ifile
25912 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
25913 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
25917 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
25919 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
25920 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
25921 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
25925 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
25927 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
25928 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
25929 the default value of @samp{spam}.
25932 @defvar spam-ifile-database
25934 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
25935 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
25939 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
25940 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25941 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
25942 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
25945 @node Spam Statistics Filtering
25946 @subsubsection Spam Statistics Filtering
25947 @cindex spam filtering
25948 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
25952 This back end uses the Spam Statistics Emacs Lisp package to perform
25953 statistics-based filtering (@pxref{Spam Statistics Package}). Before
25954 using this, you may want to perform some additional steps to
25955 initialize your Spam Statistics dictionary. @xref{Creating a
25956 spam-stat dictionary}.
25958 @defvar spam-use-stat
25962 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
25963 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25964 customizing the group parameters or the
25965 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25966 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
25967 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
25971 Instead of the obsolete
25972 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25973 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25974 the same way, we promise.
25977 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
25978 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25979 customizing the group parameters or the
25980 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25981 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25982 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
25983 of non-spam messages.
25987 Instead of the obsolete
25988 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25989 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25990 the same way, we promise.
25993 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
25994 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
25995 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
25996 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
25997 @code{spam-split} are provided.
26000 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
26001 @cindex spam filtering
26005 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
26006 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
26007 installed separately.
26009 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
26010 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
26011 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
26012 mail as a spam mail or not.
26014 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
26015 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
26016 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
26018 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Spam Package})
26021 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
26022 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
26023 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
26024 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}. @xref{Spam
26025 Package}. In this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is
26026 filtered using SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be
26027 moved to @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham
26028 messages stay in @samp{INBOX}:
26031 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
26032 spam-split-group "Junk"
26033 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
26034 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
26035 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
26038 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
26039 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
26043 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
26044 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
26045 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
26049 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
26050 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
26051 store its analysis. This is controlled by the variable
26052 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
26053 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
26054 database to live somewhere special, set
26055 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
26058 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
26059 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
26060 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns
26061 the characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
26062 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
26063 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary
26064 buffer and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using
26065 @file{spam.el}'s spam- and ham-processors, which is much more
26066 convenient. For a detailed description of spam- and ham-processors,
26067 @xref{Spam Package}.
26069 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
26070 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
26071 customizing the group parameter or the
26072 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
26073 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
26074 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
26078 Instead of the obsolete
26079 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
26080 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
26081 the same way, we promise.
26084 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
26085 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
26086 customizing the group parameter or the
26087 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
26088 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
26089 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
26094 Instead of the obsolete
26095 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
26096 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
26097 the same way, we promise.
26100 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
26101 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
26104 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
26105 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
26106 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
26108 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
26109 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
26110 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
26111 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
26112 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
26113 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
26115 @node Extending the Spam package
26116 @subsection Extending the Spam package
26117 @cindex spam filtering
26118 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
26119 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
26121 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
26122 incoming mail, provide the following:
26130 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
26131 "True if blackbox should be used.")
26134 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
26136 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
26137 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
26138 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
26139 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
26140 register/unregister spam and ham.
26145 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
26146 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
26147 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
26148 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
26153 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
26160 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
26161 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
26163 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
26164 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
26165 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
26166 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
26169 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
26170 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
26171 Only applicable to spam groups.")
26173 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
26174 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
26175 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
26184 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
26185 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
26187 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
26188 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
26189 variable customization.
26193 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
26195 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
26196 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
26198 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
26199 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
26205 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
26207 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
26208 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
26209 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
26212 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
26214 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
26215 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
26219 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
26221 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
26222 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
26223 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
26227 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
26229 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
26230 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
26231 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
26234 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
26236 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
26237 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
26241 @code{spam-install-backend}
26243 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
26244 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
26245 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
26248 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
26250 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
26251 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
26252 never install such a back end.
26257 @node Spam Statistics Package
26258 @subsection Spam Statistics Package
26259 @cindex Paul Graham
26260 @cindex Graham, Paul
26261 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
26262 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
26263 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
26265 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
26266 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
26267 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
26268 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
26269 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
26270 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
26271 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
26272 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
26273 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
26276 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
26277 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
26278 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
26279 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
26280 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
26281 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
26282 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
26283 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
26285 The Spam Statistics package adds support to Gnus for this kind of
26286 filtering. It can be used as one of the back ends of the Spam package
26287 (@pxref{Spam Package}), or by itself.
26289 Before using the Spam Statistics package, you need to set it up.
26290 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
26291 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
26292 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
26293 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
26296 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
26297 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
26298 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
26301 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
26302 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
26304 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
26305 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
26306 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
26307 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
26308 need several hundred emails in both collections.
26310 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
26311 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
26312 per mail. Use the following:
26314 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
26315 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
26316 is treated as one spam mail.
26319 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
26320 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
26321 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
26324 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
26325 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds to
26326 the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
26327 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
26328 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds to the group
26329 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
26331 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
26332 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
26333 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
26334 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
26335 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
26338 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
26339 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
26340 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
26341 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
26344 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
26345 reset the dictionary.
26347 @defun spam-stat-reset
26348 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
26351 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
26352 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
26353 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
26354 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
26355 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
26356 only non-spam mails.
26358 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
26359 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
26360 to update the dictionary incrementally.
26363 @defun spam-stat-save
26364 Save the dictionary.
26367 @defvar spam-stat-file
26368 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
26369 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
26372 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
26373 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
26375 This section describes how to use the Spam statistics
26376 @emph{independently} of the @xref{Spam Package}.
26378 First, add the following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
26381 (require 'spam-stat)
26385 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
26388 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
26389 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
26390 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
26391 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
26393 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
26394 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
26395 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
26396 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
26399 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26400 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26404 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
26405 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
26408 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
26409 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
26410 expression are considered potential spam.
26413 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26414 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26415 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26419 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
26420 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
26421 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
26422 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
26423 mails, when creating the dictionary!
26426 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26427 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26428 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26432 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
26433 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
26434 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
26435 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
26436 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
26440 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26441 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
26442 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26443 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26448 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
26449 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
26451 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
26453 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
26454 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
26455 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
26458 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
26459 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
26460 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
26463 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
26464 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
26465 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
26466 already been processed as non-spam.
26469 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
26470 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
26471 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
26472 been processed as spam.
26475 @defun spam-stat-save
26476 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
26477 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
26480 @defun spam-stat-load
26481 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
26482 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
26485 @defun spam-stat-score-word
26486 Return the spam score for a word.
26489 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
26490 Return the spam score for a buffer.
26493 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
26494 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
26495 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
26498 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
26499 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
26502 (require 'spam-stat)
26506 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
26509 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
26510 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26511 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26512 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26513 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
26514 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
26515 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26516 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26517 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
26518 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26519 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
26520 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
26521 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26522 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26525 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
26528 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
26529 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26530 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26531 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
26532 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
26533 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26536 @node The Gnus Registry
26537 @section The Gnus Registry
26542 The Gnus registry is a package that tracks messages by their
26543 Message-ID across all backends. This allows Gnus users to do several
26544 cool things, be the envy of the locals, get free haircuts, and be
26545 experts on world issues. Well, maybe not all of those, but the
26546 features are pretty cool.
26548 Although they will be explained in detail shortly, here's a quick list
26549 of said features in case your attention span is... never mind.
26553 Split messages to their parent
26555 This keeps discussions in the same group. You can use the subject and
26556 the sender in addition to the Message-ID. Several strategies are
26560 Store custom flags and keywords
26562 The registry can store custom flags and keywords for a message. For
26563 instance, you can mark a message ``To-Do'' this way and the flag will
26564 persist whether the message is in the nnimap, nnml, nnmaildir,
26568 Store arbitrary data
26570 Through a simple ELisp API, the registry can remember any data for a
26571 message. A built-in inverse map, when activated, allows quick lookups
26572 of all messages matching a particular set of criteria.
26577 * Fancy splitting to parent::
26578 * Store custom flags and keywords::
26579 * Store arbitrary data::
26585 Fortunately, setting up the Gnus registry is pretty easy:
26588 (setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500
26589 gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t)
26591 (gnus-registry-initialize)
26594 This adds registry saves to Gnus newsrc saves (which happen on exit
26595 and when you press @kbd{s} from the @code{*Group*} buffer. It also
26596 adds registry calls to article actions in Gnus (copy, move, etc.) so
26597 it's not easy to undo the initialization. See
26598 @code{gnus-registry-initialize} for the gory details.
26600 Here are other settings used by the author of the registry (understand
26601 what they do before you copy them blindly).
26605 gnus-registry-split-strategy 'majority
26606 gnus-registry-ignored-groups '(("nntp" t)
26610 gnus-registry-max-entries 500000
26611 gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t
26612 gnus-registry-track-extra '(sender subject))
26615 They say: keep a lot of messages around, use long group names, track
26616 messages by sender and subject (not just parent Message-ID), and when
26617 the registry splits incoming mail, use a majority rule to decide where
26618 messages should go if there's more than one possibility. In addition,
26619 the registry should ignore messages in groups that match ``nntp'',
26620 ``nnrss'', ``spam'', or ``train.''
26622 You are doubtless impressed by all this, but you ask: ``I am a Gnus
26623 user, I customize to live. Give me more.'' Here you go, these are
26624 the general settings.
26626 @defvar gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups
26627 The groups that will not be followed by
26628 @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}. They will still be
26629 remembered by the registry. This is a list of regular expressions.
26632 @defvar gnus-registry-ignored-groups
26633 The groups that will not be remembered by the registry. This is a
26634 list of regular expressions, also available through Group/Topic
26635 customization (so you can ignore or keep a specific group or a whole
26639 @defvar gnus-registry-use-long-group-names
26640 Whether the registry will use long group names. It's recommended to
26641 set this to @code{t}, although everything works if you don't. Future
26642 functionality will require it.
26645 @defvar gnus-registry-max-entries
26646 The number (an integer or @code{nil} for unlimited) of entries the
26647 registry will keep.
26650 @defvar gnus-registry-cache-file
26651 The file where the registry will be stored between Gnus sessions.
26654 @node Fancy splitting to parent
26655 @subsection Fancy splitting to parent
26657 Simply put, this lets you put followup e-mail where it belongs.
26659 Every message has a Message-ID, which is unique, and the registry
26660 remembers it. When the message is moved or copied, the registry will
26661 notice this and offer the new group as a choice to the splitting
26664 When a followup is made, usually it mentions the original message's
26665 Message-ID in the headers. The registry knows this and uses that
26666 mention to find the group where the original message lives. You only
26667 have to put a rule like this:
26670 (setq nnimap-my-split-fancy '(|
26672 ;; split to parent: you need this
26673 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
26675 ;; other rules, as an example
26681 in your fancy split setup. In addition, you may want to customize the
26682 following variables.
26684 @defvar gnus-registry-track-extra
26685 This is a list of symbols, so it's best to change it from the
26686 Customize interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to
26687 track @code{subject} and @code{sender} as well when splitting by parent.
26688 It may work for you. It can be annoying if your mail flow is large and
26689 people don't stick to the same groups.
26692 @defvar gnus-registry-split-strategy
26693 This is a symbol, so it's best to change it from the Customize
26694 interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to set it to
26695 @code{majority} or @code{first} to split by sender or subject based on
26696 the majority of matches or on the first found.
26699 @node Store custom flags and keywords
26700 @subsection Store custom flags and keywords
26702 The registry lets you set custom flags and keywords per message. You
26703 can use the Gnus->Registry Marks menu or the @kbd{M M x} keyboard
26704 shortcuts, where @code{x} is the first letter of the mark's name.
26706 @defvar gnus-registry-marks
26707 The custom marks that the registry can use. You can modify the
26708 default list, if you like. If you do, you'll have to exit Emacs
26709 before they take effect (you can also unload the registry and reload
26710 it or evaluate the specific macros you'll need, but you probably don't
26711 want to bother). Use the Customize interface to modify the list.
26713 By default this list has the @code{Important}, @code{Work},
26714 @code{Personal}, @code{To-Do}, and @code{Later} marks. They all have
26715 keyboard shortcuts like @kbd{M M i} for Important, using the first
26719 @defun gnus-registry-mark-article
26720 Call this function to mark an article with a custom registry mark. It
26721 will offer the available marks for completion.
26724 @node Store arbitrary data
26725 @subsection Store arbitrary data
26727 The registry has a simple API that uses a Message-ID as the key to
26728 store arbitrary data (as long as it can be converted to a list for
26731 @defun gnus-registry-store-extra-entry (id key value)
26732 Store @code{value} in the extra data key @code{key} for message
26736 @defun gnus-registry-delete-extra-entry (id key)
26737 Delete the extra data key @code{key} for message @code{id}.
26740 @defun gnus-registry-fetch-extra (id key)
26741 Get the extra data key @code{key} for message @code{id}.
26744 @defvar gnus-registry-extra-entries-precious
26745 If any extra entries are precious, their presence will make the
26746 registry keep the whole entry forever, even if there are no groups for
26747 the Message-ID and if the size limit of the registry is reached. By
26748 default this is just @code{(marks)} so the custom registry marks are
26753 @section Interaction with other modes
26758 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provides some useful functions for dired
26759 buffers. It is enabled with
26761 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
26766 @findex gnus-dired-attach
26767 @cindex attachments, selection via dired
26768 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
26769 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
26772 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
26773 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
26774 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
26778 @findex gnus-dired-print
26779 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
26780 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
26783 @node Various Various
26784 @section Various Various
26790 @item gnus-home-directory
26791 @vindex gnus-home-directory
26792 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
26793 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
26795 @item gnus-directory
26796 @vindex gnus-directory
26797 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
26798 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
26799 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
26801 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
26802 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
26803 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
26804 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
26806 @item gnus-default-directory
26807 @vindex gnus-default-directory
26808 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
26809 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
26810 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
26811 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
26812 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
26813 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
26816 @vindex gnus-verbose
26817 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
26818 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
26819 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
26820 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
26821 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
26823 @item gnus-verbose-backends
26824 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
26825 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
26826 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
26828 @item gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26829 @vindex gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26830 This variable controls whether to add timestamps to messages that are
26831 controlled by @code{gnus-verbose} and @code{gnus-verbose-backends} and
26832 are issued. The default value is @code{nil} which means never to add
26833 timestamp. If it is @code{log}, add timestamps to only the messages
26834 that go into the @samp{*Messages*} buffer (in XEmacs, it is the
26835 @w{@samp{ *Message-Log*}} buffer). If it is neither @code{nil} nor
26836 @code{log}, add timestamps not only to log messages but also to the ones
26837 displayed in the echo area.
26839 @item nnheader-max-head-length
26840 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
26841 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
26842 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
26843 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
26844 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
26845 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
26846 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
26847 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
26848 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
26850 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
26851 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
26852 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
26853 read when doing the operation described above.
26855 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26856 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26858 @cindex invalid characters in file names
26859 @cindex characters in file names
26860 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
26861 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
26862 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
26866 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26871 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
26872 Windows (phooey) systems.
26874 @item gnus-hidden-properties
26875 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
26876 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
26877 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
26878 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
26880 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
26881 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
26882 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
26883 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
26884 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
26886 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
26887 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
26888 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
26890 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
26891 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
26893 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
26894 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
26895 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
26896 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
26899 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
26907 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
26908 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
26910 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
26912 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
26918 Not because of victories @*
26921 but for the common sunshine,@*
26923 the largess of the spring.
26927 but for the day's work done@*
26928 as well as I was able;@*
26929 not for a seat upon the dais@*
26930 but at the common table.@*
26935 @chapter Appendices
26938 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
26939 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
26940 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
26941 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
26942 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
26943 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
26944 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
26945 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
26946 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
26953 @cindex installing under XEmacs
26955 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
26956 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
26957 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
26958 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
26959 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
26960 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
26967 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
26968 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
26970 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
26971 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
26972 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
26973 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
26974 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
26976 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
26977 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
26978 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
26979 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
26980 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
26981 appropriate name, don't you think?)
26983 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
26984 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
26985 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
26986 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
26989 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
26990 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
26991 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
26992 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
26993 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
26994 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
26995 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
26996 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
26997 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
27001 @node Gnus Versions
27002 @subsection Gnus Versions
27004 @cindex September Gnus
27006 @cindex Quassia Gnus
27007 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
27010 @cindex Gnus versions
27012 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
27013 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
27014 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
27016 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
27017 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
27019 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
27020 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
27022 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
27023 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
27025 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
27026 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
27029 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
27030 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
27032 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
27034 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
27035 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
27036 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
27037 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
27038 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
27039 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
27042 @node Other Gnus Versions
27043 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
27046 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
27047 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
27048 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
27049 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
27051 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
27052 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
27053 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
27054 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
27061 What's the point of Gnus?
27063 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
27064 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
27065 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
27066 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
27067 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
27068 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
27069 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
27070 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
27071 keep track of millions of people who post?
27073 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
27074 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
27075 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
27076 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
27077 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
27078 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
27079 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
27080 every one of you to explore and invent.
27082 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
27083 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
27086 @node Compatibility
27087 @subsection Compatibility
27089 @cindex compatibility
27090 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
27091 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
27092 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
27097 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
27101 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
27104 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
27107 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
27108 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
27109 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
27110 important variables have their values copied into their global
27111 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
27112 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
27114 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
27115 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
27116 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
27117 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
27118 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
27122 @cindex highlighting
27123 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
27124 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
27125 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
27126 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
27127 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
27128 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
27131 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
27132 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
27133 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
27134 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
27136 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
27137 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
27138 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
27139 to stop doing it the old way.
27141 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
27143 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
27145 @cindex reporting bugs
27147 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
27148 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
27149 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
27151 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
27152 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
27153 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
27154 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
27159 @subsection Conformity
27161 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
27162 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
27170 There are no known breaches of this standard.
27174 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
27176 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
27177 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
27178 We do have some breaches to this one.
27184 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
27185 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
27186 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
27187 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
27188 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
27193 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
27194 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
27195 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
27196 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
27198 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
27199 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
27200 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
27202 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
27203 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
27205 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
27208 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
27209 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
27210 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
27211 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
27212 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
27215 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
27216 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
27217 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
27218 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
27220 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
27221 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
27223 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
27224 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
27225 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
27226 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
27227 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
27228 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
27229 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
27230 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
27234 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
27235 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
27240 @subsection Emacsen
27246 This version of Gnus should work on:
27254 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
27258 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
27259 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
27260 Emacs versions. Particularly, Gnus 5.10.8 should also work on Emacs
27261 20.7 and XEmacs 21.1.
27263 @c No-merge comment: The paragraph added in v5-10 here must not be
27266 @node Gnus Development
27267 @subsection Gnus Development
27269 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
27270 discussion on the development mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}, where people
27271 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
27272 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
27273 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
27274 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
27275 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
27276 have names like ``Oort Gnus'' and ``No Gnus''. @xref{Gnus Versions}.
27278 After futzing around for 10-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
27279 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
27280 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.10.1'' instead. Normal people are
27281 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
27282 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup. This newgroup is mirrored to the
27283 mailing list @samp{info-gnus-english@@gnu.org} which is carried on Gmane
27284 as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.user}. These releases are finally integrated
27288 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
27289 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
27290 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
27291 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
27292 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
27294 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
27295 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
27296 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
27297 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
27298 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
27299 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
27300 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
27301 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
27302 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
27303 can't be assumed to do so.
27305 So if you have problems with or questions about the alpha versions,
27306 direct those to the ding mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}. This list
27307 is also available on Gmane as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.general}.
27310 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
27311 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
27312 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
27313 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
27314 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
27317 @subsection Contributors
27318 @cindex contributors
27320 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
27321 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
27322 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
27323 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
27324 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
27325 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
27326 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
27327 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
27328 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
27329 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
27331 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
27337 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
27340 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
27341 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
27342 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
27343 functionality and stuff.
27346 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
27347 well as numerous other things).
27350 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
27353 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
27356 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
27359 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
27362 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
27363 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
27366 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
27369 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
27372 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
27375 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
27378 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
27381 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
27384 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
27385 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
27388 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
27391 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
27394 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
27397 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
27401 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
27404 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
27407 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
27410 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
27411 well as autoconf support.
27415 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
27416 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
27418 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
27433 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
27435 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
27439 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
27449 Alexei V. Barantsev,
27464 Massimo Campostrini,
27469 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
27470 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
27474 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
27477 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
27483 Michael Welsh Duggan,
27488 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
27492 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
27500 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
27502 Michelangelo Grigni,
27506 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
27508 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
27510 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
27518 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
27519 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
27520 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
27522 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
27532 Peter Skov Knudsen,
27533 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
27535 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
27536 Thor Kristoffersen,
27539 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
27557 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
27558 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
27565 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
27570 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
27574 John McClary Prevost,
27580 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
27585 Christian von Roques,
27588 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
27595 Philippe Schnoebelen,
27597 Randal L. Schwartz,
27611 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
27616 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
27636 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
27637 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
27638 (550kB and counting).
27640 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
27643 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
27644 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
27648 @subsection New Features
27649 @cindex new features
27652 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
27653 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
27654 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
27655 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
27656 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
27657 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
27658 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
27661 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
27662 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
27663 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
27666 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
27668 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
27673 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
27674 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
27677 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
27678 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
27681 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
27684 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
27685 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
27686 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
27689 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
27690 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
27691 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
27692 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
27695 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
27696 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27699 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
27700 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
27701 (@pxref{The Active File}).
27704 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
27705 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
27708 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
27709 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
27710 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
27713 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
27714 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
27715 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
27718 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
27719 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
27722 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
27723 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
27726 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
27727 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
27730 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
27731 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27734 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
27735 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
27738 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
27739 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
27742 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
27745 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
27746 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
27749 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
27750 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
27753 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
27754 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
27757 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
27760 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
27761 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27764 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
27768 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
27772 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
27773 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
27776 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
27782 @node September Gnus
27783 @subsubsection September Gnus
27787 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
27791 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
27796 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
27797 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
27801 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
27802 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
27806 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
27810 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
27811 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
27814 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
27818 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
27821 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
27824 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
27827 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
27831 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
27832 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
27835 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
27839 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
27843 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
27847 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
27851 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
27854 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
27855 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
27858 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
27862 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
27863 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
27866 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
27869 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
27870 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
27871 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27874 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
27878 The Gnus cache is much faster.
27881 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
27885 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
27886 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
27889 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
27890 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
27893 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
27894 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
27897 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
27898 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
27899 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
27902 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
27903 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
27906 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
27909 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
27912 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
27915 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
27918 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
27919 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
27922 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
27926 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
27929 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
27934 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
27937 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
27941 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27944 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
27948 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
27951 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
27954 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
27955 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
27958 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
27959 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
27963 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
27964 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
27967 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
27971 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
27972 buffer to allow easier treatment.
27975 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
27978 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
27982 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
27986 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
27987 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
27990 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
27994 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
27995 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
27998 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
27999 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
28002 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
28006 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
28009 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
28012 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
28018 @subsubsection Red Gnus
28020 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
28024 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
28031 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
28034 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
28035 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
28038 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
28039 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
28043 Article washing status can be displayed in the
28044 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
28047 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
28050 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
28051 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
28054 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
28058 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
28059 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
28063 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
28064 Server Internals}).
28067 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
28071 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
28074 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
28075 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
28078 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
28079 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
28080 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
28083 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
28084 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
28087 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
28088 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
28091 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
28095 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
28096 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28099 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
28100 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
28103 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
28107 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
28110 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
28114 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
28115 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28118 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
28119 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
28122 A new command for reading collections of documents
28123 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
28124 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
28127 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
28131 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
28132 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
28135 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
28136 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
28137 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
28140 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
28141 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
28145 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
28149 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
28153 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
28158 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
28162 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
28166 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
28167 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
28170 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
28176 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
28178 New features in Gnus 5.6:
28183 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
28184 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
28185 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
28188 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
28189 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
28190 group, which is created automatically.
28193 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
28197 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
28200 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
28201 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
28204 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
28208 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
28211 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
28212 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
28215 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
28218 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
28222 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
28223 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
28226 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
28227 control over simplification.
28230 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
28233 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
28237 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
28240 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
28243 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
28244 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
28245 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
28248 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
28249 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
28252 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
28256 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
28257 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
28260 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
28261 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
28264 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
28268 A history of where mails have been split is available.
28271 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
28274 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
28275 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
28278 A new function for citing in Message has been
28279 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
28282 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
28285 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
28289 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
28290 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
28293 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
28294 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
28297 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
28300 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
28304 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
28305 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
28307 New features in Gnus 5.8:
28312 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
28313 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
28315 If you used procmail like in
28318 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
28319 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
28320 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
28321 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
28324 this now has changed to
28328 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
28332 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
28335 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
28336 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
28339 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
28340 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
28343 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
28344 called to position point.
28347 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
28348 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
28351 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
28352 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
28355 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
28356 subtly different manner.
28359 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
28360 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
28361 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
28364 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
28369 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
28372 New features in Gnus 5.10:
28376 @item Installation changes
28377 @c ***********************
28381 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
28383 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
28384 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
28385 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
28386 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
28387 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
28388 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
28389 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
28390 isn't save in general.
28393 Lisp files are now installed in @file{.../site-lisp/gnus/} by default.
28394 It defaulted to @file{.../site-lisp/} formerly. In addition to this,
28395 the new installer issues a warning if other Gnus installations which
28396 will shadow the latest one are detected. You can then remove those
28397 shadows manually or remove them using @code{make
28398 remove-installed-shadows}.
28401 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
28403 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
28404 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
28405 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, if you want
28406 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
28407 the second parameter.
28409 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
28410 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
28411 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
28412 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
28413 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
28414 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
28415 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
28416 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
28417 cycle used under Unix systems.
28419 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} and @file{xemacs.mak}
28420 superfluous, so they have been removed.
28423 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
28425 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
28426 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
28429 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
28430 @c CVS. We should find a better place for this item.
28432 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
28434 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
28435 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
28436 lisp directory into load-path.
28438 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
28439 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
28443 @item New packages and libraries within Gnus
28444 @c *****************************************
28449 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
28450 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
28453 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
28455 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
28456 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
28457 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
28458 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
28461 Improved anti-spam features.
28463 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
28464 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
28465 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
28466 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
28467 are also new. @ref{Thwarting Email Spam} and @ref{Spam Package}.
28468 @c FIXME: @xref{Spam Package}?. Should this be under Misc?
28471 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
28473 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
28474 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
28475 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
28476 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
28477 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
28481 @item Changes in group mode
28482 @c ************************
28487 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
28491 Retrieval of charters and control messages
28493 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
28494 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
28497 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
28499 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
28500 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
28501 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
28502 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
28503 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
28506 (setq gnus-parameters
28508 (gnus-show-threads nil)
28509 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
28510 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
28511 (to-group . "\\1"))))
28515 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
28517 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
28518 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
28519 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
28520 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
28521 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
28522 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
28523 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
28524 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
28525 when getting new mail, remove the function.
28528 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
28530 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
28531 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
28532 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
28535 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
28536 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
28538 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
28539 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
28540 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
28542 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
28546 Old intermediate incoming mail files (@file{Incoming*}) are deleted
28547 after a couple of days, not immediately. @xref{Mail Source
28548 Customization}. (New in Gnus 5.10.10 / Emacs 22.2)
28552 @item Changes in summary and article mode
28553 @c **************************************
28558 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
28559 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
28560 region if the region is active.
28563 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
28564 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
28569 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
28570 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
28571 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
28572 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
28575 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
28580 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
28581 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
28583 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
28584 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
28588 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
28589 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
28592 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
28595 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
28596 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
28599 Warn about email replies to news
28601 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
28602 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
28606 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
28607 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
28611 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
28612 opposed to old but unread messages).
28615 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
28616 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
28619 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
28620 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
28623 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
28624 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
28627 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
28629 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
28630 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
28631 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
28632 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
28635 The new command @kbd{W Y f}
28636 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}) allows deuglifying broken
28637 Outlook (Express) articles.
28640 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
28642 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
28643 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
28644 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
28645 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
28647 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
28648 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
28649 message cited below.
28652 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now displayed graphically in
28655 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
28659 Face headers handling. @xref{Face}.
28662 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
28663 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
28666 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
28669 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
28671 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
28672 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
28673 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
28674 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
28675 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
28679 Deleting of attachments.
28681 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
28682 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
28683 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
28684 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
28685 that support editing.
28688 @code{gnus-default-charset}
28690 The default value is determined from the
28691 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
28692 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
28693 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
28696 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
28698 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
28699 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
28700 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
28703 Extended format specs.
28705 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
28706 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
28707 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
28708 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
28709 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
28710 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
28713 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
28714 @c FIXME: Was this a user-visible change?
28716 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
28717 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
28718 out other articles.
28721 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
28723 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
28724 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
28725 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
28726 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
28729 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
28733 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
28734 @c ****************************************************
28741 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
28742 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
28743 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
28746 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
28747 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
28750 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
28751 Gcc articles as read.
28754 Externalizing of attachments
28756 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
28757 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
28758 local files as external parts.
28761 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
28762 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
28765 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
28767 Earlier it was generated when the user configurable email address was
28768 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
28769 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
28770 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
28771 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
28772 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
28773 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
28774 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
28775 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
28778 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
28780 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
28781 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
28782 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
28783 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
28784 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
28785 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
28788 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
28789 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
28793 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers. @xref{X-Face}.
28796 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
28798 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
28799 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
28800 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
28801 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
28802 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
28803 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
28804 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
28805 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
28806 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
28807 was inserted directly.
28810 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
28812 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
28813 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
28814 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
28815 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
28818 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
28820 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
28822 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
28823 'bbdb-complete-name)
28827 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
28829 Add a new format of match like
28831 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
28832 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28834 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
28836 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
28837 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28841 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
28843 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
28844 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
28845 need add those two headers too.
28848 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
28849 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
28850 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
28854 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
28855 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
28856 inline PGP signed messages. @xref{Flowed text, , Flowed text,
28857 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
28858 @c This entry is also present in the node "No Gnus".
28861 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
28863 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
28866 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
28868 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
28872 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
28874 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
28875 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
28876 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
28877 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
28878 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
28879 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
28880 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
28881 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
28884 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
28885 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
28887 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
28888 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
28889 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
28890 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
28893 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
28896 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
28897 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
28900 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to the symbol
28903 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
28904 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
28905 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
28906 invalidate the digital signature.
28909 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
28910 decompressed when activated.
28911 @c FIXME: Does this affect article or message mode?
28914 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
28916 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
28917 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
28918 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
28919 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
28920 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
28923 @item You can now drag and drop attachments to the Message buffer.
28924 See @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} and @code{mml-dnd-attach-options}.
28925 @xref{MIME, ,MIME, message, Message Manual}.
28926 @c New in 5.10.9 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.1)
28928 @item @code{auto-fill-mode} is enabled by default in Message mode.
28929 See @code{message-fill-column}. @xref{Various Message Variables, ,
28930 Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
28931 @c New in Gnus 5.10.12 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.3)
28935 @item Changes in back ends
28936 @c ***********************
28940 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
28943 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
28946 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
28948 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
28951 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
28953 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
28954 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
28955 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
28956 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
28957 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
28958 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
28959 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
28960 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
28961 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
28962 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
28963 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
28973 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
28974 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
28977 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
28978 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
28979 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
28980 message, Message Manual}).
28983 The tool bars have been updated to use GNOME icons in Group, Summary and
28984 Message mode. You can also customize the tool bars: @kbd{M-x
28985 customize-apropos RET -tool-bar$} should get you started. This is a new
28986 feature in Gnus 5.10.10. (Only for Emacs, not in XEmacs.)
28988 @item The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly
28989 in the group buffer, see the variable @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}.
28990 Its default value depends on your Emacs version. This is a new feature
28995 @item Miscellaneous changes
28996 @c ************************
29003 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
29004 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
29005 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
29006 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
29007 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
29008 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
29009 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
29010 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
29011 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
29012 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
29013 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
29014 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
29015 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
29016 is not needed any more.
29019 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
29021 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
29022 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
29023 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
29028 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
29029 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
29030 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
29034 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
29037 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
29039 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
29046 @subsubsection No Gnus
29049 New features in No Gnus:
29050 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
29052 @include gnus-news.texi
29058 @section The Manual
29062 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
29063 either @code{texi2dvi}
29065 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
29066 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
29068 to get what you hold in your hands now.
29070 The following conventions have been used:
29075 This is a @samp{string}
29078 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
29081 This is a @file{file}
29084 This is a @code{symbol}
29088 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
29092 (setq flargnoze "yes")
29095 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
29098 (setq flumphel 'yes)
29101 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
29102 ever get them confused.
29106 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
29107 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
29108 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
29109 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
29110 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
29111 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
29112 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
29118 @node On Writing Manuals
29119 @section On Writing Manuals
29121 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
29122 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
29123 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
29124 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
29125 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
29126 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code go hand
29129 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
29130 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
29131 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
29134 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
29135 reference manual as source material. It would look quite different.
29140 @section Terminology
29142 @cindex terminology
29147 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
29148 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
29149 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
29150 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
29151 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
29155 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
29156 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
29157 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
29158 not posting, and replying is not following up.
29162 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
29166 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
29171 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
29172 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
29173 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
29174 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
29175 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
29176 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
29177 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
29178 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
29179 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
29182 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
29183 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
29184 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
29185 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
29186 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
29187 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
29189 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
29190 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
29191 access the articles.
29193 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
29194 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
29195 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
29200 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
29201 default, way of getting news.
29205 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
29206 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
29211 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
29212 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
29216 A message that has been posted as news.
29219 @cindex mail message
29220 A message that has been mailed.
29224 A mail message or news article
29228 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
29233 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
29238 A line from the head of an article.
29242 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
29243 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
29245 @item @acronym{NOV}
29246 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
29247 @acronym{NOV} stands for News OverView, which is a type of news server
29248 header which provide datas containing the condensed header information
29249 of articles. They are produced by the server itself; in the @code{nntp}
29250 back end Gnus uses the ones that the @acronym{NNTP} server makes, but
29251 Gnus makes them by itself for some backends (in particular, @code{nnml}).
29253 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
29254 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
29255 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
29256 normal @sc{head} format.
29258 The @acronym{NOV} data consist of one or more text lines (@pxref{Text
29259 Lines, ,Motion by Text Lines, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual})
29260 where each line has the header information of one article. The header
29261 information is a tab-separated series of the header's contents including
29262 an article number, a subject, an author, a date, a message-id,
29265 Those data enable Gnus to generate summary lines quickly. However, if
29266 the server does not support @acronym{NOV} or you disable it purposely or
29267 for some reason, Gnus will try to generate the header information by
29268 parsing each article's headers one by one. It will take time.
29269 Therefore, it is not usually a good idea to set nn*-nov-is-evil
29270 (@pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}) to a non-@code{nil} value unless you
29271 know that the server makes wrong @acronym{NOV} data.
29275 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
29276 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
29277 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
29278 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
29279 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
29280 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
29282 @item killed groups
29283 @cindex killed groups
29284 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
29285 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
29287 @item zombie groups
29288 @cindex zombie groups
29289 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
29292 @cindex active file
29293 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
29294 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
29295 is rather large, as you might surmise.
29298 @cindex bogus groups
29299 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
29300 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
29301 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
29304 @cindex activating groups
29305 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
29306 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
29307 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
29311 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
29312 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
29313 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
29317 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
29319 @item select method
29320 @cindex select method
29321 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
29324 @item virtual server
29325 @cindex virtual server
29326 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
29327 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
29328 whole is a virtual server.
29332 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
29333 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
29336 @item ephemeral groups
29337 @cindex ephemeral groups
29338 @cindex temporary groups
29339 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
29340 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
29341 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
29344 @cindex solid groups
29345 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
29346 group buffer are solid groups.
29348 @item sparse articles
29349 @cindex sparse articles
29350 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
29351 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
29355 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
29356 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
29360 @cindex thread root
29361 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
29362 articles in the thread.
29366 An article that has responses.
29370 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
29374 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
29375 specified by RFC 1153.
29378 @cindex splitting, terminology
29379 @cindex mail sorting
29380 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
29381 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
29382 incorrectly called mail filtering.
29388 @node Customization
29389 @section Customization
29390 @cindex general customization
29392 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
29393 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
29394 for some quite common situations.
29397 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
29398 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
29399 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
29400 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
29404 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
29405 @subsection Slow/Expensive Connection
29407 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
29408 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
29409 Gnus has to get from the server.
29413 @item gnus-read-active-file
29414 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
29415 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
29416 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
29417 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
29418 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
29420 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
29421 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
29422 Usually this one must @emph{always} be @code{nil} (which is the
29423 default). If, for example, you wish to not use @acronym{NOV}
29424 (@pxref{Terminology}) with the @code{nntp} back end (@pxref{Crosspost
29425 Handling}), set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to a non-@code{nil} value
29426 instead of setting this. But you normally do not need to set
29427 @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} since Gnus by itself will detect whether the
29428 @acronym{NNTP} server supports @acronym{NOV}. Anyway, grabbing article
29429 headers from the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast if you tell
29430 Gnus not to use @acronym{NOV}.
29432 As the variables for the other back ends, there are
29433 @code{nndiary-nov-is-evil}, @code{nndir-nov-is-evil},
29434 @code{nnfolder-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnimap-nov-is-evil},
29435 @code{nnml-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnspool-nov-is-evil}, and
29436 @code{nnwarchive-nov-is-evil}. Note that a non-@code{nil} value for
29437 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} overrides all those variables.@footnote{Although
29438 the back ends @code{nnkiboze}, @code{nnslashdot}, @code{nnultimate}, and
29439 @code{nnwfm} don't have their own nn*-nov-is-evil.}
29443 @node Slow Terminal Connection
29444 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
29446 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
29447 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
29448 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
29452 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
29453 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
29454 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
29455 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
29456 horizontal and vertical recentering.
29458 @item gnus-visible-headers
29459 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
29460 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
29461 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
29462 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
29464 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
29466 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
29467 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
29468 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
29471 @item gnus-use-full-window
29472 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
29473 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
29474 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
29475 want to read them anyway.
29477 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
29478 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
29482 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
29483 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
29484 lines, which might save some time.
29488 @node Little Disk Space
29489 @subsection Little Disk Space
29492 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
29493 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
29497 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
29498 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
29499 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
29500 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
29503 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
29504 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
29505 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
29506 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
29509 @item gnus-save-killed-list
29510 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
29511 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
29512 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
29513 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
29519 @subsection Slow Machine
29520 @cindex slow machine
29522 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
29523 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
29525 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
29526 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
29528 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
29529 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
29530 summary buffer faster. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
29534 @node Troubleshooting
29535 @section Troubleshooting
29536 @cindex troubleshooting
29538 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
29546 Make sure your computer is switched on.
29549 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
29550 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
29554 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
29556 @samp{No Gnus v0.10} @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change this line!
29558 you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old @file{.el}
29559 files lying around. Delete these.
29562 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
29563 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
29566 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
29567 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
29568 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
29569 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
29570 something like that.
29573 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
29576 @cindex reporting bugs
29578 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
29580 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
29581 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
29582 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
29583 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
29585 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
29586 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
29587 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
29588 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
29591 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
29592 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
29593 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
29594 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
29595 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
29596 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
29598 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
29599 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
29600 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
29604 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
29605 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
29608 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
29609 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
29610 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
29611 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
29612 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
29613 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
29614 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
29615 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
29616 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
29617 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
29618 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
29619 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
29620 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
29621 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
29626 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
29627 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
29628 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
29629 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
29630 helps isolating the real problem areas).
29632 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
29633 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
29634 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
29635 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
29636 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
29637 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
29638 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
29639 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
29640 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
29641 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
29642 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
29643 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
29644 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
29647 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
29648 @cindex ding mailing list
29649 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
29650 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
29651 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
29652 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
29656 @node Gnus Reference Guide
29657 @section Gnus Reference Guide
29659 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
29660 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
29661 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
29662 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
29665 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
29666 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
29667 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
29668 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
29669 and general methods of operation.
29672 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
29673 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
29674 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
29675 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
29676 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
29677 * Group Info:: The group info format.
29678 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
29679 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
29680 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
29684 @node Gnus Utility Functions
29685 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
29686 @cindex Gnus utility functions
29687 @cindex utility functions
29689 @cindex internal variables
29691 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
29692 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
29693 Below is a list of the most common ones.
29697 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
29698 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
29699 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
29701 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
29702 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
29703 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
29705 @item gnus-group-real-name
29706 @findex gnus-group-real-name
29707 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
29710 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
29711 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
29712 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
29713 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
29715 @item gnus-get-info
29716 @findex gnus-get-info
29717 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
29719 @item gnus-group-unread
29720 @findex gnus-group-unread
29721 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
29725 @findex gnus-active
29726 The active entry for @var{group}.
29728 @item gnus-set-active
29729 @findex gnus-set-active
29730 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
29732 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29733 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29734 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
29737 @item gnus-continuum-version
29738 @findex gnus-continuum-version
29739 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
29740 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
29743 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
29744 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
29745 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
29747 @item gnus-news-group-p
29748 @findex gnus-news-group-p
29749 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
29751 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29752 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29753 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
29755 @item gnus-server-to-method
29756 @findex gnus-server-to-method
29757 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
29759 @item gnus-server-equal
29760 @findex gnus-server-equal
29761 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
29763 @item gnus-group-native-p
29764 @findex gnus-group-native-p
29765 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
29767 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
29768 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
29769 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
29771 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
29772 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
29773 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
29775 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
29776 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
29777 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
29778 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
29780 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
29781 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
29782 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
29784 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
29785 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
29786 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
29788 @item gnus-check-backend-function
29789 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
29790 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
29791 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
29794 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
29798 @item gnus-read-method
29799 @findex gnus-read-method
29800 Prompts the user for a select method.
29805 @node Back End Interface
29806 @subsection Back End Interface
29808 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
29809 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
29810 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
29811 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
29812 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
29813 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
29815 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
29816 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
29817 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
29818 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
29819 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
29820 been opened, the function should fail.
29822 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
29823 name. Take this example:
29827 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
29828 (nntp-port-number 4324))
29831 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
29832 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
29834 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
29835 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
29836 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
29838 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
29839 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
29840 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
29842 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
29843 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
29844 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
29845 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
29846 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
29847 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
29850 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
29851 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
29852 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
29853 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
29856 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
29857 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
29858 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
29859 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
29860 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
29861 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
29862 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
29863 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
29864 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
29865 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
29867 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
29868 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
29869 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
29870 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
29871 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
29872 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
29873 of numbers as long as possible.
29875 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
29876 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
29877 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
29879 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
29882 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
29885 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
29886 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
29887 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
29888 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
29889 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
29890 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
29894 @node Required Back End Functions
29895 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
29899 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
29901 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
29902 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
29903 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
29904 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
29906 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
29907 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
29908 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
29909 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
29911 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
29912 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
29913 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
29914 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
29915 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
29916 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
29917 number, do maximum fetches.
29919 Here's an example HEAD:
29922 221 1056 Article retrieved.
29923 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
29924 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
29925 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
29926 Subject: Re: Something very droll
29927 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
29928 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
29930 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
29931 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
29932 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
29936 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
29937 these in the data buffer.
29939 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
29943 head = error / valid-head
29944 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
29945 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
29946 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
29947 header = <text> eol
29951 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
29953 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
29954 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
29958 nov-buffer = *nov-line
29959 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
29960 field = <text except TAB>
29963 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
29967 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
29969 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
29970 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
29972 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
29973 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
29974 server. In fact, it should do so.
29976 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
29977 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
29980 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
29982 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
29983 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
29986 There should be no data returned.
29989 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
29991 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
29992 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
29993 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
29994 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
29996 There should be no data returned.
29999 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
30001 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
30002 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
30003 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
30004 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
30006 There should be no data returned.
30009 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
30011 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
30013 There should be no data returned.
30016 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
30018 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
30019 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
30020 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
30021 it would be nice if that were possible.
30023 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
30024 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
30025 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
30026 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
30027 into its article buffer.
30029 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
30030 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
30031 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
30032 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
30033 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
30034 on successful article retrieval.
30037 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
30039 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
30040 making @var{group} the current group.
30042 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
30045 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
30048 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
30051 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
30052 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
30053 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
30054 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
30055 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
30056 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
30057 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
30058 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
30059 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
30063 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
30064 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
30065 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
30069 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
30071 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
30072 a no-op on most back ends.
30074 There should be no data returned.
30077 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
30079 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
30082 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
30085 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
30086 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
30089 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
30090 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
30091 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
30092 and the highest as 0.
30095 active-file = *active-line
30096 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
30098 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
30101 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
30102 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
30103 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
30106 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
30108 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
30109 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
30110 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
30111 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
30112 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
30113 clear if the posting could not be completed.
30115 There should be no result data from this function.
30120 @node Optional Back End Functions
30121 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
30125 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
30127 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
30128 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
30129 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
30131 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
30132 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
30133 former is in the same format as the data from
30134 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
30135 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
30138 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
30142 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
30144 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
30145 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
30146 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
30147 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
30148 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
30149 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
30150 the network resources).
30152 There should be no result data from this function.
30155 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
30157 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
30158 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
30159 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
30160 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
30161 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
30162 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
30163 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
30164 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
30166 There should be no result data from this function.
30169 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
30171 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
30172 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
30173 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
30174 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
30175 propagate the mark information to the server.
30177 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
30180 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
30183 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
30184 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
30185 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
30186 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
30187 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
30188 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
30189 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
30190 possible, not limit itself to these.
30192 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
30193 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
30194 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
30195 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
30197 An example action list:
30200 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
30201 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
30202 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
30205 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
30206 mark on (currently not used for anything).
30208 There should be no result data from this function.
30210 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
30212 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
30213 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
30214 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
30215 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
30216 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
30218 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
30219 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
30220 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
30223 There should be no result data from this function.
30226 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
30228 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
30229 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
30230 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
30231 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
30232 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
30233 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
30234 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
30235 local if that's practical.
30237 There should be no result data from this function.
30240 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
30242 The result data from this function should be a description of
30246 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
30248 description = <text>
30251 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
30253 The result data from this function should be the description of all
30254 groups available on the server.
30257 description-buffer = *description-line
30261 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
30263 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
30264 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
30265 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
30266 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
30267 in the active buffer format.
30269 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
30270 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
30271 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
30272 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
30273 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
30274 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
30275 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
30278 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
30280 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
30282 There should be no return data.
30285 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
30287 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
30288 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
30289 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
30290 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
30291 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
30294 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
30297 There should be no result data returned.
30300 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
30302 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
30303 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
30305 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
30306 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
30307 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
30308 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
30309 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
30310 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
30312 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
30313 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
30316 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
30317 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
30319 There should be no data returned.
30322 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
30324 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
30325 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
30326 this function in short order.
30328 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
30329 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
30331 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
30332 article for that group.
30334 There should be no data returned.
30337 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
30339 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
30340 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
30342 There should be no data returned.
30345 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
30347 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
30348 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
30349 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
30351 There should be no data returned.
30354 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
30356 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
30357 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
30359 There should be no data returned.
30364 @node Error Messaging
30365 @subsubsection Error Messaging
30367 @findex nnheader-report
30368 @findex nnheader-get-report
30369 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
30370 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
30371 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
30372 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
30373 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
30374 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
30377 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
30379 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
30382 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
30383 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
30384 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
30385 takes one argument---the server symbol.
30387 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
30388 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
30389 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
30392 @node Writing New Back Ends
30393 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
30395 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
30396 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
30397 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
30398 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
30399 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
30402 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
30403 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
30404 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
30406 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
30407 package called @code{nnoo}.
30409 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
30410 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
30416 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
30417 parameters. For instance:
30420 (nnoo-declare nndir
30424 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
30425 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
30428 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
30429 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
30430 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
30432 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
30433 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
30434 a function in those back ends.
30437 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
30438 "Where nndir will look for groups."
30439 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
30442 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
30443 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
30444 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
30446 @item nnoo-define-basics
30447 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
30451 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
30455 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
30456 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
30457 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
30459 @item nnoo-map-functions
30460 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
30461 functions from the parent back ends.
30464 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
30465 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30466 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
30469 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
30470 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
30471 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
30472 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
30475 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
30476 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
30477 haven't already been defined.
30483 nnmh-request-newgroups)
30487 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
30488 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
30489 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
30494 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
30497 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
30498 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
30502 (require 'nnheader)
30506 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
30508 (nnoo-declare nndir
30511 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
30512 "Where nndir will look for groups."
30513 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
30515 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
30516 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
30519 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
30521 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
30522 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
30523 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
30525 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
30526 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
30528 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
30530 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
30532 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
30533 (setq nndir-directory
30534 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
30536 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
30537 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
30538 (push `(nndir-current-group
30539 ,(file-name-nondirectory
30540 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
30542 (push `(nndir-top-directory
30543 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
30545 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
30547 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
30548 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30549 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30550 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
30551 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
30555 nnmh-status-message
30557 nnmh-request-newgroups))
30563 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
30564 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
30566 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
30567 @findex gnus-declare-backend
30568 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
30569 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
30570 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
30572 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
30573 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
30578 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
30581 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
30583 The abilities can be:
30587 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
30589 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
30591 This back end supports both mail and news.
30593 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
30596 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
30597 articles and groups.
30599 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
30600 true for almost all back ends.
30601 @item prompt-address
30602 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
30603 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
30604 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
30608 @node Mail-like Back Ends
30609 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
30611 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
30612 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
30613 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
30614 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
30617 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
30618 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
30619 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
30622 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
30623 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
30626 This function takes four parameters.
30630 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
30633 @item exit-function
30634 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
30636 @item temp-directory
30637 Where the temporary files should be stored.
30640 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
30641 performed for one group only.
30644 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
30645 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
30646 find the article number assigned to this article.
30648 The function also uses the following variables:
30649 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
30650 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
30651 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
30652 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
30656 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
30657 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
30661 @node Score File Syntax
30662 @subsection Score File Syntax
30664 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
30665 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
30666 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
30668 Here's a typical score file:
30672 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
30679 BNF definition of a score file:
30682 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
30683 element = rule / atom
30684 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
30685 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
30686 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
30687 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
30689 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
30690 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
30691 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
30692 date-header = "date"
30693 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30694 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30695 score = "nil" / <integer>
30696 date = "nil" / <natural number>
30697 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
30698 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
30699 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
30700 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
30701 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30702 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30703 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
30704 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30705 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
30706 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
30707 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
30708 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
30709 exclude-files / read-only / touched
30710 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
30711 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
30712 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
30713 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
30714 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
30715 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
30716 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
30717 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
30718 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
30719 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
30720 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
30721 eval = "eval" space <form>
30722 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
30725 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
30728 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
30729 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
30730 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
30731 one looong line, then that's ok.
30733 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
30734 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
30738 @subsection Headers
30740 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
30741 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
30742 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
30743 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
30745 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
30746 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
30747 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
30748 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
30749 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
30750 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
30751 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
30753 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
30754 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
30755 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
30756 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
30757 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
30759 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
30760 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
30766 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
30767 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
30769 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
30770 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
30771 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
30772 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
30774 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
30778 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
30781 is transformed into
30784 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
30787 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
30788 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
30791 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
30794 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
30795 is slightly tricky:
30798 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
30804 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
30807 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
30813 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
30820 and is equal to the previous range.
30822 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
30823 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
30824 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
30828 range = simple-range / normal-range
30829 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
30830 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
30831 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
30832 number *[ " " contents ]
30835 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
30836 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
30837 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
30838 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
30839 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
30844 @subsection Group Info
30846 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
30847 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
30848 describes the group.
30850 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
30851 second is a more complex one:
30854 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
30856 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
30857 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
30859 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
30862 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
30863 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
30864 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
30865 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
30866 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
30867 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
30868 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
30869 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
30870 this section is about.
30872 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
30873 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
30874 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
30876 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
30879 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
30880 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
30881 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30882 group = quote <string> quote
30883 ralevel = rank / level
30884 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
30885 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
30886 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
30888 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
30889 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
30890 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
30891 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
30894 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
30895 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
30898 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
30899 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
30902 @item gnus-info-group
30903 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
30904 @findex gnus-info-group
30905 @findex gnus-info-set-group
30906 Get/set the group name.
30908 @item gnus-info-rank
30909 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
30910 @findex gnus-info-rank
30911 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
30912 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
30914 @item gnus-info-level
30915 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
30916 @findex gnus-info-level
30917 @findex gnus-info-set-level
30918 Get/set the group level.
30920 @item gnus-info-score
30921 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
30922 @findex gnus-info-score
30923 @findex gnus-info-set-score
30924 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
30926 @item gnus-info-read
30927 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
30928 @findex gnus-info-read
30929 @findex gnus-info-set-read
30930 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
30932 @item gnus-info-marks
30933 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
30934 @findex gnus-info-marks
30935 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
30936 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
30938 @item gnus-info-method
30939 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
30940 @findex gnus-info-method
30941 @findex gnus-info-set-method
30942 Get/set the group select method.
30944 @item gnus-info-params
30945 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
30946 @findex gnus-info-params
30947 @findex gnus-info-set-params
30948 Get/set the group parameters.
30951 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
30952 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
30954 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
30955 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
30956 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
30957 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
30960 @node Extended Interactive
30961 @subsection Extended Interactive
30962 @cindex interactive
30963 @findex gnus-interactive
30965 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
30966 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
30967 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
30970 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
30971 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
30976 The best thing to do would have been to implement
30977 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
30978 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
30979 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
30980 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
30981 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
30982 @code{interactive}.
30984 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
30989 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
30990 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
30994 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
30995 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
30996 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
30999 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
31003 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
31007 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
31013 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
31014 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
31018 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
31019 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
31020 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
31022 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
31023 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
31024 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
31025 Gnus, that's very useful.
31027 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
31028 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
31029 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
31030 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
31031 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
31032 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
31033 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
31034 following function:
31037 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
31041 (,function ,@@args))
31045 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
31046 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
31047 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
31050 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
31051 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
31052 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
31054 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
31055 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
31056 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
31059 @node Various File Formats
31060 @subsection Various File Formats
31063 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
31064 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
31068 @node Active File Format
31069 @subsubsection Active File Format
31071 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
31072 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
31075 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
31078 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
31079 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
31080 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
31081 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
31082 no.general 1000 900 y
31085 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
31088 active = *group-line
31089 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
31090 group = <non-white-space string>
31092 high-number = <non-negative integer>
31093 low-number = <positive integer>
31094 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
31097 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
31098 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
31101 @node Newsgroups File Format
31102 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
31104 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
31105 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
31106 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
31109 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
31110 Here's the definition:
31114 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
31115 group = <non-white-space string>
31117 description = <string>
31122 @node Emacs for Heathens
31123 @section Emacs for Heathens
31125 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
31126 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
31127 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
31128 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
31129 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
31130 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
31131 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
31135 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
31136 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
31141 @subsection Keystrokes
31145 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
31148 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
31151 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
31152 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
31153 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
31154 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
31155 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
31156 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
31158 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
31159 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
31160 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
31161 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
31162 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
31163 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
31164 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
31166 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
31167 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
31168 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
31169 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
31170 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
31171 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
31172 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
31174 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
31175 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
31176 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
31177 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
31178 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
31184 @subsection Emacs Lisp
31186 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
31187 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
31188 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
31189 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
31191 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
31192 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
31193 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
31194 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
31195 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
31196 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
31197 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
31198 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
31199 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
31200 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
31202 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
31203 write the following:
31206 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
31209 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
31210 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
31211 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
31212 change how Gnus works.
31214 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
31215 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
31216 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
31217 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
31218 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
31220 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
31221 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
31222 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
31226 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
31230 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
31233 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
31234 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
31237 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
31240 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
31241 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
31244 @include gnus-faq.texi
31246 @node GNU Free Documentation License
31247 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
31248 @include doclicense.texi
31268 @c Local Variables:
31270 @c coding: iso-8859-1
31274 arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819