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14 Copyright @copyright{} 1995-2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
17 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
18 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
19 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
20 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU Manual'',
21 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license
22 is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License''.
24 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have the freedom to copy and
25 modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF supports it in
26 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
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309 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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324 @dircategory Emacs network features
326 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
335 @title Gnus Manual (DEVELOPMENT VERSION)
337 @ifclear WEBHACKDEVEL
341 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
343 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
351 @top The Gnus Newsreader
355 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
356 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
357 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
360 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
361 This manual corresponds to Ma Gnus v0.6
376 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
377 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
379 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
380 being accused of plagiarism:
382 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
383 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
384 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
385 can even read news with it!
387 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
388 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
389 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
390 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
391 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
394 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
395 This manual corresponds to Ma Gnus v0.6
397 @heading Other related manuals
399 @item Message manual: Composing messages
400 @item Emacs-MIME: Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
401 @item Sieve: Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
402 @item EasyPG: @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
403 @item SASL: @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
409 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
410 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
411 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
412 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
413 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
414 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
415 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
416 * Searching:: Mail and News search engines.
417 * Various:: General purpose settings.
418 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
419 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
420 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
421 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
422 * Key Index:: Key Index.
424 Other related manuals
426 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
427 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
428 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
429 * EasyPG:(epa). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
430 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
433 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
437 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
438 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
439 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
440 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
441 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
442 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
443 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
444 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
445 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
446 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
450 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
451 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
452 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
456 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
457 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
458 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
459 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
460 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
461 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
462 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
463 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
464 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
465 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
466 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
467 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
468 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
469 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
470 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
471 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
472 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
473 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
477 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
478 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
479 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
483 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
484 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
485 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
486 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
487 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
491 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
492 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
493 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
494 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
495 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
499 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
500 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
501 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
502 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
503 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
504 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
505 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
506 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
507 * Threading:: How threads are made.
508 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
509 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
510 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
511 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
512 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
513 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
514 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
515 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
516 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
517 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
518 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
519 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
520 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
521 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
522 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
523 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
524 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
525 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
526 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
527 or reselecting the current group.
528 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
529 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
530 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
531 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
533 Summary Buffer Format
535 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
536 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
537 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
538 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
542 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
543 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
545 Reply, Followup and Post
547 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
548 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
549 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
550 * Canceling and Superseding::
554 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
555 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
556 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
557 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
558 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
559 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
563 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
564 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
566 Customizing Threading
568 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
569 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
570 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
571 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
575 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
576 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
577 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
578 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
579 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
580 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
584 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
585 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
586 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
590 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
591 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
592 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
593 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
594 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
595 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
596 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
597 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
598 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys, Gravatars
599 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
600 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
602 Alternative Approaches
604 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
605 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
607 Various Summary Stuff
609 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
610 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
611 * Summary Generation Commands::
612 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
616 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
617 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
618 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
619 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
620 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
624 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
625 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
626 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
627 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
628 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
629 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
630 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
631 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
632 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
636 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
637 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
638 * Using IMAP:: Reading mail from @acronym{IMAP}.
639 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
640 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
641 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files.
642 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
643 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
644 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
648 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
649 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
650 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
651 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
652 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
653 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
654 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
658 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
659 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
663 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
664 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
665 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
669 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
670 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
671 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
672 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
673 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
674 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
675 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
676 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
677 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
678 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
679 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
680 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
681 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
685 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
686 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
687 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
689 Choosing a Mail Back End
691 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
692 * Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
693 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
694 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
695 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
696 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
697 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
702 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
703 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
704 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
708 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
709 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
710 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
711 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
712 * The Empty Backend:: The backend that never has any news.
716 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
720 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
724 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
725 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
726 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
730 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
731 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
732 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
734 The Gnus Diary Library
736 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
737 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
738 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
739 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
743 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
744 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
745 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
746 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
747 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
748 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
749 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
750 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
751 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
752 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
753 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
754 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
755 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
756 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
760 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
761 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
762 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
766 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
767 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
768 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
772 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
773 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
774 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
775 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
776 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
777 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
778 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
779 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
780 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
781 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
782 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
783 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
784 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
785 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
786 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
787 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
791 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
792 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
793 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
797 * nnir:: Searching with various engines.
798 * nnmairix:: Searching with Mairix.
802 * What is nnir?:: What does nnir do.
803 * Basic Usage:: How to perform simple searches.
804 * Setting up nnir:: How to set up nnir.
808 * Associating Engines:: How to associate engines.
812 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
813 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
814 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
815 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
816 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
817 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
818 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
819 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
820 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
821 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
822 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
823 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
824 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
825 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
826 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
827 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
828 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
829 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
830 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
834 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
835 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
836 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
837 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
838 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
839 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
840 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
841 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
845 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
846 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
847 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were
849 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
850 * Gravatars:: Display the avatar of people you read.
851 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
855 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
856 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
857 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
858 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
862 * Spam Package Introduction::
863 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
864 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
865 * Spam and Ham Processors::
866 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
868 * Extending the Spam package::
869 * Spam Statistics Package::
871 Spam Statistics Package
873 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
874 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
875 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
879 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
880 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
881 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
882 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
883 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
884 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
885 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
886 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
887 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
891 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
892 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
893 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
894 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
895 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
896 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
897 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
898 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
902 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
903 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
904 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
905 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
906 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
907 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
908 * No Gnus:: Very punny. Gnus 5.12/5.13
909 * Ma Gnus:: Celebrating 25 years of Gnus.
913 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
914 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
915 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
916 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
920 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
921 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
922 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
923 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
924 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
925 * Group Info:: The group info format.
926 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
927 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
928 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
932 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
933 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
934 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
935 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
936 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
937 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
941 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
942 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
946 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
947 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
953 @chapter Starting Gnus
956 If you haven't used Emacs much before using Gnus, read @ref{Emacs for
961 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
962 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
963 your Emacs. If not, you should customize the variable
964 @code{gnus-select-method} as described in @ref{Finding the News}. For a
965 minimal setup for posting should also customize the variables
966 @code{user-full-name} and @code{user-mail-address}.
968 @findex gnus-other-frame
969 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
970 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
971 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
973 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
974 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
975 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
977 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
978 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
981 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
982 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
983 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
984 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
985 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
986 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
987 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
988 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
989 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
993 @node Finding the News
994 @section Finding the News
997 First of all, you should know that there is a special buffer called
998 @code{*Server*} that lists all the servers Gnus knows about. You can
999 press @kbd{^} from the Group buffer to see it. In the Server buffer,
1000 you can press @kbd{RET} on a defined server to see all the groups it
1001 serves (subscribed or not!). You can also add or delete servers, edit
1002 a foreign server's definition, agentize or de-agentize a server, and
1003 do many other neat things. @xref{Server Buffer}.
1004 @xref{Foreign Groups}. @xref{Agent Basics}.
1006 @vindex gnus-select-method
1008 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
1009 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1010 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1011 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1012 secondary or foreign groups.
1014 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1015 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1018 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1021 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1024 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1027 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1028 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1029 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1030 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1032 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1034 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1035 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1036 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1037 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1038 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1039 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1040 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1042 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1044 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1045 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1046 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1047 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1048 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1049 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1051 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1053 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1054 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1055 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1056 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1057 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1058 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1061 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1062 you would typically set this variable to
1065 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1070 @node The Server is Down
1071 @section The Server is Down
1072 @cindex server errors
1074 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1075 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1076 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1078 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1079 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1080 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1081 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1082 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1083 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1084 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1086 @findex gnus-no-server
1087 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1089 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1090 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1091 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1092 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1093 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1094 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1095 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1099 @section Slave Gnusae
1102 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1103 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1104 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1105 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1107 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1108 @file{.newsrc} file.
1110 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1111 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1112 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1113 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1114 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1115 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1116 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1119 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1120 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1121 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1122 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1123 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1124 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1125 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1126 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1128 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1129 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1131 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1132 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1133 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1134 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1135 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1142 @cindex subscription
1144 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1145 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1146 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1147 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1148 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1149 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1150 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1151 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1152 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1155 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1156 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1157 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1161 @node Checking New Groups
1162 @subsection Checking New Groups
1164 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing
1165 the list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of
1166 subscribed and dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method.
1167 If @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will
1168 ask the server for new groups since the last time. This is both
1169 faster and cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list
1170 of killed groups (@pxref{Group Levels}) altogether, so you may set
1171 @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to @code{nil}, which will save time both
1172 at startup, at exit, and all over. Saves disk space, too. Why isn't
1173 this the default, then? Unfortunately, not all servers support this
1176 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1177 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1178 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1179 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1180 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1181 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1182 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1183 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1184 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1185 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1186 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1188 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1189 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1190 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1191 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1192 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1193 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1196 @node Subscription Methods
1197 @subsection Subscription Methods
1199 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1200 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1201 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1203 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1204 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1206 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1210 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1211 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1212 Make all new groups zombies (@pxref{Group Levels}). This is the
1213 default. You can browse the zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either
1214 kill them all off properly (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them
1217 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1218 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1219 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1220 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1222 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1223 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1224 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1226 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1227 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1228 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1229 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1230 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1231 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1232 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1233 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1234 up. Or something like that.
1236 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1237 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1238 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1239 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1240 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1242 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1243 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1244 Kill all new groups.
1246 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1247 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1248 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1249 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1250 topic parameter that looks like
1256 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1259 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1264 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1265 A closely related variable is
1266 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1267 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1268 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1269 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1272 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1273 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1274 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1275 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1278 @node Filtering New Groups
1279 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1281 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1282 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1283 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1286 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1289 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1290 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1291 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1292 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1293 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1294 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1295 subscribing these groups.
1296 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1297 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1299 The ``options -n'' format is very simplistic. The syntax above is all
1300 that is supports -- you can force-subscribe hierarchies, or you can
1301 deny hierarchies, and that's it.
1303 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1304 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1305 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1306 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1307 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1308 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1309 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1310 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1312 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1313 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1314 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1315 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1316 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1317 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1318 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1319 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1320 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, @code{nnimap}, and
1321 @code{nnmaildir}) subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this
1322 variable to @code{nil}.
1324 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-categories
1325 As if that wasn't enough, @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-categories} also
1326 allows you to specify that new groups should be subscribed based on the
1327 category their select methods belong to. The default is @samp{(mail
1328 post-mail)}, meaning that all new groups from mail-like backends
1329 should be subscribed automatically.
1331 New groups that match these variables are subscribed using
1332 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1335 @node Changing Servers
1336 @section Changing Servers
1337 @cindex changing servers
1339 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1340 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1341 very flaky and you want to use another.
1343 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1344 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1348 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1349 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1350 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1351 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1354 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1355 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1356 You can use the @kbd{M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups}
1357 command to clear out all data that you have on your native groups.
1360 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1361 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1362 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1363 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1365 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1366 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1367 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1368 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1369 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1370 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1371 cache for all groups).
1375 @section Startup Files
1376 @cindex startup files
1381 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1382 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1383 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1386 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1387 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1388 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1389 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1390 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1391 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1392 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1394 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1395 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1396 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1397 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1398 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1399 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1401 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1402 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1403 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1404 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1405 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1406 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1407 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1408 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1409 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1410 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1411 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1414 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1415 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1416 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1417 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1418 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1419 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1420 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1421 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1422 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1423 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1424 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1425 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1427 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1428 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1429 @vindex version-control
1430 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1431 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1432 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1433 If you want to keep multiple numbered backups of this file, set
1434 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1435 @code{version-control} variable.
1437 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1438 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1439 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1440 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1441 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1442 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1443 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1444 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1445 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1446 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1449 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1450 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1452 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1453 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1456 @vindex gnus-init-file
1457 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1458 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1459 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1460 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1461 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1462 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1463 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1464 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1465 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1466 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1467 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1468 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1469 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1474 @cindex dribble file
1477 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1478 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1479 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1480 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1481 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1484 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1485 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1488 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1489 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1490 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1492 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1493 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1494 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1495 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1496 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1497 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1499 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1500 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1501 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1504 @node The Active File
1505 @section The Active File
1507 @cindex ignored groups
1509 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1510 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1511 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1513 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1514 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1515 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1516 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1517 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1518 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1519 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1522 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1523 @c if you set it to anything else.
1525 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1527 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1528 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1529 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1531 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1532 you actually subscribe to.
1534 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1535 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1536 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1537 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1539 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1540 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1541 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1542 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1543 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1544 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1546 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1547 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1548 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1551 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1552 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1553 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1554 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1555 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1556 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1558 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1559 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1561 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1562 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1564 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1565 secondary select methods.
1568 @node Startup Variables
1569 @section Startup Variables
1573 @item gnus-load-hook
1574 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1575 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1576 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1577 times you start Gnus.
1579 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1580 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1581 A hook called as the first thing when Gnus is started.
1583 @item gnus-startup-hook
1584 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1585 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1587 @item gnus-started-hook
1588 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1589 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1592 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1593 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1594 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1595 generating the group buffer.
1597 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1598 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1599 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1600 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1601 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1602 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1603 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1604 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1606 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1607 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1608 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1609 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1610 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1611 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1613 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1614 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1615 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1617 @item gnus-use-backend-marks
1618 @vindex gnus-use-backend-marks
1619 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will store article marks both in the
1620 @file{.newsrc.eld} file and in the backends. This will slow down
1621 group operation some.
1627 @chapter Group Buffer
1628 @cindex group buffer
1630 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1632 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1633 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1634 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1635 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1636 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1637 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1638 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1639 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1640 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1641 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1642 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1643 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1644 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1645 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1646 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1647 @c human rights at 9...
1650 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1651 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1652 long as Gnus is active.
1656 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1657 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1658 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1659 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1660 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1661 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1662 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1663 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1669 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1670 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1671 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1672 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1673 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1674 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1675 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1676 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1677 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1678 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1679 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1680 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1681 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1682 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1683 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1684 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1685 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
1686 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1690 @node Group Buffer Format
1691 @section Group Buffer Format
1694 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1695 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1696 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1699 You can customize the Group Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
1700 customize-apropos RET gnus-group-tool-bar}. This feature is only
1703 The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly depending on the
1704 cursor position. Therefore, moving around in the Group Buffer is
1705 slower. You can disable this via the variable
1706 @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}. Its default value depends on your
1709 @node Group Line Specification
1710 @subsection Group Line Specification
1711 @cindex group buffer format
1713 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1714 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1716 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1719 25: news.announce.newusers
1720 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1725 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1726 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1727 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1728 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1730 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1731 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1732 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1733 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1734 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1735 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1737 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1739 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1740 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1741 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1742 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1743 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1745 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1746 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1747 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1749 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1754 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1757 Whether the group is subscribed.
1760 Level of subscribedness.
1763 Number of unread articles.
1766 Number of dormant articles.
1769 Number of ticked articles.
1772 Number of read articles.
1775 Number of unseen articles.
1778 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1779 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1781 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1782 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1783 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1784 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1785 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1786 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1787 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job.
1789 The nnml backend (@pxref{Mail Spool}) has a feature called ``group
1790 compaction'' which circumvents this deficiency: the idea is to
1791 renumber all articles from 1, removing all gaps between numbers, hence
1792 getting a correct total count. Other backends may support this in the
1793 future. In order to keep your total article count relatively up to
1794 date, you might want to compact your groups (or even directly your
1795 server) from time to time. @xref{Misc Group Stuff}, @xref{Server Commands}.
1798 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1801 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1810 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1811 comment element in the group parameters.
1814 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1815 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1816 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1820 @samp{m} if moderated.
1823 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1829 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1835 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1839 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1842 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1843 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1844 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1845 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1846 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1849 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1851 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1855 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1858 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1862 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1863 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1864 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1865 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1868 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1869 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1870 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1871 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1872 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1873 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1878 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1879 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1880 group, or a bogus native group.
1883 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1884 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1885 @cindex group mode line
1887 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1888 The mode line can be changed by setting
1889 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1890 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1894 The native news server.
1896 The native select method.
1900 @node Group Highlighting
1901 @subsection Group Highlighting
1902 @cindex highlighting
1903 @cindex group highlighting
1905 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1906 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1907 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1908 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1909 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1911 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1915 (cond (window-system
1916 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1917 (defface my-group-face-1
1918 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1919 (defface my-group-face-2
1920 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1921 "Second group face")
1922 (defface my-group-face-3
1923 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1924 (defface my-group-face-4
1925 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1926 (defface my-group-face-5
1927 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1929 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1930 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1931 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1932 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1933 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1934 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1937 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1939 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1946 The number of unread articles in the group.
1950 Whether the group is a mail group.
1952 The level of the group.
1954 The score of the group.
1956 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1958 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1959 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1961 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1962 topic being inserted.
1965 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1966 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1967 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1969 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1970 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1971 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1972 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
1975 @node Group Maneuvering
1976 @section Group Maneuvering
1977 @cindex group movement
1979 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1980 expected, hopefully.
1986 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1987 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1988 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1994 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1995 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1996 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2000 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2001 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2005 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2006 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2010 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2011 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2012 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2016 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2017 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2018 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2021 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2027 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2028 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2029 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2034 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2035 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2036 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2040 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2041 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2042 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2045 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2046 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2047 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2048 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2051 @vindex gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit
2052 If @code{gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit} is @code{t}, when a summary is
2053 exited, the point in the group buffer is moved to the next unread group.
2054 Otherwise, the point is set to the group just exited. The default is
2057 @node Selecting a Group
2058 @section Selecting a Group
2059 @cindex group selection
2064 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2065 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2066 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2067 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2068 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2069 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2070 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2071 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2072 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2073 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2075 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2076 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2077 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2079 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2080 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2085 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2086 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2087 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2088 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2089 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2093 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2094 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2095 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2096 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2097 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2098 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2099 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2100 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2101 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2102 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2105 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2106 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2107 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2108 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2109 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2112 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2113 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2114 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2115 doing any processing of its contents
2116 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2117 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2118 manner will have no permanent effects.
2122 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2123 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2124 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2125 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2126 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2127 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2128 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2129 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2130 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2131 most recently will be fetched.
2133 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2134 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2135 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2138 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles
2139 In groups in some news servers, there might be a big gap between a few
2140 very old articles that will never be expired and the recent ones. In
2141 such a case, the server will return the data like @code{(1 . 30000000)}
2142 for the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, for example. Even if there
2143 are actually only the articles 1-10 and 29999900-30000000, Gnus doesn't
2144 know it at first and prepares for getting 30000000 articles. However,
2145 it will consume hundreds megabytes of memories and might make Emacs get
2146 stuck as the case may be. If you use such news servers, set the
2147 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} to a positive number.
2148 The value means that Gnus ignores articles other than this number of the
2149 latest ones in every group. For instance, the value 10000 makes Gnus
2150 get only the articles 29990001-30000000 (if the latest article number is
2151 30000000 in a group). Note that setting this variable to a number might
2152 prevent you from reading very old articles. The default value of the
2153 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} is @code{nil}, which
2154 means Gnus never ignores old articles.
2156 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2157 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2158 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2159 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2160 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2161 Which article this is controlled by the
2162 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2168 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2171 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2174 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2176 @item unseen-or-unread
2177 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2178 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2182 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2186 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2187 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2189 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2190 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2191 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2192 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2196 @node Subscription Commands
2197 @section Subscription Commands
2198 @cindex subscription
2200 The following commands allow for managing your subscriptions in the
2201 Group buffer. If you want to subscribe to many groups, it's probably
2202 more convenient to go to the @ref{Server Buffer}, and choose the
2203 server there using @kbd{RET} or @kbd{SPC}. Then you'll have the
2204 commands listed in @ref{Browse Foreign Server} at hand.
2212 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2213 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2214 Toggle subscription to the current group
2215 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2221 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2222 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2223 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2224 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2230 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2231 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2232 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2238 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2239 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2242 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2243 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2244 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2245 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2246 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2252 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2253 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2257 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2258 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2261 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2262 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2263 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2264 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2265 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2266 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2267 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2268 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2269 @file{.newsrc} file.
2273 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2283 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2284 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2285 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2286 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2287 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2288 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2293 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2294 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2295 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2299 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2300 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2301 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2303 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2304 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2305 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2306 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2307 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2308 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2315 @section Group Levels
2319 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2320 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2321 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2322 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2323 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2325 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2331 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2332 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2333 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2334 prompted for a level.
2337 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2338 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2339 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2340 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2341 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2342 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2343 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2344 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2345 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2346 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2347 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2348 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2349 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2350 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2351 reasons of efficiency.
2353 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2354 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2356 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2357 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2358 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2359 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2360 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2361 groups are hidden, in a way.
2363 @cindex zombie groups
2364 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2365 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2366 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2367 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2368 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2369 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2371 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2372 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2373 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2374 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2375 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2376 list of killed groups.)
2378 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2379 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2380 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2382 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2383 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2384 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2385 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2386 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2387 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2388 relevant valid ranges.
2390 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2391 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2392 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2393 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2394 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2395 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2398 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2399 one with the best level.
2401 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2402 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2403 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2405 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
2406 be called and the result will be used as value.
2409 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2410 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2411 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2412 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2415 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2416 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2417 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2418 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2420 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2421 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2422 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2423 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2424 to 5. The default is 6.
2428 @section Group Score
2433 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2434 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2435 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2438 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2439 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2440 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2441 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2442 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2443 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2444 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2445 least significant part.))
2447 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2448 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2449 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2450 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2451 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2452 action after each summary exit, you can add
2453 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2454 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2455 slow things down somewhat.
2458 @node Marking Groups
2459 @section Marking Groups
2460 @cindex marking groups
2462 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2463 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2464 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2465 bidding on those groups.
2467 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2468 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2469 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2477 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2478 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2484 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2485 Remove the mark from the current group
2486 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2490 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2491 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2495 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2496 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2500 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2501 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2505 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2506 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2507 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2510 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2512 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2513 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2514 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2515 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2516 the command to be executed.
2519 @node Foreign Groups
2520 @section Foreign Groups
2521 @cindex foreign groups
2523 If you recall how to subscribe to servers (@pxref{Finding the News})
2524 you will remember that @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} and
2525 @code{gnus-select-method} let you write a definition in Emacs Lisp of
2526 what servers you want to see when you start up. The alternate
2527 approach is to use foreign servers and groups. ``Foreign'' here means
2528 they are not coming from the select methods. All foreign server
2529 configuration and subscriptions are stored only in the
2530 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file.
2532 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2533 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2534 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2535 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2538 Changes from the group editing commands are stored in
2539 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} (@code{gnus-startup-file}). An alternative is the
2540 variable @code{gnus-parameters}, @xref{Group Parameters}.
2546 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2547 @cindex making groups
2548 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2549 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2550 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2554 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2555 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2556 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2560 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2561 @cindex renaming groups
2562 Rename the current group to something else
2563 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2564 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2570 @findex gnus-group-customize
2571 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2575 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2576 @cindex renaming groups
2577 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2578 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2582 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2583 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2584 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2588 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2589 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2590 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2594 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2596 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2597 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2602 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2603 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2607 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2609 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2610 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2611 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2615 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2616 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2618 Make a group based on some file or other
2619 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2620 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2621 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2622 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2623 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2624 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2625 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2626 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2627 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2631 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2632 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2633 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2634 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2638 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2642 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2643 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2644 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2645 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2646 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2647 @xref{Web Searches}.
2649 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2650 to a particular group by using a match string like
2651 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2655 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2656 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2657 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2661 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2662 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2663 This function will delete the current group
2664 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2665 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2666 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2667 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2668 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2672 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2673 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2674 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2678 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2679 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2680 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2683 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2686 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2687 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2688 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2689 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2690 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2691 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2695 The following commands create ephemeral groups. They can be called not
2696 only from the Group buffer, but in any Gnus buffer.
2699 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2700 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2701 @vindex gnus-gmane-group-download-format
2702 Read an ephemeral group on Gmane.org. The articles are downloaded via
2703 HTTP using the URL specified by @code{gnus-gmane-group-download-format}.
2704 Gnus will prompt you for a group name, the start article number and an
2707 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2708 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2709 This command is similar to @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group}, but
2710 the group name and the article number and range are constructed from a
2711 given @acronym{URL}. Supported @acronym{URL} formats include e.g.
2712 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12300/focus=12399},
2713 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2714 @url{http://article.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2715 @url{http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/}, and
2716 @url{http://news.gmane.org/group/gmane.foo.bar/thread=12345}.
2718 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2719 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2720 Read an Emacs bug report in an ephemeral group. Gnus will prompt for a
2721 bug number. The default is the number at point. The @acronym{URL} is
2722 specified in @code{gnus-bug-group-download-format-alist}.
2724 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2725 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2726 Read a Debian bug report in an ephemeral group. Analog to
2727 @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group}.
2730 Some of these command are also useful for article buttons, @xref{Article
2738 '("#\\([0-9]+\\)\\>" 1
2739 (string-match "\\<emacs\\>" (or gnus-newsgroup-name ""))
2740 gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group 1))
2744 @node Group Parameters
2745 @section Group Parameters
2746 @cindex group parameters
2748 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2750 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2751 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2752 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2753 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2754 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2755 Additionally, you can set group parameters via the
2756 @code{gnus-parameters} variable, see below.
2758 Here's an example group parameter list:
2761 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2765 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2766 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2767 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2768 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2770 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2771 is an alist of regexps and values.
2773 The following group parameters can be used:
2778 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2781 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2784 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2785 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2786 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2787 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2788 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2790 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2791 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2792 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2793 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2794 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2795 list address instead.
2797 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2801 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2804 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2807 It is totally ignored
2808 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2809 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2811 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2812 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2813 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2814 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2815 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2817 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2818 @cindex mail list groups
2819 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2820 entering summary buffer.
2822 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2827 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2828 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2829 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2830 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2831 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2832 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2833 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2834 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2837 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2838 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2841 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2842 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2846 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2847 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2848 of whether it has any unread articles.
2850 This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
2851 @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
2853 @item broken-reply-to
2854 @cindex broken-reply-to
2855 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2856 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2857 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2858 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2859 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2860 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2864 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2865 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2869 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2870 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2871 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2876 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2877 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2878 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2879 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2880 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2881 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2882 (@pxref{Archived Messages}), with the exception for messages to resend.
2884 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2885 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2886 doesn't accept articles.
2890 @cindex expiring mail
2891 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2892 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2893 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2895 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2898 @cindex total-expire
2899 @cindex expiring mail
2900 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2901 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2902 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2903 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2906 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2910 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2911 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2912 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2913 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2914 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2915 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2916 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2919 @cindex expiry-target
2920 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2921 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2924 @cindex score file group parameter
2925 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2926 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2927 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2930 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2931 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2932 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2933 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2936 @cindex admin-address
2937 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2938 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2939 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2940 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2944 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2945 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2949 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2952 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2953 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2956 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2960 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2962 Here are some examples:
2966 Display only unread articles.
2969 Display everything except expirable articles.
2971 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2972 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2976 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2977 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2978 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2979 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2980 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, and @code{unseen}.
2984 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2985 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2986 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2990 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2991 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2992 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2996 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2997 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2998 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
3000 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
3002 @item ignored-charsets
3003 @cindex ignored-charset
3004 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
3005 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
3006 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
3008 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
3011 @cindex posting-style
3012 You can store additional posting style information for this group
3013 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
3014 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
3015 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
3016 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
3018 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
3019 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
3020 like this in the group parameters:
3025 ("X-Message-SMTP-Method" "smtp smtp.example.org 587")
3026 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
3027 (signature "Funky Signature"))
3030 If you're using topics to organize your group buffer
3031 (@pxref{Group Topics}), note that posting styles can also be set in
3032 the topics parameters. Posting styles in topic parameters apply to all
3033 groups in this topic. More precisely, the posting-style settings for a
3034 group result from the hierarchical merging of all posting-style
3035 entries in the parameters of this group and all the topics it belongs
3041 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
3042 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
3046 If it is set, and the setting of @code{mail-sources} includes a
3047 @code{group} mail source (@pxref{Mail Sources}), the value is a
3048 mail source for this group.
3052 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
3053 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
3054 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
3055 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
3056 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
3060 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
3061 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
3062 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
3063 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3065 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3066 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3067 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3068 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3071 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
3072 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3076 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
3077 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
3078 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
3079 like the following is generated:
3082 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3083 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3087 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3088 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3090 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3091 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3093 @item (agent parameters)
3094 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of its parameters to
3095 control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3096 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3097 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3098 minimize the configuration effort.
3100 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3101 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3102 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3103 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3104 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3105 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3106 @code{eval}ed there.
3108 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer
3109 if and only if @var{variable} has been bound as a variable. Otherwise,
3110 only evaluating the form will take place. So, you may want to bind the
3111 variable in advance using @code{defvar} or other if the result of the
3112 form needs to be set to it.
3114 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3115 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3116 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3117 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3118 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3119 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3120 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3123 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3126 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3127 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3128 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3131 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3134 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3135 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3136 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3137 into the group parameters for the group.
3139 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3140 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3141 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group. If
3142 @code{dummy-variable} has been bound (see above), it will be set to the
3143 (meaningless) result of the @code{(ding)} form.
3145 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3146 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3147 following is added to a group parameter
3150 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3151 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3154 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3159 @vindex gnus-parameters
3160 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3161 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
3162 case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
3166 (setq gnus-parameters
3168 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3169 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3170 (gnus-summary-line-format
3171 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3175 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3179 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3183 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3186 All clauses that matches the group name will be used, but the last
3187 setting ``wins''. So if you have two clauses that both match the
3188 group name, and both set, say @code{display}, the last setting will
3191 Parameters that are strings will be subjected to regexp substitution,
3192 as the @code{to-group} example shows.
3194 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3195 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3196 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3197 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3198 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3199 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3200 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3201 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3202 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3203 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3204 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3205 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3207 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3208 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3209 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3210 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3211 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3212 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3213 weekly news RSS feed
3214 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3220 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3221 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3222 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3223 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3224 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3226 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3227 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3228 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3229 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3230 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3231 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3235 @node Listing Groups
3236 @section Listing Groups
3237 @cindex group listing
3239 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3247 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3248 List all groups that have unread articles
3249 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3250 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3251 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3252 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3259 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3260 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3261 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3262 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3263 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3264 unsubscribed groups).
3268 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3269 List all unread groups on a specific level
3270 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3271 with no unread articles.
3275 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3276 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3277 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3278 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3283 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3284 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3288 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3289 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3290 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3294 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3295 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3299 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3300 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3301 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3302 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3303 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3304 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3305 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3306 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3310 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3311 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3312 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3316 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3317 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3318 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3322 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3323 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3327 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3328 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3332 @findex gnus-group-list-ticked
3333 List all groups with ticked articles (@code{gnus-group-list-ticked}).
3337 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3338 Further limit groups within the current selection
3339 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}). If you've first limited to groups
3340 with dormant articles with @kbd{A ?}, you can then further limit with
3341 @kbd{A / c}, which will then limit to groups with cached articles,
3342 giving you the groups that have both dormant articles and cached
3347 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3348 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3352 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3353 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3357 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3358 @cindex visible group parameter
3359 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3360 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3361 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3362 get the same effect.
3364 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3365 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3366 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3367 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3368 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3371 @node Sorting Groups
3372 @section Sorting Groups
3373 @cindex sorting groups
3375 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3376 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3377 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3378 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3379 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3380 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3385 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3386 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3387 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3389 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3390 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3391 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3393 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3394 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3395 Sort by group level.
3397 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3398 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3399 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3401 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3402 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3403 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3404 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3406 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3407 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3408 Sort by number of unread articles.
3410 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3411 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3412 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3414 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3415 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3416 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3421 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3422 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3426 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3427 some sorting criteria:
3431 @kindex G S a (Group)
3432 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3433 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3434 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3437 @kindex G S u (Group)
3438 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3439 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3440 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3443 @kindex G S l (Group)
3444 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3445 Sort the group buffer by group level
3446 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3449 @kindex G S v (Group)
3450 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3451 Sort the group buffer by group score
3452 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3455 @kindex G S r (Group)
3456 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3457 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3458 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3461 @kindex G S m (Group)
3462 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3463 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3464 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3467 @kindex G S n (Group)
3468 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3469 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3470 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3474 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3475 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3477 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3478 commands will sort in reverse order.
3480 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3484 @kindex G P a (Group)
3485 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3486 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3487 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3490 @kindex G P u (Group)
3491 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3492 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3493 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3496 @kindex G P l (Group)
3497 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3498 Sort the groups by group level
3499 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3502 @kindex G P v (Group)
3503 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3504 Sort the groups by group score
3505 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3508 @kindex G P r (Group)
3509 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3510 Sort the groups by group rank
3511 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3514 @kindex G P m (Group)
3515 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3516 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3517 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3520 @kindex G P n (Group)
3521 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3522 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3523 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3526 @kindex G P s (Group)
3527 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3528 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3532 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3536 @node Group Maintenance
3537 @section Group Maintenance
3538 @cindex bogus groups
3543 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3544 Find bogus groups and delete them
3545 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3549 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3550 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3551 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3552 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3553 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3557 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3558 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3559 @cindex expiring mail
3560 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3561 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3562 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3563 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3566 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3567 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3568 @cindex expiring mail
3569 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3570 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3575 @node Browse Foreign Server
3576 @section Browse Foreign Server
3577 @cindex foreign servers
3578 @cindex browsing servers
3583 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3584 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3585 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3586 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3589 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3590 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3591 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3592 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3594 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3599 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3600 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3604 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3605 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3608 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3609 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3610 Enter the current group and display the first article
3611 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3614 @kindex RET (Browse)
3615 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3616 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3620 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3621 @vindex gnus-browse-subscribe-newsgroup-method
3622 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3623 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}). You
3624 can affect the way the new group is entered into the Group buffer
3625 using the variable @code{gnus-browse-subscribe-newsgroup-method}. See
3626 @pxref{Subscription Methods} for available options.
3632 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3633 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3637 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3638 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3642 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3643 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3644 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3649 @section Exiting Gnus
3650 @cindex exiting Gnus
3652 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3657 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3658 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3659 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3660 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3664 @findex gnus-group-exit
3665 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3666 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3670 @findex gnus-group-quit
3671 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3672 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3675 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3676 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3677 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3678 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3679 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3680 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3686 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3687 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3688 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3694 @section Group Topics
3697 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3698 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3699 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3700 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3701 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3702 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3706 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3707 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3718 2: alt.religion.emacs
3721 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3723 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3724 13: comp.sources.unix
3727 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3729 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3730 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3731 is a toggling command.)
3733 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3734 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3735 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3736 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3739 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3740 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3741 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3744 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3748 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3749 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3750 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3751 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3752 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3756 @node Topic Commands
3757 @subsection Topic Commands
3758 @cindex topic commands
3760 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3761 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3762 definitions slightly.
3764 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3765 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3766 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3767 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3768 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3769 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3771 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3778 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3779 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3780 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3784 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3786 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3787 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3788 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3789 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3792 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3793 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3794 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3795 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3799 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3800 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3801 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3802 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3808 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3809 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3810 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3814 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3815 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3816 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3819 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3820 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3821 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3822 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3823 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3825 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3826 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3830 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3831 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3838 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3840 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3841 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3842 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3843 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3844 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3845 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3849 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3855 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3856 Move the current group to some other topic
3857 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3858 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3862 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3863 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3867 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3868 Copy the current group to some other topic
3869 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3870 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3874 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3875 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3876 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3880 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3881 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3882 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3886 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3887 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3888 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3889 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3890 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3891 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3892 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3895 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3896 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3900 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3901 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3902 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3906 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3907 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3908 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3912 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3913 Toggle hiding empty topics
3914 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3918 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3919 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3920 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3921 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3924 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3925 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3926 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3927 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3928 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3931 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3932 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3933 @cindex expiring mail
3934 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3935 expiry process (if any)
3936 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3940 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3941 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3944 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3945 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3946 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3950 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3951 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3952 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3955 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3956 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3957 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3960 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3961 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3962 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3966 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3967 @cindex group parameters
3968 @cindex topic parameters
3970 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3971 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3976 @node Topic Variables
3977 @subsection Topic Variables
3978 @cindex topic variables
3980 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3981 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3983 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3984 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3985 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3998 Number of groups in the topic.
4000 Number of unread articles in the topic.
4002 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
4005 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
4006 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
4007 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
4010 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
4011 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
4013 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
4014 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
4015 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
4019 @subsection Topic Sorting
4020 @cindex topic sorting
4022 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
4028 @kindex T S a (Topic)
4029 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
4030 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
4031 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
4034 @kindex T S u (Topic)
4035 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
4036 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
4037 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
4040 @kindex T S l (Topic)
4041 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
4042 Sort the current topic by group level
4043 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
4046 @kindex T S v (Topic)
4047 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
4048 Sort the current topic by group score
4049 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
4052 @kindex T S r (Topic)
4053 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
4054 Sort the current topic by group rank
4055 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
4058 @kindex T S m (Topic)
4059 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
4060 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
4061 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
4064 @kindex T S e (Topic)
4065 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
4066 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
4067 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
4070 @kindex T S s (Topic)
4071 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
4072 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
4073 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
4074 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
4078 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
4079 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
4083 @node Topic Topology
4084 @subsection Topic Topology
4085 @cindex topic topology
4088 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
4095 2: alt.religion.emacs
4098 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4100 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4101 13: comp.sources.unix
4105 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4106 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4107 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4112 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4113 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4117 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4118 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4119 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4120 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4121 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4122 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4124 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4125 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4126 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4129 @node Topic Parameters
4130 @subsection Topic Parameters
4131 @cindex topic parameters
4133 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4134 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4135 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4136 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4137 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4139 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4144 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4145 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4146 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4149 @item subscribe-level
4150 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4151 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4152 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4156 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4157 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4158 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4159 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4166 2: alt.religion.emacs
4170 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4172 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4173 13: comp.sources.unix
4178 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4179 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4180 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4181 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4182 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4183 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4185 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4186 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4187 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4188 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4189 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4191 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4192 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4193 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4194 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4195 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4196 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4197 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4198 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4201 @node Non-ASCII Group Names
4202 @section Accessing groups of non-English names
4203 @cindex non-ascii group names
4205 There are some news servers that provide groups of which the names are
4206 expressed with their native languages in the world. For instance, in a
4207 certain news server there are some newsgroups of which the names are
4208 spelled in Chinese, where people are talking in Chinese. You can, of
4209 course, subscribe to such news groups using Gnus. Currently Gnus
4210 supports non-@acronym{ASCII} group names not only with the @code{nntp}
4211 back end but also with the @code{nnml} back end and the @code{nnrss}
4214 Every such group name is encoded by a certain charset in the server
4215 side (in an @acronym{NNTP} server its administrator determines the
4216 charset, but for groups in the other back ends it is determined by you).
4217 Gnus has to display the decoded ones for you in the group buffer and the
4218 article buffer, and needs to use the encoded ones when communicating
4219 with servers. However, Gnus doesn't know what charset is used for each
4220 non-@acronym{ASCII} group name. The following two variables are just
4221 the ones for telling Gnus what charset should be used for each group:
4224 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4225 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4226 An alist of select methods and charsets. The default value is
4227 @code{nil}. The names of groups in the server specified by that select
4228 method are all supposed to use the corresponding charset. For example:
4231 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4232 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4235 Charsets specified for groups with this variable are preferred to the
4236 ones specified for the same groups with the
4237 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} variable (see below).
4239 A select method can be very long, like:
4243 (nntp-address "news.gmane.org")
4244 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
4245 (nntp-open-connection-function
4246 nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
4247 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
4248 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
4249 ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
4250 (nntp-via-address @dots{}))
4253 In that case, you can truncate it into @code{(nntp "gmane")} in this
4254 variable. That is, it is enough to contain only the back end name and
4257 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4258 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4259 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4260 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
4261 @code{((".*" . utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported,
4262 otherwise the default is @code{nil}. For example:
4265 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4266 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)
4270 Note that this variable is ignored if the match is made with
4271 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist}.
4274 Those two variables are used also to determine the charset for encoding
4275 and decoding non-@acronym{ASCII} group names that are in the back ends
4276 other than @code{nntp}. It means that it is you who determine it. If
4277 you do nothing, the charset used for group names in those back ends will
4278 all be @code{utf-8} because of the last element of
4279 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4281 There is one more important variable for non-@acronym{ASCII} group
4285 @item nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4286 @vindex nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4287 The value of this variable should be a coding system or @code{nil}. The
4288 default is @code{nil} in Emacs, or is the aliasee of the coding system
4289 named @code{file-name} (a certain coding system of which an alias is
4290 @code{file-name}) in XEmacs.
4292 The @code{nnml} back end, the @code{nnrss} back end, the agent, and
4293 the cache use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names in those files and
4294 directories. This variable overrides the value of
4295 @code{file-name-coding-system} which specifies the coding system used
4296 when encoding and decoding those file names and directory names.
4298 In XEmacs (with the @code{mule} feature), @code{file-name-coding-system}
4299 is the only means to specify the coding system used to encode and decode
4300 file names. On the other hand, Emacs uses the value of
4301 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} if @code{file-name-coding-system}
4302 is @code{nil} or it is bound to the value of
4303 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} which is @code{nil}.
4305 Normally the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system} in Emacs or
4306 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} in XEmacs is initialized according
4307 to the locale, so you will need to do nothing if the value is suitable
4308 to encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4310 The value of this variable (or @code{default-file-name-coding-system})
4311 does not necessarily need to be the same value that is determined by
4312 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} and
4313 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4315 If @code{default-file-name-coding-system} or this variable is
4316 initialized by default to @code{iso-latin-1} for example, although you
4317 want to subscribe to the groups spelled in Chinese, that is the most
4318 typical case where you have to customize
4319 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}. The @code{utf-8} coding system is
4320 a good candidate for it. Otherwise, you may change the locale in your
4321 system so that @code{default-file-name-coding-system} or this variable
4322 may be initialized to an appropriate value.
4325 Note that when you copy or move articles from a non-@acronym{ASCII}
4326 group to another group, the charset used to encode and decode group
4327 names should be the same in both groups. Otherwise the Newsgroups
4328 header will be displayed incorrectly in the article buffer.
4331 @node Misc Group Stuff
4332 @section Misc Group Stuff
4335 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4336 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4337 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4338 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4339 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4346 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
4347 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
4348 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
4351 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
4354 (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
4357 On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
4358 @xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
4362 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4363 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4364 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4368 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4369 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4370 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4371 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4372 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4373 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4374 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4378 @findex gnus-group-mail
4379 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4380 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4381 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4382 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4386 @findex gnus-group-news
4387 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4388 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4389 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4391 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4392 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4393 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4394 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4395 for this to work though.
4399 @findex gnus-group-compact-group
4401 Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
4402 Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
4403 gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
4408 Variables for the group buffer:
4412 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4413 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4414 is called after the group buffer has been
4417 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4418 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4419 is called after the group buffer is
4420 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4423 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4424 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4425 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4426 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4428 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4429 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4430 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4431 whether they are empty or not.
4435 @node Scanning New Messages
4436 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4437 @cindex new messages
4438 @cindex scanning new news
4444 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4445 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4446 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4447 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4448 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4449 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4454 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4455 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4456 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4457 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4458 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4459 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4460 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4462 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4463 @cindex activating groups
4465 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4466 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4471 @findex gnus-group-restart
4472 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4473 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4474 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4478 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4479 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4481 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4482 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4486 @node Group Information
4487 @subsection Group Information
4488 @cindex group information
4489 @cindex information on groups
4496 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4498 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4499 @cindex describing groups
4500 @cindex group description
4501 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4502 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4503 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4507 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4508 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4509 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4516 @findex gnus-version
4517 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4521 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4522 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4525 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4528 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4529 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4533 @node Group Timestamp
4534 @subsection Group Timestamp
4536 @cindex group timestamps
4538 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4539 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4540 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4543 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4546 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4548 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4549 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4552 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4553 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4556 This will result in lines looking like:
4559 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4560 0: custom 19961002T012713
4563 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4564 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4568 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4569 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4572 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4573 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4577 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4578 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4579 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4580 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4582 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4586 To see what variables are dynamically bound (like
4587 @code{gnus-tmp-group}), you have to look at the source code. The
4588 variable names aren't guaranteed to be stable over Gnus versions,
4593 @subsection File Commands
4594 @cindex file commands
4600 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4601 @vindex gnus-init-file
4602 @cindex reading init file
4603 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4604 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4608 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4609 @cindex saving .newsrc
4610 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4611 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4612 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4615 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4616 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4617 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4622 @node Sieve Commands
4623 @subsection Sieve Commands
4624 @cindex group sieve commands
4626 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4627 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4628 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4629 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4630 script that can be transferred to the server somehow.
4632 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4633 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4634 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4635 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4636 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4637 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4638 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4639 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4640 regenerate the Sieve script.
4642 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4643 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4644 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4645 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4646 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4647 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4648 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4649 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4650 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4651 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4654 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4655 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4660 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4666 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4667 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4668 @cindex generating sieve script
4669 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4670 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4674 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4675 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4676 @cindex updating sieve script
4677 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4678 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4679 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4684 @node Summary Buffer
4685 @chapter Summary Buffer
4686 @cindex summary buffer
4688 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4689 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4691 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4692 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4694 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4696 You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
4697 customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
4701 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
4702 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
4703 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
4705 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
4709 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4710 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4711 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4712 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4713 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4714 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4715 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4716 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4717 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4718 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4719 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4720 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4721 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4722 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
4723 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4724 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4725 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4726 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4727 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4728 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4729 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4730 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4731 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4732 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4733 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4734 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4735 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4736 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4737 or reselecting the current group.
4738 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4739 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4740 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4741 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4745 @node Summary Buffer Format
4746 @section Summary Buffer Format
4747 @cindex summary buffer format
4751 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4752 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4753 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4759 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4760 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4761 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4762 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4765 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4766 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4767 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4768 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4769 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4770 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4771 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4772 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4773 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4774 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4775 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4778 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4779 'mail-extract-address-components)
4782 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4783 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4784 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4785 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4788 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4789 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4791 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4792 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4793 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4794 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4795 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4797 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4798 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4799 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4800 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4801 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4802 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4804 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4806 The following format specification characters and extended format
4807 specification(s) are understood:
4813 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4814 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4816 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4817 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4818 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4820 Full @code{From} header.
4822 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4824 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4827 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4828 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4829 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4830 may be more thorough.
4832 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4835 Number of lines in the article.
4837 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4838 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4840 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4841 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4843 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4845 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4846 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4859 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4860 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4861 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4862 line-drawing glyphs.
4864 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4865 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4866 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4867 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4869 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4870 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4871 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4872 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4874 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4875 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4876 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4877 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4879 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4880 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4881 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4883 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4884 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4885 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4887 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4888 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4889 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4891 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4892 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4893 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4898 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4899 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4901 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4902 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4904 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4905 for adopted articles.
4907 One space for each thread level.
4909 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4911 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4914 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4915 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4916 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4919 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4921 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4922 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4923 default level. If the difference between
4924 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4925 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4933 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4935 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4941 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4942 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4944 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4945 article has any children.
4951 Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
4953 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4954 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4956 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4957 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4958 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4959 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4960 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4961 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4964 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4965 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4966 There can only be one such area.
4968 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4969 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4970 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4971 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4972 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4973 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4975 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4976 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4978 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4981 @node To From Newsgroups
4982 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4986 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4987 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4988 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4989 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4990 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4994 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4995 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4996 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
5000 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5001 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
5004 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
5005 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
5008 @findex gnus-extra-header
5009 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
5010 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
5011 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
5014 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
5018 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5019 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
5020 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
5021 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
5022 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
5023 headers are used instead.
5025 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
5026 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
5027 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
5028 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
5029 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
5030 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
5034 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
5035 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
5036 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
5037 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
5038 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
5039 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
5042 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5043 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
5044 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
5045 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
5047 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
5051 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5053 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
5054 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
5055 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
5056 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5060 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
5063 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
5064 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
5067 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
5068 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
5069 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
5075 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
5076 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
5079 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
5080 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
5082 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
5083 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
5084 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
5085 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
5087 Here are the elements you can play with:
5093 Unprefixed group name.
5095 Current article number.
5097 Current article score.
5101 Number of unread articles in this group.
5103 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
5106 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
5107 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
5108 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
5109 and no unselected ones.
5111 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
5112 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
5114 Subject of the current article.
5116 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
5118 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
5120 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5122 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5124 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
5126 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
5130 @node Summary Highlighting
5131 @subsection Summary Highlighting
5135 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5136 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5137 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
5138 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
5139 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5141 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
5142 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
5143 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
5144 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5146 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
5147 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
5148 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
5149 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
5151 @item gnus-summary-highlight
5152 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
5153 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
5154 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
5155 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
5156 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
5159 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
5160 ((> score default) . bold))
5162 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
5163 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
5167 @node Summary Maneuvering
5168 @section Summary Maneuvering
5169 @cindex summary movement
5171 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
5172 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
5174 None of these commands select articles.
5179 @kindex M-n (Summary)
5180 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
5181 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
5182 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
5183 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
5187 @kindex M-p (Summary)
5188 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
5189 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
5190 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
5191 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
5194 @kindex G g (Summary)
5195 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
5196 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
5197 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
5200 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
5201 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
5202 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5203 to the group buffer.
5205 Variables related to summary movement:
5209 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5210 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5211 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5212 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5213 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5214 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5215 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5216 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5217 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5218 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5219 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5220 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
5221 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
5222 @pxref{Group Levels}.
5224 @item gnus-auto-select-same
5225 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
5226 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
5227 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
5228 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
5229 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
5230 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
5232 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
5234 @item gnus-summary-check-current
5235 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
5236 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
5237 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
5238 Instead, they will choose the current article.
5240 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
5241 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
5242 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
5243 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
5244 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
5245 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5246 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5247 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
5250 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
5251 the given number of lines from the top.
5253 @item gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
5254 @vindex gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
5255 If non-@code{nil}, don't go to the next article when hitting
5256 @kbd{SPC}, and you're at the end of the article.
5261 @node Choosing Articles
5262 @section Choosing Articles
5263 @cindex selecting articles
5266 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5267 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5271 @node Choosing Commands
5272 @subsection Choosing Commands
5274 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5275 and they all select and display an article.
5277 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5278 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5282 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5283 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5284 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5285 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5287 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5288 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5289 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5294 @kindex G n (Summary)
5295 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5296 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5297 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5302 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5303 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5304 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5309 @kindex G N (Summary)
5310 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5311 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5316 @kindex G P (Summary)
5317 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5318 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5321 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5322 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5323 Go to the next article with the same subject
5324 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5327 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5328 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5329 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5330 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5334 @kindex G f (Summary)
5336 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5337 Go to the first unread article
5338 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5342 @kindex G b (Summary)
5344 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5345 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5346 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5347 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5352 @kindex G l (Summary)
5353 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5354 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5357 @kindex G o (Summary)
5358 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5360 @cindex article history
5361 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5362 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5363 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5364 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5365 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5366 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5371 @kindex G j (Summary)
5372 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5373 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5374 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5379 @node Choosing Variables
5380 @subsection Choosing Variables
5382 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5385 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5386 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5387 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5388 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5389 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5390 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5392 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5393 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5394 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
5395 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
5396 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
5399 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5400 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5401 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5402 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5403 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5404 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5405 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5406 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5407 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
5408 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5409 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5410 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5411 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5412 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5417 @node Paging the Article
5418 @section Scrolling the Article
5419 @cindex article scrolling
5424 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5425 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5426 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5427 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5428 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5430 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5431 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5432 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5433 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5434 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5435 what is considered uninteresting with
5436 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5437 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5440 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5441 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5442 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5445 @kindex RET (Summary)
5446 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5447 Scroll the current article one line forward
5448 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5451 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5452 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5453 Scroll the current article one line backward
5454 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5458 @kindex A g (Summary)
5460 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5461 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5462 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5463 given a prefix, show a completely ``raw'' article, just the way it
5464 came from the server. If given a prefix twice (i.e., @kbd{C-u C-u
5465 g'}), fetch the current article, but don't run any of the article
5466 treatment functions.
5468 @cindex charset, view article with different charset
5469 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5470 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5471 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5474 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5479 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5484 @kindex A < (Summary)
5485 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5486 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5487 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5492 @kindex A > (Summary)
5493 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5494 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5498 @kindex A s (Summary)
5500 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5501 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5502 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5506 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5507 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5512 @node Reply Followup and Post
5513 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5516 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5517 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5518 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5519 * Canceling and Superseding::
5523 @node Summary Mail Commands
5524 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5526 @cindex composing mail
5528 Commands for composing a mail message:
5534 @kindex S r (Summary)
5536 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5537 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5538 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5539 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5540 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5545 @kindex S R (Summary)
5546 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5547 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5548 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5549 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5550 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5553 @kindex S w (Summary)
5554 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5555 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5556 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5557 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5558 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5559 present, that's used instead.
5562 @kindex S W (Summary)
5563 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5564 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5565 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5566 the process/prefix convention, but only uses the headers from the
5567 first article to determine the recipients.
5570 @kindex S L (Summary)
5571 @findex gnus-summary-reply-to-list-with-original
5572 When replying to a message from a mailing list, send a reply to that
5573 message to the mailing list, and include the original message
5574 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-to-list-with-original}).
5577 @kindex S v (Summary)
5578 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5579 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5580 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5581 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5582 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5583 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5586 @kindex S V (Summary)
5587 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5588 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5589 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5590 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5593 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5594 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5595 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5596 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5597 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5598 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5599 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5600 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5603 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5604 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5605 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5606 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5607 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5611 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5612 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5613 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5614 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5615 Forward the current article to some other person
5616 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5617 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5618 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5619 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5620 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5621 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5622 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5623 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5624 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5630 @kindex S m (Summary)
5631 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5632 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5633 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5634 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5635 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5638 @kindex S i (Summary)
5639 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5640 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5641 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5642 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5644 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5645 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5646 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5647 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5648 for this to work though.
5651 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5652 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5653 @cindex bouncing mail
5654 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5655 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5656 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5657 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5658 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5659 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5660 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5661 very well fail, though.
5664 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5665 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5666 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5667 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5668 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5669 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5670 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5671 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5672 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5673 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5675 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5676 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5677 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5678 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5679 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5681 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5682 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5685 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5686 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5688 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5689 if it were a new message before resending.
5692 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5693 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5694 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5695 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5696 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5699 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5700 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5701 @cindex crossposting
5702 @cindex excessive crossposting
5703 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5704 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5706 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5707 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5708 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5709 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5710 command understands the process/prefix convention
5711 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5715 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5716 Manual}, for more information.
5719 @node Summary Post Commands
5720 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5722 @cindex composing news
5724 Commands for posting a news article:
5730 @kindex S p (Summary)
5731 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5732 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5733 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5734 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5735 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5740 @kindex S f (Summary)
5741 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5742 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5743 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5747 @kindex S F (Summary)
5749 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5750 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5751 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5752 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5753 process/prefix convention.
5756 @kindex S n (Summary)
5757 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5758 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5759 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5762 @kindex S N (Summary)
5763 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5764 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5765 message through mail and include the original message
5766 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5767 the process/prefix convention.
5770 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5771 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5772 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5773 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5774 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5775 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5776 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5777 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5778 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5779 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5780 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5781 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5782 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5785 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5786 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5788 @cindex making digests
5789 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5790 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5791 process/prefix convention.
5794 @kindex S u (Summary)
5795 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5796 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5797 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5798 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5801 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5802 Manual}, for more information.
5805 @node Summary Message Commands
5806 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5810 @kindex S y (Summary)
5811 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5812 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5813 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5814 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5815 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5820 @node Canceling and Superseding
5821 @subsection Canceling Articles
5822 @cindex canceling articles
5823 @cindex superseding articles
5825 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5826 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5828 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5830 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5832 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5833 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5834 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5835 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5836 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5837 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5839 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5840 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5843 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5844 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5845 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5847 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5848 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5849 message, Message Manual}).
5851 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5852 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5853 your original article.
5855 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5857 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5858 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5859 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5862 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5863 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5864 have posted almost the same article twice.
5866 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5867 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5868 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5869 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5870 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5871 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5872 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5873 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5874 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5875 canceled/superseded.
5877 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5879 @node Delayed Articles
5880 @section Delayed Articles
5881 @cindex delayed sending
5882 @cindex send delayed
5884 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5885 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5886 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5887 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5890 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5893 @findex gnus-delay-article
5894 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5895 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5896 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5897 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5901 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5902 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5903 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5904 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5907 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5908 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5909 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5912 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5913 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5914 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5915 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5916 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5917 that means a time tomorrow.
5920 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5921 couple of variables:
5924 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5925 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5926 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5927 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5929 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5930 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5931 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5932 formats described above.
5934 @item gnus-delay-group
5935 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5936 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5937 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5938 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5940 @item gnus-delay-header
5941 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5942 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5943 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5944 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5947 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5948 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5949 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5950 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5951 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5953 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5954 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5955 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5956 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5957 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5958 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5959 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5962 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5963 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5964 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5965 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5966 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5967 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5968 argument is ignored.
5970 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5971 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5972 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5975 When delaying an article with @kbd{C-c C-j}, Message mode will
5976 automatically add a @code{"Date"} header with the current time. In
5977 many cases you probably want the @code{"Date"} header to reflect the
5978 time the message is sent instead. To do this, you have to delete
5979 @code{Date} from @code{message-draft-headers}.
5982 @node Marking Articles
5983 @section Marking Articles
5984 @cindex article marking
5985 @cindex article ticking
5988 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5990 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5991 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5992 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5994 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5997 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
6001 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
6002 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
6003 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
6004 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
6005 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
6006 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
6010 @node Unread Articles
6011 @subsection Unread Articles
6013 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
6018 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
6019 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
6021 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
6022 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
6023 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
6024 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
6025 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
6026 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
6027 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
6030 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
6031 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
6033 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
6034 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
6035 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
6036 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
6040 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
6041 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
6043 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
6048 @subsection Read Articles
6049 @cindex expirable mark
6051 All the following marks mark articles as read.
6056 @vindex gnus-del-mark
6057 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
6058 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
6061 @vindex gnus-read-mark
6062 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
6065 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
6066 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
6067 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
6070 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
6071 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
6074 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
6075 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
6078 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
6079 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
6082 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
6083 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
6086 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
6087 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
6090 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
6091 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
6095 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
6096 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
6097 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
6101 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
6102 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
6104 One more special mark, though:
6108 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
6109 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
6111 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
6112 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
6113 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
6114 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
6120 @subsection Other Marks
6121 @cindex process mark
6124 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
6130 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
6131 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
6132 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
6133 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
6134 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
6137 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
6138 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
6139 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
6140 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
6143 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
6144 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
6145 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
6148 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
6149 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
6150 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6153 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
6154 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
6155 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
6156 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
6159 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
6160 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
6161 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
6164 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
6165 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
6166 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
6167 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
6168 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
6172 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
6173 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
6174 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
6175 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
6176 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
6177 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
6180 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
6181 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
6182 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
6183 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
6184 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
6185 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
6189 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
6190 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
6191 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
6192 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
6193 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
6196 @vindex gnus-process-mark
6197 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
6198 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
6199 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
6200 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
6201 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
6205 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
6206 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
6207 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
6209 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
6210 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6211 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6215 @subsection Setting Marks
6216 @cindex setting marks
6218 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6223 @kindex M c (Summary)
6224 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6225 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
6226 @cindex mark as unread
6227 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
6228 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
6234 @kindex M t (Summary)
6235 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
6236 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
6237 @xref{Article Caching}.
6242 @kindex M ? (Summary)
6243 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
6244 Mark the current article as dormant
6245 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6249 @kindex M d (Summary)
6251 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6252 Mark the current article as read
6253 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
6257 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
6258 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
6259 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
6264 @kindex M k (Summary)
6265 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
6266 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
6267 and then select the next unread article
6268 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
6272 @kindex M K (Summary)
6273 @kindex C-k (Summary)
6274 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
6275 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
6276 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6279 @kindex M C (Summary)
6280 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6281 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6282 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6285 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6286 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6287 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6288 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6291 @kindex M H (Summary)
6292 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6293 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6294 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6297 @kindex M h (Summary)
6298 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6299 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6300 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6303 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6304 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6305 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6306 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6309 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6310 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6311 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6312 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6316 @kindex M e (Summary)
6318 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6319 Mark the current article as expirable
6320 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6323 @kindex M b (Summary)
6324 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6325 Set a bookmark in the current article
6326 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6329 @kindex M B (Summary)
6330 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6331 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6332 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6335 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6336 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6337 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6338 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6341 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6342 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6343 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6344 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6347 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6348 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6349 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6350 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6351 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6354 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6355 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6356 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6357 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6358 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6359 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6360 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6361 The default is @code{t}.
6364 @node Generic Marking Commands
6365 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6367 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6368 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6369 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6370 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6371 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6374 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6375 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6378 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6379 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6380 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6381 to list in this manual.
6383 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6384 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6385 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6386 article, you could say something like:
6390 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6391 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6392 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6400 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6401 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6405 @node Setting Process Marks
6406 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6407 @cindex setting process marks
6409 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6410 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6411 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6412 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6413 articles into the cache. For more information,
6414 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6421 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6422 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6423 Mark the current article with the process mark
6424 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6425 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6429 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6430 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6431 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6432 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6435 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6436 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6437 Remove the process mark from all articles
6438 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6441 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6442 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6443 Invert the list of process marked articles
6444 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6447 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6448 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6449 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6450 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6453 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6454 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6455 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6456 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6459 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6460 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6461 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6464 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6465 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6466 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6469 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6470 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6471 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6472 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6475 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6476 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6477 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6478 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6481 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6482 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6483 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6484 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6487 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6488 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6489 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6492 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6493 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6494 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6495 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6498 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6499 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6500 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
6503 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6504 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6505 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6506 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6509 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6510 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6511 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6512 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6515 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6516 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6517 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6518 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6521 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6522 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6523 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6524 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6528 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6529 set process marks based on article body contents.
6536 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6537 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6538 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6541 Limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched from
6542 the servers. These commands don't query the server for additional
6549 @kindex / / (Summary)
6550 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6551 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6552 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6556 @kindex / a (Summary)
6557 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6558 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6559 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6563 @kindex / R (Summary)
6564 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
6565 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
6566 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
6570 @kindex / A (Summary)
6571 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
6572 Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
6573 header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
6574 given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
6577 @kindex / S (Summary)
6578 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
6579 Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
6580 threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
6581 limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
6584 @kindex / x (Summary)
6585 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6586 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6587 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6588 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6593 @kindex / u (Summary)
6595 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6596 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6597 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6598 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6599 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6602 @kindex / m (Summary)
6603 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6604 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6605 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6608 @kindex / t (Summary)
6609 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6610 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6611 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6612 articles younger than that number of days.
6615 @kindex / n (Summary)
6616 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6617 With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
6618 articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
6619 instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
6622 @kindex / w (Summary)
6623 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6624 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6625 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6629 @kindex / . (Summary)
6630 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6631 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6632 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6635 @kindex / v (Summary)
6636 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6637 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6638 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6641 @kindex / p (Summary)
6642 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6643 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6644 group parameter predicate
6645 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6646 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6649 @kindex / r (Summary)
6650 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6651 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6652 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6657 @kindex M S (Summary)
6658 @kindex / E (Summary)
6659 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6660 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6661 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6664 @kindex / D (Summary)
6665 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6666 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6667 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6670 @kindex / * (Summary)
6671 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6672 Include all cached articles in the limit
6673 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6676 @kindex / d (Summary)
6677 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6678 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6679 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6682 @kindex / M (Summary)
6683 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6684 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6687 @kindex / T (Summary)
6688 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6689 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6692 @kindex / c (Summary)
6693 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6694 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6695 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6698 @kindex / C (Summary)
6699 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6700 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6701 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6702 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6705 @kindex / b (Summary)
6706 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
6707 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
6708 certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
6709 prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
6710 requires selecting each article to find the matches.
6713 @kindex / h (Summary)
6714 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
6715 Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
6716 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
6721 The following commands aren't limiting commands, but use the @kbd{/}
6726 @kindex / N (Summary)
6727 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6728 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6729 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6732 @kindex / o (Summary)
6733 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6734 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6735 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6743 @cindex article threading
6745 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6746 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6747 hierarchical fashion.
6749 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6750 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6751 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6752 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6753 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6754 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6755 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6757 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6761 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6764 A tree-like article structure.
6767 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6770 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6771 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6772 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6773 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6774 called loose threads.
6776 @item thread gathering
6777 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6779 @item sparse threads
6780 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6781 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6787 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6788 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6792 @node Customizing Threading
6793 @subsection Customizing Threading
6794 @cindex customizing threading
6797 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6798 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6799 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6800 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6805 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6808 @cindex loose threads
6811 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6812 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6813 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6814 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6815 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6816 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6818 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6819 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6820 There are four possible values:
6824 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6825 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6826 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6827 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6828 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6833 @cindex adopting articles
6838 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6839 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6840 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6841 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6844 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6845 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6846 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6847 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6848 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6849 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6850 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6851 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6852 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6853 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6856 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6857 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6858 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6862 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6863 display them after one another.
6866 Don't gather loose threads.
6869 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6870 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6871 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6872 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6873 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6874 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6875 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6876 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6877 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6878 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6879 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6881 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6882 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6883 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6886 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6887 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6888 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6889 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6890 simplification is used.
6892 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6893 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6894 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6895 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6897 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6899 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6905 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6906 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6907 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6908 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6913 (mapconcat 'identity
6914 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6916 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6919 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6922 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6923 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6924 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6925 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6926 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6927 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6929 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6932 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6933 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6934 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6936 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6937 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6940 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6941 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6942 Remove excessive whitespace.
6944 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6945 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6946 Remove all whitespace.
6949 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6952 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6953 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6954 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6955 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6956 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6957 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6958 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6959 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6961 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6962 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6963 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6964 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6965 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6966 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6967 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6968 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6969 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6973 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6974 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6975 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6976 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6978 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6979 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6980 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6983 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6987 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6988 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6994 @node Filling In Threads
6995 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6998 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6999 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
7000 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
7001 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
7002 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
7003 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
7004 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
7005 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
7006 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
7007 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
7008 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
7009 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
7012 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
7013 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
7014 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
7016 The server has to support @acronym{NOV} for any of this to work.
7018 @cindex Gmane, gnus-fetch-old-headers
7019 This feature can seriously impact performance it ignores all locally
7020 cached header entries. Setting it to @code{t} for groups for a server
7021 that doesn't expire articles (such as news.gmane.org), leads to very
7022 slow summary generation.
7024 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7025 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7026 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
7029 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
7030 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
7031 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
7032 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
7033 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
7034 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
7035 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
7036 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
7037 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
7038 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
7039 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
7040 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
7041 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
7042 @code{nil} by default.
7044 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
7045 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
7046 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
7047 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
7048 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
7049 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
7052 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
7053 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
7054 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
7059 @node More Threading
7060 @subsubsection More Threading
7063 @item gnus-show-threads
7064 @vindex gnus-show-threads
7065 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
7066 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
7067 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
7068 slower and more awkward.
7070 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7071 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7072 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
7075 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
7076 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
7077 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
7082 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7083 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
7084 gnus-article-unseen-p))
7087 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
7088 unread, but you get my drift.)
7091 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
7092 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
7093 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
7094 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
7095 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
7096 threads are expunged.
7098 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
7099 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
7100 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
7103 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7104 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7105 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
7106 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
7107 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
7108 result in a new thread.
7110 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
7111 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
7112 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
7115 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7116 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7117 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
7118 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
7119 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
7120 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
7121 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
7122 Setting this variable to an alternate value
7123 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
7124 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
7125 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
7130 @node Low-Level Threading
7131 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
7135 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
7136 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
7137 Hook run before parsing any headers.
7139 @item gnus-alter-header-function
7140 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
7141 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
7142 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
7143 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
7144 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
7145 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
7146 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
7147 meaningful. Here's one example:
7150 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
7152 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
7153 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
7155 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
7157 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
7164 @node Thread Commands
7165 @subsection Thread Commands
7166 @cindex thread commands
7172 @kindex T k (Summary)
7173 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
7174 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
7175 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
7176 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
7177 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
7182 @kindex T l (Summary)
7183 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
7184 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
7185 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
7186 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
7189 @kindex T i (Summary)
7190 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
7191 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
7192 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
7195 @kindex T # (Summary)
7196 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7197 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
7198 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7201 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
7202 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7203 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
7204 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7207 @kindex T T (Summary)
7208 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
7209 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
7212 @kindex T s (Summary)
7213 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
7214 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
7215 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
7218 @kindex T h (Summary)
7219 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
7220 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
7223 @kindex T S (Summary)
7224 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
7225 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
7228 @kindex T H (Summary)
7229 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
7230 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
7233 @kindex T t (Summary)
7234 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
7235 Re-thread the current article's thread
7236 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
7237 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
7240 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
7241 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
7242 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
7243 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
7246 @kindex T M-^ (Summary)
7247 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
7248 Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
7249 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
7253 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
7254 understand the numeric prefix.
7259 @kindex T n (Summary)
7261 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
7263 @kindex M-down (Summary)
7264 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
7265 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
7268 @kindex T p (Summary)
7270 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
7272 @kindex M-up (Summary)
7273 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
7274 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
7277 @kindex T d (Summary)
7278 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
7279 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
7282 @kindex T u (Summary)
7283 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
7284 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
7287 @kindex T o (Summary)
7288 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
7289 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
7292 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
7293 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
7294 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
7295 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
7296 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
7297 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
7298 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
7299 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
7300 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
7301 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
7302 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
7303 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
7307 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
7308 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
7310 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
7311 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
7312 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
7313 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7314 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
7315 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
7316 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7317 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
7318 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
7319 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
7320 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
7321 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
7322 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
7323 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
7324 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
7326 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
7327 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
7328 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
7329 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
7330 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date},
7331 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
7332 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
7333 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
7334 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
7335 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
7337 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
7338 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
7339 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. Exceptions
7340 to this rule are @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number} and
7341 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date}.
7343 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7344 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7345 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7346 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7347 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7348 ascending article order.
7350 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7351 by number, you could do something like:
7354 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7355 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7356 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7357 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7360 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7361 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7362 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7363 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7364 which the articles arrived.
7366 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7370 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7371 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
7372 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7375 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7376 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7377 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7378 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7381 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7382 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7383 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-date
7384 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7385 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7386 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7387 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7388 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7389 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-number
7390 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7391 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7392 variable. It is very similar to the
7393 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7394 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7395 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7396 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7397 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7398 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7399 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7401 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7405 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7406 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7407 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7410 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
7411 @xref{Group Parameters}.
7414 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7415 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7416 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7417 @cindex article pre-fetch
7420 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7421 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7422 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7423 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7424 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7426 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7427 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7429 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7430 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7431 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7432 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7433 connection is blocked.
7435 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7436 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7437 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7438 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7440 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7441 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7442 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7443 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7446 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7449 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7450 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7451 happen automatically.
7453 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7454 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7455 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7456 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7457 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7458 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7459 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7461 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7462 @findex gnus-async-unread-p
7463 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7464 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7465 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7466 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7467 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
7468 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7469 article data structure as the only parameter.
7471 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7472 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7475 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7476 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7477 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7478 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7481 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7484 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7485 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7486 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7488 @vindex gnus-async-post-fetch-function
7489 @findex gnus-html-prefetch-images
7490 After an article has been prefetched, this
7491 @code{gnus-async-post-fetch-function} will be called. The buffer will
7492 be narrowed to the region of the article that was fetched. A useful
7493 value would be @code{gnus-html-prefetch-images}, which will prefetch
7494 and store images referenced in the article, so that you don't have to
7495 wait for them to be fetched when you read the article. This is useful
7496 for @acronym{HTML} messages that have external images.
7498 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7499 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7500 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7501 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7505 Remove articles when they are read.
7508 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7511 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7513 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7514 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7515 @c from the next group.
7518 @node Article Caching
7519 @section Article Caching
7520 @cindex article caching
7523 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7524 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7525 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7526 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7527 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7529 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7531 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7532 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7533 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7534 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7535 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7536 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7537 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7538 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7540 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7541 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7542 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7543 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7544 as dormant, and don't worry.
7546 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7548 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7549 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7550 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7551 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7552 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7553 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7554 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7555 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7556 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7557 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7559 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7560 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7561 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7562 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7563 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7564 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7565 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7566 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7567 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7568 not then be downloaded by this command.
7570 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7571 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7572 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7573 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7574 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7575 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7577 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7578 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7579 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7580 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7581 variables, the group is not cached.
7583 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7584 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7585 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7586 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7587 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7588 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7589 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7590 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7591 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7594 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7595 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7596 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7597 where, isn't that cool?
7599 @node Persistent Articles
7600 @section Persistent Articles
7601 @cindex persistent articles
7603 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7604 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7605 useful in my opinion.
7607 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7608 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7609 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7610 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7611 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7612 the expiry going on at the news server.
7614 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7615 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7616 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7622 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7623 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7626 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7627 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7628 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7629 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7633 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7635 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7636 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7637 interested in persistent articles:
7640 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7643 @node Sticky Articles
7644 @section Sticky Articles
7645 @cindex sticky articles
7647 When you select an article the current article buffer will be reused
7648 according to the value of the variable
7649 @code{gnus-single-article-buffer}. If its value is non-@code{nil} (the
7650 default) all articles reuse the same article buffer. Else each group
7651 has its own article buffer.
7653 This implies that it's not possible to have more than one article buffer
7654 in a group at a time. But sometimes you might want to display all the
7655 latest emails from your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle and
7656 your 17 cousins to coordinate the next Christmas party.
7658 That's where sticky articles come in handy. A sticky article buffer
7659 basically is a normal article buffer, but it won't be reused when you
7660 select another article. You can make an article sticky with:
7664 @kindex A S (Summary)
7665 @findex gnus-sticky-article
7666 Make the current article sticky. If a prefix arg is given, ask for a
7667 name for this sticky article buffer.
7670 To close a sticky article buffer you can use these commands:
7676 Puts this sticky article buffer at the end of the list of all buffers.
7680 @findex gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffer
7681 Kills this sticky article buffer.
7684 To kill all sticky article buffers you can use:
7686 @defun gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffers ARG
7687 Kill all sticky article buffers.
7688 If a prefix ARG is given, ask for confirmation.
7691 @node Article Backlog
7692 @section Article Backlog
7694 @cindex article backlog
7696 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7697 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7698 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7699 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7700 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7701 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7702 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7703 increase memory usage some.
7705 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7706 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7707 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7708 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7709 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7710 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7711 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7713 The default value is 20.
7716 @node Saving Articles
7717 @section Saving Articles
7718 @cindex saving articles
7720 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7721 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7722 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7723 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7724 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7726 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7727 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7728 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7730 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7731 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7732 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7734 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7735 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7736 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7737 deleted before saving.
7743 @kindex O o (Summary)
7745 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7746 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7747 Save the current article using the default article saver
7748 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7751 @kindex O m (Summary)
7752 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7753 Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
7754 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7757 @kindex O r (Summary)
7758 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7759 Save the current article in Rmail format
7760 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}). This is mbox since Emacs 23,
7761 Babyl in older versions.
7764 @kindex O f (Summary)
7765 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7766 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7767 Save the current article in plain file format
7768 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7771 @kindex O F (Summary)
7772 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7773 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7774 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7777 @kindex O b (Summary)
7778 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7779 Save the current article body in plain file format
7780 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7783 @kindex O h (Summary)
7784 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7785 Save the current article in mh folder format
7786 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7789 @kindex O v (Summary)
7790 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7791 Save the current article in a VM folder
7792 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7796 @kindex O p (Summary)
7798 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7799 @vindex gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command
7800 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7801 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7802 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7803 complete headers in the piped output. The symbolic prefix @code{r} is
7804 special; it lets this command pipe a raw article including all headers.
7805 The @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} variable can be set
7806 to a string containing the default command and options (default
7810 @kindex O P (Summary)
7811 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7812 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7813 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7814 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7815 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7816 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7817 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7821 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7822 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7823 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7824 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7825 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7826 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7827 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7828 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7829 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7830 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7831 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7832 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7836 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7837 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7838 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
7839 functions below, or you can create your own.
7843 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7844 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7845 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7846 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7847 This is the default format, that used by the Rmail package. Since Emacs
7848 23, Rmail uses standard mbox format. Before this, it used the
7849 @dfn{Babyl} format. Accordingly, this command writes mbox format since
7850 Emacs 23, unless appending to an existing Babyl file. In older versions
7851 of Emacs, it always uses Babyl format. Uses the function in the
7852 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7853 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7855 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7856 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7857 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7858 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7859 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7860 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7862 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7863 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7864 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7865 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7866 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7867 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7868 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7870 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7871 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7872 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7873 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7874 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7875 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7877 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7878 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7879 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7880 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7881 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7883 @item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
7884 @findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
7885 Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7886 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7887 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7888 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7890 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7891 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7892 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7893 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7894 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7897 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7898 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7899 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7900 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7901 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7903 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7904 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7905 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7906 reader to use this setting.
7908 @item gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
7909 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
7910 Pipe the article to a shell command. This function takes optional two
7911 arguments COMMAND and RAW. Valid values for COMMAND include:
7915 The executable command name and possibly arguments.
7917 You will be prompted for the command in the minibuffer.
7918 @item the symbol @code{default}@*
7919 It will be replaced with the command which the variable
7920 @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} holds or the command
7921 last used for saving.
7924 Non-@code{nil} value for RAW overrides @code{:decode} and
7925 @code{:headers} properties (see below) and the raw article including all
7926 headers will be piped.
7929 The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
7933 The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
7934 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
7935 @code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
7936 @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file},
7937 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}, and
7938 @code{gnus-summary-save-in-pipe}.
7941 The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
7942 overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
7943 articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
7944 @code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
7945 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
7946 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
7949 The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
7950 specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
7951 @code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
7952 headers should be saved.
7955 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7956 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7957 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7958 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7961 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7962 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7963 available functions that generate names:
7967 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7968 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7969 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7971 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7972 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7973 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7975 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7976 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7977 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7979 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7980 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7981 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7983 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7984 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7985 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7988 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7989 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7990 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7991 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7992 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7996 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7997 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7998 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7999 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
8002 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
8003 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
8004 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
8005 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
8006 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
8007 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
8008 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
8009 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
8010 called returns a string or a list of strings.
8012 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
8013 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
8014 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
8015 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
8017 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
8018 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
8019 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
8022 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
8023 lots of mail groups called things like
8024 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
8025 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
8026 following will do just that:
8029 (defun my-save-name (group)
8030 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
8031 (substring group (match-end 0))))
8033 (setq gnus-split-methods
8034 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
8039 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8040 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
8041 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
8042 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
8043 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
8044 all the files in the top level directory
8045 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
8046 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
8047 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
8048 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
8050 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
8051 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
8052 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
8053 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
8054 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
8057 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
8061 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
8062 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
8063 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
8066 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
8067 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
8068 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
8069 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
8072 @node Decoding Articles
8073 @section Decoding Articles
8074 @cindex decoding articles
8076 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
8077 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
8080 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
8081 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
8082 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
8083 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
8084 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
8085 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
8089 @cindex article series
8090 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
8091 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
8092 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
8093 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
8094 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
8096 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
8097 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
8098 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
8100 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
8101 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
8102 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
8104 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
8105 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
8106 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
8109 @node Uuencoded Articles
8110 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
8112 @cindex uuencoded articles
8117 @kindex X u (Summary)
8118 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
8119 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
8120 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
8123 @kindex X U (Summary)
8124 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
8125 Uudecodes and saves the current series
8126 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8129 @kindex X v u (Summary)
8130 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
8131 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
8134 @kindex X v U (Summary)
8135 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
8136 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
8137 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
8141 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
8142 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
8143 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
8144 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
8145 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8147 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
8148 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
8149 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
8150 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
8153 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
8154 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
8155 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
8156 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
8157 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
8158 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
8162 @node Shell Archives
8163 @subsection Shell Archives
8165 @cindex shell archives
8166 @cindex shared articles
8168 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
8169 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
8170 some commands to deal with these:
8175 @kindex X s (Summary)
8176 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
8177 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
8180 @kindex X S (Summary)
8181 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
8182 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
8185 @kindex X v s (Summary)
8186 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
8187 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
8190 @kindex X v S (Summary)
8191 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
8192 Unshars, views and saves the current series
8193 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
8197 @node PostScript Files
8198 @subsection PostScript Files
8204 @kindex X p (Summary)
8205 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
8206 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
8209 @kindex X P (Summary)
8210 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
8211 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
8212 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
8215 @kindex X v p (Summary)
8216 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
8217 View the current PostScript series
8218 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
8221 @kindex X v P (Summary)
8222 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
8223 View and save the current PostScript series
8224 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
8229 @subsection Other Files
8233 @kindex X o (Summary)
8234 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
8235 Save the current series
8236 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
8239 @kindex X b (Summary)
8240 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
8241 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
8242 doesn't really work yet.
8245 @kindex X Y (Summary)
8246 @findex gnus-uu-decode-yenc
8247 yEnc-decode the current series and save it (@code{gnus-uu-decode-yenc}).
8251 @node Decoding Variables
8252 @subsection Decoding Variables
8254 Adjective, not verb.
8257 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
8258 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
8259 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
8263 @node Rule Variables
8264 @subsubsection Rule Variables
8265 @cindex rule variables
8267 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
8268 variables are of the form
8271 (list '(regexp1 command2)
8278 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8279 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8281 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
8282 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
8285 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8286 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
8289 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8290 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8291 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
8292 user and default view rules.
8294 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8295 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8296 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
8301 @node Other Decode Variables
8302 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
8305 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
8307 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
8308 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
8309 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
8310 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
8311 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
8315 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
8316 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
8319 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
8320 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
8321 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
8324 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
8325 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
8326 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
8327 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
8328 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
8331 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
8332 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
8333 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
8335 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
8336 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
8337 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
8338 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
8339 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
8342 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
8343 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
8344 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
8346 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
8347 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
8348 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
8349 looking for files to display.
8351 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
8352 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
8353 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
8356 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
8357 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
8358 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
8361 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
8362 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
8363 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
8366 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
8367 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
8368 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
8371 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
8372 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
8373 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
8374 decoded articles as unread.
8376 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
8377 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
8378 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
8379 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
8381 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
8382 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
8383 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
8385 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8386 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8388 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
8389 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
8390 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
8391 @code{metamail} for viewing.
8393 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8394 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8395 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
8396 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
8397 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
8398 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
8399 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
8400 simply dropped them.
8405 @node Uuencoding and Posting
8406 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
8410 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8411 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8412 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
8413 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
8414 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
8415 for you when you post the article.
8417 @item gnus-uu-post-length
8418 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
8419 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
8420 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
8422 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
8423 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
8424 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
8425 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
8426 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
8427 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
8428 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
8430 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8431 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8432 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
8433 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
8434 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
8435 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
8436 Default is @code{t}.
8442 @subsection Viewing Files
8443 @cindex viewing files
8444 @cindex pseudo-articles
8446 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
8447 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
8448 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
8449 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
8450 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
8451 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
8452 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
8454 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
8455 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
8456 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
8457 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
8459 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
8460 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
8461 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
8463 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
8464 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
8465 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
8466 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
8467 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
8469 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
8470 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
8471 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8472 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8473 a list of parameters to that command.
8475 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8476 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8477 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8479 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8480 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8481 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8484 @node Article Treatment
8485 @section Article Treatment
8487 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8488 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8489 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8490 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8491 these articles easier.
8494 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8495 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8496 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8497 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8498 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8499 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8500 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8501 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8502 * Article Display:: Display various stuff:
8503 X-Face, Picons, Gravatars, Smileys.
8504 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8505 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8509 @node Article Highlighting
8510 @subsection Article Highlighting
8511 @cindex highlighting
8513 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8514 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8519 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8520 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8521 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8522 Do much highlighting of the current article
8523 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8524 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8527 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8528 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8529 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8530 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8531 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8532 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8533 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8534 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8535 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8536 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8537 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8538 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8541 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8542 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8543 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8545 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8548 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8550 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8551 If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
8552 25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8554 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8555 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8556 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8558 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8559 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8560 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8561 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8562 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8563 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8565 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8566 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8567 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8569 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8570 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8571 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8573 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8574 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8575 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8576 that it's a citation.
8578 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8579 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8580 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8582 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8583 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8584 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8586 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8587 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8588 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8589 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8591 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8592 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8593 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
8594 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
8595 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
8602 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8603 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8604 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8605 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8606 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8607 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8608 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8609 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8614 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8617 @node Article Fontisizing
8618 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8620 @cindex article emphasis
8622 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8623 @kindex W e (Summary)
8624 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8625 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8626 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8627 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8629 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8630 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8631 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8632 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8633 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8634 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8635 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8636 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8640 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8641 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8642 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8651 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8652 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8653 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8654 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8655 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8656 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8657 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8658 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8659 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8660 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8661 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8662 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8663 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8665 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8666 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8667 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8671 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8674 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8676 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8677 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8678 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8679 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8681 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8684 @node Article Hiding
8685 @subsection Article Hiding
8686 @cindex article hiding
8688 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8689 too much cruft in most articles.
8694 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8695 @findex gnus-article-hide
8696 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8697 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8698 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8701 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8702 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8703 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8707 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8708 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8709 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8710 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8713 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8714 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8715 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8719 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8720 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8721 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8722 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8723 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8724 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8725 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8726 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8730 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8731 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8732 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8733 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8738 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8739 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8740 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8741 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8744 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8745 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8746 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8747 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8750 @cindex stripping advertisements
8751 @cindex advertisements
8752 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8753 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8754 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8755 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8756 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8757 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8758 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8759 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8760 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8761 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8767 (setq gnus-article-banner-alist
8769 "^\n*--~--~---------\\(.+\n\\)+")))
8772 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8773 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8774 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8778 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8779 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8780 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8781 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8782 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8783 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8784 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8785 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8786 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8787 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8788 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8791 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8792 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8798 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8799 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8800 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8801 customizing the hiding:
8805 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8806 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8807 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8808 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8809 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8810 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8811 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8816 Starting point of the hidden text.
8818 Ending point of the hidden text.
8820 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8822 Number of lines of hidden text.
8825 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8826 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8827 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8828 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8829 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8834 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8835 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8837 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8838 following two variables:
8841 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8842 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8843 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8844 50), hide the cited text.
8846 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8847 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8848 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8853 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8854 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8855 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8856 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8857 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8858 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8862 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8863 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8864 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8866 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8867 citation customization.
8869 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8873 @node Article Washing
8874 @subsection Article Washing
8876 @cindex article washing
8878 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8879 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8881 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8882 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8885 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8886 articles by default.
8891 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8892 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8896 Force redisplaying of the current article
8897 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8898 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8899 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8900 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8903 @kindex W l (Summary)
8904 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8905 Remove page breaks from the current article
8906 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8910 @kindex W r (Summary)
8911 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8912 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8913 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8914 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8915 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8916 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8918 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8919 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8920 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8921 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8924 @kindex W m (Summary)
8925 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8926 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8929 @kindex W i (Summary)
8930 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
8931 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
8932 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
8933 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
8934 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
8935 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
8940 @kindex W t (Summary)
8942 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8943 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8944 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8947 @kindex W v (Summary)
8948 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8949 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8950 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8953 @kindex W o (Summary)
8954 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8955 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8958 @kindex W d (Summary)
8959 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8960 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8962 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8964 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8965 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8966 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8967 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8970 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8971 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8972 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8973 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8976 @kindex W U (Summary)
8977 @findex gnus-article-treat-non-ascii
8979 @cindex Non-@acronym{ASCII}
8980 Translate many non-@acronym{ASCII} characters into their
8981 @acronym{ASCII} equivalents (@code{gnus-article-treat-non-ascii}).
8982 This is mostly useful if you're on a terminal that has a limited font
8983 and doesn't show accented characters, ``advanced'' punctuation, and the
8984 like. For instance, @samp{»} is translated into @samp{>>}, and so on.
8987 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8988 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8989 @cindex Outlook Express
8990 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8991 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8992 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8995 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8996 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8997 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8998 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8999 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
9000 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
9001 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
9002 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
9003 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
9004 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
9007 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
9008 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
9009 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
9010 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
9013 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
9014 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
9015 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
9016 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
9019 @kindex W w (Summary)
9020 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
9021 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
9023 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
9027 @kindex W Q (Summary)
9028 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
9029 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
9032 @kindex W C (Summary)
9033 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
9034 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
9035 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
9038 @kindex W c (Summary)
9039 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
9040 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
9041 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
9042 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
9043 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
9046 @kindex W q (Summary)
9047 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
9048 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
9049 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
9050 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
9051 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
9052 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
9053 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9054 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9055 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9058 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
9059 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
9060 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
9061 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
9062 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
9063 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9064 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9065 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9068 @kindex W Z (Summary)
9069 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
9070 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
9071 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
9072 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
9075 @kindex W A (Summary)
9076 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
9077 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
9078 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
9079 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
9080 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
9083 @kindex W u (Summary)
9084 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
9085 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
9086 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
9087 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
9088 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
9091 @kindex W h (Summary)
9092 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
9093 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
9094 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9095 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
9097 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
9098 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
9099 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
9101 The default is to use the function specified by
9102 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
9103 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
9104 @acronym{HTML}. Pre-defined functions you can use include:
9108 Use Gnus simple html renderer.
9111 Use Gnus rendered based on w3m.
9117 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
9119 @item w3m-standalone
9120 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
9123 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
9126 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
9129 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
9134 @kindex W b (Summary)
9135 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
9136 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
9137 @xref{Article Buttons}.
9140 @kindex W B (Summary)
9141 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
9142 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
9143 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
9146 @kindex W p (Summary)
9147 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
9148 Verify a signed control message
9149 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
9150 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
9151 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
9152 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
9153 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
9154 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
9157 @kindex W s (Summary)
9158 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
9159 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
9160 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
9161 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
9164 @kindex W a (Summary)
9165 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
9166 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
9167 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
9170 @kindex W E l (Summary)
9171 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
9172 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
9173 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
9176 @kindex W E m (Summary)
9177 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
9178 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
9179 lines with a single empty line.
9180 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
9183 @kindex W E t (Summary)
9184 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
9185 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
9186 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
9189 @kindex W E a (Summary)
9190 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
9191 Do all the three commands above
9192 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
9195 @kindex W E A (Summary)
9196 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
9197 Remove all blank lines
9198 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
9201 @kindex W E s (Summary)
9202 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
9203 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
9204 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
9207 @kindex W E e (Summary)
9208 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
9209 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
9210 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
9214 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
9217 @node Article Header
9218 @subsection Article Header
9220 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
9225 @kindex W G u (Summary)
9226 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
9227 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
9230 @kindex W G n (Summary)
9231 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
9232 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
9233 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
9236 @kindex W G f (Summary)
9237 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
9238 Fold all the message headers
9239 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
9242 @kindex W E w (Summary)
9243 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
9244 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
9245 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
9250 @node Article Buttons
9251 @subsection Article Buttons
9254 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
9255 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
9256 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
9257 button on these references.
9259 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9260 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
9261 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
9262 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
9263 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
9267 @item gnus-button-alist
9268 @vindex gnus-button-alist
9269 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
9272 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9278 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
9279 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
9280 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
9281 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
9282 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
9285 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
9286 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
9287 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
9290 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
9291 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
9292 avoid false matches. Often variables named
9293 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
9294 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
9296 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
9299 This function will be called when you click on this button.
9302 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
9303 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
9307 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
9310 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
9313 @item gnus-header-button-alist
9314 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
9315 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
9316 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
9317 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
9320 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9323 @var{header} is a regular expression.
9326 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
9329 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
9330 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
9332 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
9334 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
9335 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
9336 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
9337 default values of the variables above.
9339 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
9341 @item gnus-button-man-handler
9342 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9343 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
9344 argument with a string naming the man page.
9346 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
9348 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
9349 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
9350 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
9352 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
9353 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
9354 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
9355 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
9356 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
9357 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
9358 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
9359 @code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
9360 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
9361 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
9362 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
9363 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
9365 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
9366 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
9367 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
9368 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
9369 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
9372 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
9373 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
9374 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
9375 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
9379 @item gnus-article-button-face
9380 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
9381 Face used on buttons.
9383 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
9384 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
9385 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
9389 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
9392 @node Article Button Levels
9393 @subsection Article button levels
9394 @cindex button levels
9395 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
9396 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
9397 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
9398 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
9399 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
9400 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
9401 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
9402 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
9405 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
9406 (setq gnus-parameters
9407 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
9408 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
9409 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
9414 @item gnus-button-browse-level
9415 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
9416 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
9417 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
9418 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
9419 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
9421 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
9422 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
9423 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
9424 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
9425 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
9426 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
9427 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
9428 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
9429 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
9430 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
9431 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
9432 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
9433 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
9435 @item gnus-button-man-level
9436 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
9437 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
9438 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
9440 @item gnus-button-message-level
9441 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
9442 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
9443 Related variables and functions include
9444 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
9445 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
9446 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
9447 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
9453 @subsection Article Date
9455 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
9456 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
9457 when the article was sent.
9462 @kindex W T u (Summary)
9463 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
9464 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
9465 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
9468 @kindex W T i (Summary)
9469 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
9471 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
9472 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
9475 @kindex W T l (Summary)
9476 @findex gnus-article-date-local
9477 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
9480 @kindex W T p (Summary)
9481 @findex gnus-article-date-english
9482 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
9483 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
9486 @kindex W T s (Summary)
9487 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
9488 @findex gnus-article-date-user
9489 @findex format-time-string
9490 Display the date using a user-defined format
9491 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
9492 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
9493 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
9494 for a list of possible format specs.
9497 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9498 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9499 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9500 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9501 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9502 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9505 Date: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9508 This line is updated continually by default. The frequency (in
9509 seconds) is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-update-date-headers}
9512 If you wish to switch updating off, say:
9514 @vindex gnus-article-update-date-headers
9516 (setq gnus-article-update-date-headers nil)
9519 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9522 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9523 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9524 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9525 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9526 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9527 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9528 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9532 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9533 preferred format automatically.
9536 @node Article Display
9537 @subsection Article Display
9543 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9544 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9546 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9547 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9549 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9550 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9552 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9553 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9555 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9556 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9558 Gravatars reside on-line and are fetched from
9559 @uref{http://www.gravatar.com/} (@pxref{Gravatars}).
9561 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9566 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9567 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9568 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9569 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9572 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9573 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9574 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9575 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9578 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9579 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9580 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9583 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9584 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9585 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9588 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9589 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9590 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9591 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9594 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9595 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9596 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9597 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9600 @kindex W D g (Summary)
9601 @findex gnus-treat-from-gravatar
9602 Gravatarify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-gravatar}).
9605 @kindex W D h (Summary)
9606 @findex gnus-treat-mail-gravatar
9607 Gravatarify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9608 (@code{gnus-treat-from-gravatar}).
9611 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9612 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9613 Remove all images from the article buffer
9614 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9617 @kindex W D W (Summary)
9618 @findex gnus-html-show-images
9619 If you're reading an @acronym{HTML} article rendered with
9620 @code{gnus-article-html}, then you can insert any blocked images in
9621 the buffer with this command.
9622 (@code{gnus-html-show-images}).
9628 @node Article Signature
9629 @subsection Article Signature
9631 @cindex article signature
9633 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9634 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9635 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9636 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9637 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9638 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9639 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9640 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9641 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9644 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9645 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9646 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9647 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9648 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9649 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9650 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9651 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9654 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9657 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9658 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9659 signature when displaying articles.
9663 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9666 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9669 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9670 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9672 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9673 in question is not a signature.
9676 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9677 listed above. Here's an example:
9680 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9681 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9684 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9685 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9686 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9687 signature after all.
9690 @node Article Miscellanea
9691 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9695 @kindex A t (Summary)
9696 @findex gnus-article-babel
9697 Translate the article from one language to another
9698 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9704 @section MIME Commands
9705 @cindex MIME decoding
9707 @cindex viewing attachments
9709 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9710 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9716 @kindex K v (Summary)
9717 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9720 @kindex K o (Summary)
9721 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9724 @kindex K O (Summary)
9725 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
9726 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
9727 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
9730 @kindex K r (Summary)
9731 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
9734 @kindex K d (Summary)
9735 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
9739 @kindex K c (Summary)
9740 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9743 @kindex K e (Summary)
9744 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9747 @kindex K i (Summary)
9748 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9751 @kindex K | (Summary)
9752 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9755 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9760 @kindex K H (Summary)
9761 @findex gnus-article-browse-html-article
9762 View @samp{text/html} parts of the current article with a WWW browser.
9763 Inline images embedded in a message using the @code{cid} scheme, as they
9764 are generally considered to be safe, will be processed properly. The
9765 message header is added to the beginning of every @acronym{HTML} part
9766 unless the prefix argument is given.
9768 Warning: Spammers use links to images (using the @code{http} scheme) in
9769 @acronym{HTML} articles to verify whether you have read the message. As
9770 this command passes the @acronym{HTML} content to the browser without
9771 eliminating these ``web bugs'' you should only use it for mails from
9774 If you always want to display @acronym{HTML} parts in the browser, set
9775 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} to @code{nil}.
9777 This command creates temporary files to pass @acronym{HTML} contents
9778 including images if any to the browser, and deletes them when exiting
9779 the group (if you want).
9782 @kindex K b (Summary)
9783 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9784 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9788 @kindex K m (Summary)
9789 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9790 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9791 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9792 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9793 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9796 @kindex X m (Summary)
9797 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9798 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9799 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9800 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9803 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9804 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9805 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9806 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9809 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9810 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9811 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9812 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9815 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9816 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9817 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9818 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9820 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9821 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9822 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9823 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9824 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9825 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9828 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9829 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9830 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9831 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9838 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9839 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9840 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9841 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9844 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9847 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9851 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9852 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9853 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9854 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9855 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9856 default is @code{t}.
9858 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9859 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9862 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9863 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9864 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9865 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9866 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
9867 single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
9868 for encoding in Gnus.
9870 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9871 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9872 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9873 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9874 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9875 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9876 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9877 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9879 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9880 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9881 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9882 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9883 displayed. This variable overrides
9884 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9885 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9888 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9889 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9890 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9892 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
9893 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
9894 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
9895 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
9896 Emacs MIME Manual}).
9898 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9899 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9900 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9901 default value is @code{nil}.
9903 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9904 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9905 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9906 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9907 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9908 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9909 save all jpegs into some directory).
9911 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9914 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9915 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9917 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9918 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9919 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9920 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9921 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9924 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9925 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9926 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9928 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9929 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9930 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9932 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9933 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9934 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9936 If displaying @samp{text/html} is discouraged, see
9937 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
9938 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
9939 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
9940 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
9942 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9943 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9944 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
9945 overrides @code{nil} values of
9946 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9947 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9949 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9950 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9951 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9952 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9954 Ready-made functions include@*
9955 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9956 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9957 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9958 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9959 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9960 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9961 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9962 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9963 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9964 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9965 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9966 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9968 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9969 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9971 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9972 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9973 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9976 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9977 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9978 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9979 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9983 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9992 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9993 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9994 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9995 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9996 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9997 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9998 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
10000 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
10001 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
10002 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
10003 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
10005 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
10006 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
10007 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
10008 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
10009 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
10010 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
10011 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
10012 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
10013 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
10015 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
10016 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
10017 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
10018 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
10019 quoted-printable header encoding.
10021 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
10022 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
10023 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
10027 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
10030 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
10031 means encode all charsets),
10033 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
10034 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
10035 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
10042 @cindex coding system aliases
10043 @cindex preferred charset
10045 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
10046 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
10047 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
10049 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
10051 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
10052 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
10055 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
10056 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
10059 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
10060 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
10062 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
10065 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
10068 This will almost do the right thing.
10070 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
10074 (codepage-setup 1251)
10075 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
10079 @node Article Commands
10080 @section Article Commands
10087 @kindex A P (Summary)
10088 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
10089 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
10090 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
10091 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
10092 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
10093 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
10096 @vindex gnus-fetch-partial-articles
10097 @findex gnus-summary-show-complete-article
10098 If @code{<backend>-fetch-partial-articles} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
10099 fetch partial articles, if the backend it fetches them from supports
10100 it. Currently only @code{nnimap} does. If you're looking at a
10101 partial article, and want to see the complete article instead, then
10102 the @kbd{A C} command (@code{gnus-summary-show-complete-article}) will
10108 @node Summary Sorting
10109 @section Summary Sorting
10110 @cindex summary sorting
10112 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
10113 can't really see why you'd want that.
10118 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10119 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
10120 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
10122 @item C-c C-s C-m C-n
10123 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10124 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number
10125 Sort by most recent article number
10126 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number}).
10129 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
10130 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
10131 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
10134 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
10135 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
10136 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
10139 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
10140 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
10141 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
10144 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
10145 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
10146 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
10148 @item C-c C-s C-m C-d
10149 @kindex C-c C-s C-m C-d (Summary)
10150 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date
10151 Sort by most recent date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date}).
10154 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
10155 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
10156 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
10159 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
10160 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
10161 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
10164 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
10165 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
10166 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
10169 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
10170 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
10171 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
10174 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
10175 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
10176 Sort using the default sorting method
10177 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
10180 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
10181 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
10182 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
10183 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
10184 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
10187 If a prefix argument if given, the sort order is reversed.
10190 @node Finding the Parent
10191 @section Finding the Parent
10192 @cindex parent articles
10193 @cindex referring articles
10197 @kindex ^ (Summary)
10198 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
10199 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
10200 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
10201 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
10202 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
10203 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
10204 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
10205 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
10206 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
10208 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
10209 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
10210 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
10211 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
10212 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
10215 @item A R (Summary)
10216 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
10217 @kindex A R (Summary)
10218 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
10219 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
10221 @item A T (Summary)
10222 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
10223 @kindex A T (Summary)
10224 Display the full thread where the current article appears
10225 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
10226 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
10227 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
10228 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
10229 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
10230 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
10232 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
10233 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
10234 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
10235 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
10236 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
10237 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
10239 @item M-^ (Summary)
10240 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
10241 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
10243 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
10244 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
10245 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
10246 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
10247 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
10248 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
10250 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
10251 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
10252 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
10255 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
10256 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
10257 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
10258 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
10259 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
10260 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
10263 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
10264 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
10265 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
10268 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
10269 then ask Google if that fails:
10272 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
10274 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
10277 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
10278 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
10279 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
10280 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
10281 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
10282 group. @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
10284 Fortunately, the special @code{nnregistry} back end is able to locate
10285 articles in any groups, regardless of their back end (@pxref{Registry
10286 Article Refer Method, fetching by @code{Message-ID} using the
10289 @node Alternative Approaches
10290 @section Alternative Approaches
10292 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
10293 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
10296 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
10297 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
10301 @node Pick and Read
10302 @subsection Pick and Read
10303 @cindex pick and read
10305 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
10306 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
10307 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
10308 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
10310 @findex gnus-pick-mode
10311 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
10312 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
10313 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
10314 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
10315 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
10317 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
10322 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
10323 Pick the article or thread on the current line
10324 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
10325 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
10326 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
10327 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
10328 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
10329 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
10332 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
10333 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
10334 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
10335 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
10339 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
10340 Unpick the thread or article
10341 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
10342 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
10343 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
10344 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
10345 the thread or article at that line.
10349 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
10350 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
10351 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
10352 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
10353 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
10354 will still be visible when you are reading.
10358 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
10359 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
10360 which is mapped to the same function
10361 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
10363 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
10366 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
10369 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
10370 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
10372 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
10373 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
10374 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
10376 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
10377 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
10378 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
10379 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
10380 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
10381 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
10382 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
10385 @node Binary Groups
10386 @subsection Binary Groups
10387 @cindex binary groups
10389 @findex gnus-binary-mode
10390 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
10391 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
10392 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
10393 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
10394 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
10395 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
10398 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
10399 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
10400 command, when you have turned on this mode
10401 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
10403 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
10404 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
10408 @section Tree Display
10411 @vindex gnus-use-trees
10412 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
10413 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
10414 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
10415 in the tree buffer.
10417 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
10420 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
10421 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
10422 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
10424 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
10425 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
10426 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
10427 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
10428 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
10430 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
10431 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
10432 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
10433 default is @code{modeline}.
10435 @item gnus-tree-line-format
10436 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
10437 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
10438 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
10439 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
10440 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
10441 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
10447 The name of the poster.
10449 The @code{From} header.
10451 The number of the article.
10453 The opening bracket.
10455 The closing bracket.
10460 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
10462 Variables related to the display are:
10465 @item gnus-tree-brackets
10466 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
10467 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
10468 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
10470 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
10471 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
10472 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
10474 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
10476 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10477 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10478 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
10479 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
10483 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
10484 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
10485 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
10486 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
10487 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
10488 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
10489 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
10490 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
10491 other windows displayed next to it.
10493 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
10497 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
10498 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
10501 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
10502 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
10503 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10504 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
10505 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
10506 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
10507 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
10511 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
10514 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
10524 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
10529 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
10530 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
10532 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
10534 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
10540 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
10541 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
10542 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
10545 (setq gnus-use-trees t
10546 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10547 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
10548 (gnus-add-configuration
10552 (summary 0.75 point)
10557 @xref{Window Layout}.
10560 @node Mail Group Commands
10561 @section Mail Group Commands
10562 @cindex mail group commands
10564 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
10565 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
10567 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
10568 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10573 @kindex B e (Summary)
10574 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
10575 @cindex expiring mail
10576 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
10577 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
10578 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
10579 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
10582 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
10583 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
10584 @cindex expiring mail
10585 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
10586 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
10587 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
10588 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
10591 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
10592 @cindex deleting mail
10593 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10594 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10595 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10596 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10597 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10600 @kindex B m (Summary)
10602 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10603 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10604 Move the article from one mail group to another
10605 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10606 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10609 @kindex B c (Summary)
10611 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10612 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10613 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10614 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10615 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10618 @kindex B B (Summary)
10619 @cindex crosspost mail
10620 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10621 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10622 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10623 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10624 be properly updated.
10627 @kindex B i (Summary)
10628 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10629 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10630 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10631 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10634 @kindex B I (Summary)
10635 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10636 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10637 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10638 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10641 @kindex B r (Summary)
10642 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10643 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10644 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10645 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10646 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10647 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10648 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10649 (which is the default).
10653 @kindex B w (Summary)
10654 @kindex e (Summary)
10655 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10656 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10657 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10658 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10659 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10660 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10661 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10664 @kindex B q (Summary)
10665 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10666 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10667 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10668 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10671 @kindex B t (Summary)
10672 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10673 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10674 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10677 @kindex B p (Summary)
10678 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10679 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10680 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10681 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10682 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10683 article from your news server (or rather, from
10684 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10685 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10686 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10687 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10688 just not have arrived yet.
10691 @kindex K E (Summary)
10692 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10693 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10694 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10695 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10696 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10700 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10701 @cindex moving articles
10702 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10703 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10704 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10705 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10706 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10707 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10708 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10711 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10712 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10713 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10714 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10718 @node Various Summary Stuff
10719 @section Various Summary Stuff
10722 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10723 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10724 * Summary Generation Commands::
10725 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10729 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10730 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10731 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10732 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10733 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10734 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10736 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10737 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10738 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10741 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10742 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10743 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10745 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10746 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10747 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10748 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10749 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10750 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10753 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10754 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10755 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10756 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10757 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10759 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10760 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10761 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10764 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10765 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10766 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10767 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10768 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10769 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10770 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10771 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10772 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10773 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10775 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10776 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10777 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10778 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10779 list of articles to be selected.
10781 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10782 the list in one particular group:
10785 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10786 (if (string= group "some.group")
10787 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10791 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10792 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10793 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10794 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10795 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10798 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10799 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10800 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10801 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10802 variable will be used instead.
10804 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10805 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10806 buffers. For example:
10809 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10810 '(message-use-followup-to
10811 (gnus-visible-headers .
10812 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10815 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10820 @node Summary Group Information
10821 @subsection Summary Group Information
10826 @kindex H d (Summary)
10827 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10828 Give a brief description of the current group
10829 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10830 rereading the description from the server.
10833 @kindex H h (Summary)
10834 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10835 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10836 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10839 @kindex H i (Summary)
10840 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10841 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10845 @node Searching for Articles
10846 @subsection Searching for Articles
10851 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10852 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10853 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10854 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10857 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10858 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10859 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10860 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10863 @kindex M-S (Summary)
10864 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
10865 Repeat the previous search forwards
10866 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
10869 @kindex M-R (Summary)
10870 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
10871 Repeat the previous search backwards
10872 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
10875 @kindex & (Summary)
10876 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10877 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10878 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10879 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10880 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10881 search backward instead.
10883 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10884 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10887 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10888 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10889 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10890 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10893 @node Summary Generation Commands
10894 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10899 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10900 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10901 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10904 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10905 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10906 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10907 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10910 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10911 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10912 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10913 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10916 @kindex Y t (Summary)
10917 @findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
10918 Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10919 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
10924 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10925 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10931 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10932 @kindex A D (Summary)
10933 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10934 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10935 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10936 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10937 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10938 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10939 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10940 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10943 @vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
10944 The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
10945 article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
10950 Select the next article.
10953 Select the next unread article.
10955 @item next-noselect
10956 Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
10958 @item next-unread-noselect
10959 Move the cursor to the next unread article.
10962 If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
10963 article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
10966 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10967 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10968 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10969 several documents into one biiig group
10970 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10971 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10972 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10973 command understands the process/prefix convention
10974 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10977 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10978 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10979 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10980 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10981 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10982 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10985 @kindex = (Summary)
10986 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10987 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10988 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10991 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10992 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10993 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10994 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10997 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10998 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10999 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11000 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
11005 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
11006 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
11007 @cindex summary exit
11008 @cindex exiting groups
11010 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
11011 group and return you to the group buffer.
11018 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
11019 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
11020 @kindex q (Summary)
11021 @findex gnus-summary-exit
11022 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
11023 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
11024 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
11025 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
11026 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
11027 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
11028 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
11029 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
11030 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
11031 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
11032 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
11036 @kindex Z E (Summary)
11037 @kindex Q (Summary)
11038 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
11039 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
11040 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
11044 @kindex Z c (Summary)
11045 @kindex c (Summary)
11046 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
11047 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
11048 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
11049 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
11052 @kindex Z C (Summary)
11053 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
11054 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
11055 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
11058 @kindex Z n (Summary)
11059 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
11060 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
11061 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
11064 @kindex Z p (Summary)
11065 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
11066 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
11067 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
11071 @kindex Z R (Summary)
11072 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
11073 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
11074 Exit this group, and then enter it again
11075 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
11076 all articles, both read and unread.
11080 @kindex Z G (Summary)
11081 @kindex M-g (Summary)
11082 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
11083 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
11084 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
11085 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
11086 articles, both read and unread.
11089 @kindex Z N (Summary)
11090 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
11091 Exit the group and go to the next group
11092 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
11095 @kindex Z P (Summary)
11096 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
11097 Exit the group and go to the previous group
11098 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
11101 @kindex Z s (Summary)
11102 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
11103 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
11104 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
11105 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
11106 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
11109 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
11110 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
11111 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
11112 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
11114 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
11115 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
11116 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
11117 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
11118 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
11119 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
11120 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
11121 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
11122 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
11123 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
11124 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
11125 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
11127 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
11129 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
11130 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
11131 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
11132 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
11133 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
11134 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
11135 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
11136 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
11137 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
11140 @node Crosspost Handling
11141 @section Crosspost Handling
11145 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
11146 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
11147 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
11148 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
11149 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
11152 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
11153 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
11154 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
11155 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
11156 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
11158 @cindex cross-posting
11160 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
11161 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
11162 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
11163 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
11164 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
11165 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
11166 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
11167 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
11168 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
11169 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
11170 the cross reference mechanism.
11172 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
11173 @cindex overview.fmt
11174 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
11175 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
11176 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
11177 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
11178 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
11179 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
11182 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
11183 set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
11184 considerably. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
11188 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
11191 @node Duplicate Suppression
11192 @section Duplicate Suppression
11194 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
11195 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
11196 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
11197 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
11202 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
11203 is evil and not very common.
11206 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
11207 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
11210 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
11211 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
11214 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
11217 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
11218 well, but these four are the most common situations.
11220 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
11221 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
11222 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
11223 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
11224 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
11225 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
11226 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
11229 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
11230 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
11231 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
11232 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
11233 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
11234 saw the article in.
11237 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
11238 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
11239 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
11241 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
11242 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
11243 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
11244 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
11245 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
11246 session are suppressed.
11248 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
11249 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
11250 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
11251 suppression list. The default is 10000.
11253 @item gnus-duplicate-file
11254 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
11255 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
11256 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
11259 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
11260 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
11261 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
11262 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
11263 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
11264 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
11265 to you to figure out, I think.
11270 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
11271 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
11272 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
11277 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
11278 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
11279 to GnuPG included with Emacs is called EasyPG (@pxref{Top, ,EasyPG,
11280 epa, EasyPG Assistant user's manual}), but PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg,
11281 PGG Manual}), and Mailcrypt are also supported.
11284 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
11285 or newer is recommended.
11289 The variables that control security functionality on reading/composing
11293 @item mm-verify-option
11294 @vindex mm-verify-option
11295 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
11296 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
11297 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11299 @item mm-decrypt-option
11300 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
11301 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
11302 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
11303 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11305 @item mm-sign-option
11306 @vindex mm-sign-option
11307 Option of creating signed parts. @code{nil}, use default signing
11308 keys; @code{guided}, ask user to select signing keys from the menu.
11310 @item mm-encrypt-option
11311 @vindex mm-encrypt-option
11312 Option of creating encrypted parts. @code{nil}, use the first
11313 public-key matching the @samp{From:} header as the recipient;
11314 @code{guided}, ask user to select recipient keys from the menu.
11317 @vindex mml1991-use
11318 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
11319 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but @code{pgg},
11320 and @code{mailcrypt} are also supported although
11321 deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available interface in
11325 @vindex mml2015-use
11326 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
11327 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but
11328 @code{pgg}, and @code{mailcrypt} are also supported
11329 although deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available
11330 interface in this order.
11334 By default the buttons that display security information are not
11335 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
11336 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
11337 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
11338 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
11339 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
11340 how to customize these variables to always display security
11343 @cindex snarfing keys
11344 @cindex importing PGP keys
11345 @cindex PGP key ring import
11346 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
11347 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
11348 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
11349 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
11350 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
11351 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
11352 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
11353 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
11354 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
11357 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
11360 This happens to also be the default action defined in
11361 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
11363 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
11364 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
11365 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
11368 @section Mailing List
11369 @cindex mailing list
11372 @kindex A M (summary)
11373 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
11374 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
11375 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
11376 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
11379 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
11384 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
11385 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
11386 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
11389 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
11390 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
11391 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
11394 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
11395 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
11396 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
11400 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
11401 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
11402 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
11405 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
11406 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
11407 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
11410 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
11411 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
11412 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
11417 @node Article Buffer
11418 @chapter Article Buffer
11419 @cindex article buffer
11421 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
11422 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
11423 tell Gnus otherwise.
11426 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
11427 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
11428 * HTML:: Reading @acronym{HTML} messages.
11429 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
11430 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
11431 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
11435 @node Hiding Headers
11436 @section Hiding Headers
11437 @cindex hiding headers
11438 @cindex deleting headers
11440 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
11441 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
11443 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
11444 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
11445 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
11446 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
11447 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
11448 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
11449 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
11450 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
11451 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
11453 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
11457 @item gnus-visible-headers
11458 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
11459 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
11460 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
11461 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
11463 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
11464 the article and the subject, you'd say:
11467 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
11470 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
11473 @item gnus-ignored-headers
11474 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
11475 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
11476 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
11477 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
11478 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
11480 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
11481 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
11484 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
11487 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
11490 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
11491 variable will have no effect.
11495 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
11496 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
11497 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
11498 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
11499 the headers are to be displayed.
11501 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
11502 and then the subject, you might say something like:
11505 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
11508 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
11509 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
11511 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
11512 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
11513 You can hide further boring headers by setting
11514 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
11515 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
11516 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
11517 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
11520 These conditions are:
11523 Remove all empty headers.
11525 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
11526 @code{Newsgroups} header.
11528 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
11529 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
11532 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
11535 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11536 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
11538 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11539 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11541 Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
11542 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11544 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
11547 Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
11549 Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
11552 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
11555 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
11556 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
11559 This is also the default value for this variable.
11563 @section Using MIME
11564 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11566 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
11567 while people stand around yawning.
11569 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
11570 while all newsreaders die of fear.
11572 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
11573 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
11574 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
11576 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
11577 @findex gnus-display-mime
11578 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
11579 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
11580 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
11581 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
11583 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
11584 @acronym{MIME} button:
11587 @findex gnus-article-press-button
11588 @item RET (Article)
11589 @kindex RET (Article)
11590 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
11591 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
11592 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
11593 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
11594 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
11595 object is displayed inline.
11597 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
11598 @item M-RET (Article)
11599 @kindex M-RET (Article)
11601 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11602 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
11604 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
11606 @kindex t (Article)
11607 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
11608 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
11610 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
11612 @kindex C (Article)
11613 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11614 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
11616 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
11618 @kindex o (Article)
11619 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
11620 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
11622 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
11623 @item C-o (Article)
11624 @kindex C-o (Article)
11625 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
11626 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
11627 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
11628 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
11629 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
11630 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
11632 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
11634 @kindex r (Article)
11635 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
11636 external body referring to the file via the message/external-body
11637 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
11639 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
11641 @kindex d (Article)
11642 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
11643 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
11644 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
11646 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
11648 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
11650 @kindex c (Article)
11651 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
11652 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
11653 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
11654 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
11655 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
11656 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
11657 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
11658 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11660 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
11662 @kindex p (Article)
11663 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
11664 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
11665 @file{.mailcap} file.
11667 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
11669 @kindex i (Article)
11670 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
11671 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as @samp{text/plain}. If given a prefix, insert
11672 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
11673 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
11674 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
11675 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
11676 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
11677 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
11678 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11680 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
11682 @kindex E (Article)
11683 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
11684 viewer is available, use an external viewer
11685 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
11687 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
11689 @kindex e (Article)
11690 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
11691 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
11693 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
11695 @kindex | (Article)
11696 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
11698 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
11700 @kindex . (Article)
11701 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
11702 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
11706 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
11707 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
11708 @acronym{MIME} manual.
11710 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
11711 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
11712 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
11713 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
11714 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
11715 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
11716 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
11717 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
11718 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
11720 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
11722 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
11726 @section @acronym{HTML}
11727 @cindex @acronym{HTML}
11729 If you have @code{w3m} installed on your system, Gnus can display
11730 @acronym{HTML} articles in the article buffer. There are many Gnus
11731 add-ons for doing this, using various approaches, but there's one
11732 (sort of) built-in method that's used by default.
11734 For a complete overview, consult @xref{Display Customization,
11735 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. This
11736 section only describes the default method.
11739 @item mm-text-html-renderer
11740 @vindex mm-text-html-renderer
11741 If set to @code{gnus-article-html}, Gnus will use the built-in method,
11742 that's based on @code{w3m}.
11744 @item gnus-blocked-images
11745 @vindex gnus-blocked-images
11746 External images that have @acronym{URL}s that match this regexp won't
11747 be fetched and displayed. For instance, do block all @acronym{URL}s
11748 that have the string ``ads'' in them, do the following:
11751 (setq gnus-blocked-images "ads")
11754 This can also be a function to be evaluated. If so, it will be
11755 called with the group name as the parameter. The default value is
11756 @code{gnus-block-private-groups}, which will return @samp{"."} for
11757 anything that isn't a newsgroup. This means that no external images
11758 will be fetched as a result of reading mail, so that nobody can use
11759 web bugs (and the like) to track whether you've read email.
11761 Also @pxref{Misc Article} for @code{gnus-inhibit-images}.
11763 @item gnus-html-cache-directory
11764 @vindex gnus-html-cache-directory
11765 Gnus will download and cache images according to how
11766 @code{gnus-blocked-images} is set. These images will be stored in
11769 @item gnus-html-cache-size
11770 @vindex gnus-html-cache-size
11771 When @code{gnus-html-cache-size} bytes have been used in that
11772 directory, the oldest files will be deleted. The default is 500MB.
11774 @item gnus-html-frame-width
11775 @vindex gnus-html-frame-width
11776 The width to use when rendering HTML. The default is 70.
11778 @item gnus-max-image-proportion
11779 @vindex gnus-max-image-proportion
11780 How big pictures displayed are in relation to the window they're in.
11781 A value of 0.7 (the default) means that they are allowed to take up
11782 70% of the width and height of the window. If they are larger than
11783 this, and Emacs supports it, then the images will be rescaled down to
11784 fit these criteria.
11788 To use this, make sure that you have @code{w3m} and @code{curl}
11789 installed. If you have, then Gnus should display @acronym{HTML}
11794 @node Customizing Articles
11795 @section Customizing Articles
11796 @cindex article customization
11798 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
11799 exist. You can call these functions interactively
11800 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
11801 called automatically when you select the articles.
11803 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
11804 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
11805 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
11806 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11808 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11809 for sensible values.
11813 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11816 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11819 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11822 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
11825 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
11828 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11832 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11833 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11834 regexps in the list.
11837 A list where the first element is not a string:
11839 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11840 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11841 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11845 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11850 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11851 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11852 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11853 considered to contain just a single part.
11855 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11856 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11857 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11858 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11859 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11860 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11861 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11864 @c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
11865 @c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
11867 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
11868 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
11869 @vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
11870 @vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
11871 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
11872 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
11873 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
11874 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
11875 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
11876 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
11877 @vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
11878 @vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
11879 @vindex gnus-treat-date
11880 @vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
11881 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
11882 @vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
11883 @vindex gnus-treat-from-gravatar
11884 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-gravatar
11885 @vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
11886 @vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
11887 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
11888 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
11889 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
11890 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
11891 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
11892 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
11893 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
11894 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
11895 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
11896 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
11897 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
11898 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
11899 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
11900 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
11901 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
11902 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
11903 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
11904 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
11905 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
11906 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
11907 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
11910 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11911 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11912 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11913 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11916 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11917 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11919 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11921 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11922 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11923 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11924 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11925 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
11926 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11927 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11928 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11929 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11930 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11932 @xref{Article Washing}.
11934 @item gnus-treat-date (head)
11936 This will transform/add date headers according to the
11937 @code{gnus-article-date-headers} variable. This is a list of Date
11938 headers to display. The formats available are:
11942 Universal time, aka GMT, aka ZULU.
11945 The user's local time zone.
11948 A semi-readable English sentence.
11951 The time elapsed since the message was posted.
11953 @item combined-lapsed
11954 Both the original date header and a (shortened) elapsed time.
11957 The original date header.
11960 ISO8601 format, i.e., ``2010-11-23T22:05:21''.
11963 A format done according to the @code{gnus-article-time-format}
11968 @xref{Article Date}.
11970 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11971 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11972 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11976 @item gnus-treat-from-gravatar (head)
11977 @item gnus-treat-mail-gravatar (head)
11981 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11983 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11985 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11986 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11987 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11991 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
11992 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11996 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
11997 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
12001 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12002 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
12003 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12004 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
12005 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12006 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
12007 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12008 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
12009 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12010 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
12011 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12012 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
12013 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12014 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
12015 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12016 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
12017 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12018 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
12019 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12020 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
12022 @xref{Article Hiding}.
12024 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12025 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
12026 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12027 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
12028 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12029 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
12031 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
12033 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12034 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
12035 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
12036 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12037 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
12039 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12040 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
12041 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12042 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
12043 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12044 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
12045 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12046 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
12048 @xref{Article Header}.
12053 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
12054 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
12055 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
12056 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
12057 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
12061 @node Article Keymap
12062 @section Article Keymap
12064 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
12065 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
12066 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
12067 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
12070 @kindex v (Article)
12071 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
12072 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
12073 command or better use it as a prefix key.
12075 A few additional keystrokes are available:
12080 @kindex SPACE (Article)
12081 @findex gnus-article-next-page
12082 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
12083 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
12086 @kindex DEL (Article)
12087 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
12088 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
12089 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
12092 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
12093 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
12094 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
12095 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
12096 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
12099 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
12100 @findex gnus-article-mail
12101 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
12102 given a prefix, include the mail.
12105 @kindex s (Article)
12106 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
12107 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
12108 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
12111 @kindex ? (Article)
12112 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
12113 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
12114 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
12117 @kindex TAB (Article)
12118 @findex gnus-article-next-button
12119 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
12120 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
12123 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
12124 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
12125 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
12128 @kindex R (Article)
12129 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
12130 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
12131 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If the region is active,
12132 only yank the text in the region.
12135 @kindex S W (Article)
12136 @findex gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original
12137 Send a wide reply to the current article and yank the current article
12138 (@code{gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original}). If the region is
12139 active, only yank the text in the region.
12142 @kindex F (Article)
12143 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
12144 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
12145 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If the region is active,
12146 only yank the text in the region.
12153 @section Misc Article
12157 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
12158 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
12159 @cindex article buffers, several
12160 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
12161 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
12164 @item gnus-widen-article-window
12165 @cindex gnus-widen-article-window
12166 If non-@code{nil}, selecting the article buffer with the @kbd{h}
12167 command will ``widen'' the article window to take the entire frame.
12169 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
12170 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
12171 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12172 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
12173 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
12175 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
12176 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
12177 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
12178 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
12179 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
12180 the contents of the article buffer.
12182 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
12183 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
12184 Hook called in article mode buffers.
12186 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12187 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12188 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
12189 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
12191 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
12192 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
12193 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
12194 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
12196 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
12197 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
12198 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
12199 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
12200 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
12201 with two extensions:
12206 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
12207 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
12208 performed. The characters and their meaning:
12213 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
12216 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
12219 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
12220 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
12221 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
12224 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
12227 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
12230 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasized strings in the article buffer.
12235 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
12239 @vindex gnus-break-pages
12241 @item gnus-break-pages
12242 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
12243 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
12244 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
12245 paging will not be done.
12247 @item gnus-page-delimiter
12248 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
12249 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
12253 @cindex internationalized domain names
12254 @vindex gnus-use-idna
12255 @item gnus-use-idna
12256 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
12257 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
12258 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
12259 for how to compose such messages. This requires
12260 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
12261 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
12263 @vindex gnus-inhibit-images
12264 @item gnus-inhibit-images
12265 If this is non-@code{nil}, inhibit displaying of images inline in the
12266 article body. It is effective to images that are in articles as
12267 @acronym{MIME} parts, and images in @acronym{HTML} articles rendered
12268 when @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization,
12269 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) is
12270 @code{shr} or @code{gnus-w3m}.
12275 @node Composing Messages
12276 @chapter Composing Messages
12277 @cindex composing messages
12280 @cindex sending mail
12285 @cindex using s/mime
12286 @cindex using smime
12288 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
12289 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
12290 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
12291 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
12292 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
12293 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
12296 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
12297 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
12298 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
12299 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
12300 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
12301 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
12302 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
12303 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
12304 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
12307 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
12308 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
12314 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
12317 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
12318 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
12319 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
12320 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
12321 @code{nil} include all headers.
12323 @item gnus-add-to-list
12324 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
12325 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
12326 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
12328 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12329 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12330 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
12331 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
12332 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
12333 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
12334 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
12335 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
12337 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
12338 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
12340 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
12341 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
12342 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
12343 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
12344 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
12349 @node Posting Server
12350 @section Posting Server
12352 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
12353 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
12355 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
12357 It can be quite complicated.
12359 @vindex gnus-post-method
12360 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
12361 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
12362 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
12363 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
12364 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
12365 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
12366 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
12367 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
12368 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
12371 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
12374 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
12375 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
12376 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
12377 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
12379 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
12380 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
12382 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
12383 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
12386 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
12387 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
12389 @vindex message-send-mail-function
12390 When sending mail, Message invokes the function specified by the
12391 variable @code{message-send-mail-function}. Gnus tries to set it to a
12392 value suitable for your system.
12393 @xref{Mail Variables, ,Mail Variables,message,Message manual}, for more
12397 @node POP before SMTP
12398 @section POP before SMTP
12399 @cindex pop before smtp
12400 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
12402 Does your @acronym{ISP} use @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
12403 authentication? This authentication method simply requires you to
12404 contact the @acronym{POP} server before sending email. To do that,
12405 put the following lines in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
12408 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
12412 The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function does @acronym{POP}
12413 authentication according to the value of @code{mail-sources} without
12414 fetching mails, just before sending a mail. @xref{Mail Sources}.
12416 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
12417 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
12418 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
12419 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
12420 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
12421 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
12424 (setq mail-source-primary-source
12425 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12426 :password "secret"))
12430 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
12431 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
12434 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
12436 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
12437 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12438 :password "secret")))
12439 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
12443 @node Mail and Post
12444 @section Mail and Post
12446 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
12450 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
12451 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
12452 @cindex mailing lists
12454 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
12455 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
12456 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
12457 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
12458 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
12459 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
12460 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
12461 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
12462 still a pain, though.
12464 @item gnus-user-agent
12465 @vindex gnus-user-agent
12468 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
12469 User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
12470 symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
12471 version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
12472 (show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
12473 configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
12474 string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
12478 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
12479 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
12480 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
12483 @findex ispell-message
12485 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
12488 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
12489 you're in, you could say something like the following:
12492 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
12496 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
12497 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
12499 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
12502 Modify to suit your needs.
12504 @vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
12505 If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is t, different levels of
12506 citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
12509 @node Archived Messages
12510 @section Archived Messages
12511 @cindex archived messages
12512 @cindex sent messages
12514 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
12515 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
12516 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
12517 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}. The
12518 default is "sent.%Y-%m", which gives you one archive group per month.
12520 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
12521 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
12524 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
12525 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
12526 use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
12527 actually being used it is expanded into:
12530 (nnfolder "archive"
12531 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
12532 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
12533 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
12534 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
12538 @vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
12539 Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
12540 so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
12541 @code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
12542 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
12543 since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
12544 even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
12545 afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
12546 mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
12547 saved method to reflect always the value of
12548 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
12549 @code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
12550 value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
12553 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
12554 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
12555 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
12556 directory chosen, you could say something like:
12559 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
12560 '(nnfolder "archive"
12561 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
12562 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
12563 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
12566 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
12568 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
12569 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
12570 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
12572 This variable can be used to do the following:
12576 Messages will be saved in that group.
12578 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
12579 message will not be stored in the select method given by
12580 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
12581 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
12582 has the default value shown above. Then setting
12583 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
12584 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
12585 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
12588 @item a list of strings
12589 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
12591 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
12592 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
12595 No message archiving will take place.
12600 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
12602 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
12605 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
12607 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
12610 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
12612 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12613 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
12614 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
12615 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
12618 More complex stuff:
12620 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12621 '((if (message-news-p)
12626 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
12627 messages in one file per month:
12630 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12631 '((if (message-news-p)
12633 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
12636 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
12637 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
12638 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
12639 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
12640 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
12641 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
12642 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
12643 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
12644 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
12645 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
12648 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
12649 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
12650 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
12652 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
12653 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
12654 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
12655 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
12656 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
12657 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
12658 changed in the future.
12660 @item gnus-gcc-self-resent-messages
12661 @vindex gnus-gcc-self-resent-messages
12662 Like the @code{gcc-self} group parameter, applied only for unmodified
12663 messages that @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} (@pxref{Summary Mail
12664 Commands}) resends. Non-@code{nil} value of this variable takes
12665 precedence over any existing @code{Gcc} header.
12667 If this is @code{none}, no @code{Gcc} copy will be made. If this is
12668 @code{t}, messages resent will be @code{Gcc} copied to the current
12669 group. If this is a string, it specifies a group to which resent
12670 messages will be @code{Gcc} copied. If this is @code{nil}, @code{Gcc}
12671 will be done according to existing @code{Gcc} header(s), if any. If
12672 this is @code{no-gcc-self}, that is the default, resent messages will be
12673 @code{Gcc} copied to groups that existing @code{Gcc} header specifies,
12674 except for the current group.
12676 @item gnus-gcc-pre-body-encode-hook
12677 @vindex gnus-gcc-pre-body-encode-hook
12678 @itemx gnus-gcc-post-body-encode-hook
12679 @vindex gnus-gcc-post-body-encode-hook
12681 These hooks are run before/after encoding the message body of the Gcc
12682 copy of a sent message. The current buffer (when the hook is run)
12683 contains the message including the message header. Changes made to
12684 the message will only affect the Gcc copy, but not the original
12685 message. You can use these hooks to edit the copy (and influence
12686 subsequent transformations), e.g. remove MML secure tags
12687 (@pxref{Signing and encrypting}).
12692 @node Posting Styles
12693 @section Posting Styles
12694 @cindex posting styles
12697 All them variables, they make my head swim.
12699 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
12700 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
12701 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
12704 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
12705 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
12706 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
12707 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
12708 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
12713 (signature "Peace and happiness")
12714 (organization "What me?"))
12716 (signature "Death to everybody"))
12717 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
12718 (organization "Emacs is it")))
12721 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
12722 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
12723 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
12724 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
12725 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
12726 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
12727 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
12728 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
12730 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
12731 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
12732 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
12733 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
12734 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
12735 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
12736 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
12737 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
12738 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
12739 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
12740 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
12741 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
12742 said to @dfn{match}.
12744 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
12745 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
12746 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
12747 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
12748 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
12749 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
12750 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
12751 name can be one of:
12754 @item @code{signature}
12755 @item @code{signature-file}
12756 @item @code{x-face-file}
12757 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
12758 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
12762 Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
12763 @code{message-signature-directory}.
12765 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
12766 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
12767 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
12768 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
12769 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
12771 The attribute value can be a string, a function with zero arguments
12772 (the return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used)
12773 or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be
12774 used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
12775 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current
12776 article are available through the @code{message-reply-headers}
12777 variable, which is a vector of the following headers: number subject
12778 from date id references chars lines xref extra.
12780 In the case of a string value, if the @code{match} is a regular
12781 expression, a @samp{gnus-match-substitute-replacement} is proceed on
12782 the value to replace the positional parameters @samp{\@var{n}} by the
12783 corresponding parenthetical matches (see @xref{Replacing Match,,
12784 Replacing the Text that Matched, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual}.)
12786 @vindex message-reply-headers
12788 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
12789 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
12790 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
12792 @findex message-mail-p
12793 @findex message-news-p
12795 So here's a new example:
12798 (setq gnus-posting-styles
12800 (signature-file "~/.signature")
12802 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
12803 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
12804 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
12806 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
12807 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
12808 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
12809 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
12810 (signature my-news-signature))
12811 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
12812 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
12813 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
12814 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
12815 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
12816 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
12817 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
12818 (address "user@@bar.foo")
12819 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
12820 ("X-Message-SMTP-Method" "smtp smtp.example.org 587")
12821 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
12823 (From (with-current-buffer gnus-article-buffer
12824 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
12826 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
12829 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
12830 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
12831 if you fill many roles.
12832 You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
12833 @xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
12835 Of particular interest in the ``work-mail'' style is the
12836 @samp{X-Message-SMTP-Method} header. It specifies how to send the
12837 outgoing email. You may want to sent certain emails through certain
12838 @acronym{SMTP} servers due to company policies, for instance.
12839 @xref{Mail Variables, ,Message Variables, message, Message Manual}.
12846 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
12847 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
12848 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
12849 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
12850 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
12852 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
12853 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
12854 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
12855 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
12856 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
12860 @vindex nndraft-directory
12861 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
12862 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
12863 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
12864 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
12865 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
12866 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
12868 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
12869 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
12870 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
12871 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
12872 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
12873 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
12874 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
12875 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
12876 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
12878 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
12879 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
12880 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
12881 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
12882 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
12883 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
12884 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
12885 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
12886 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
12887 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
12888 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
12889 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
12890 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
12891 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
12893 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
12894 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
12895 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
12897 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
12898 @kindex D e (Draft)
12899 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
12900 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
12901 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
12903 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
12906 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
12907 @kindex D s (Draft)
12908 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
12909 @kindex D S (Draft)
12910 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
12911 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
12912 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
12913 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
12914 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
12917 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
12918 @kindex D t (Draft)
12919 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
12920 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
12921 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
12923 Finally, if you want to delete a draft, use the normal @kbd{B DEL}
12924 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
12927 @node Rejected Articles
12928 @section Rejected Articles
12929 @cindex rejected articles
12931 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
12932 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
12933 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
12934 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
12936 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
12937 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
12938 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
12939 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
12940 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
12942 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
12943 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
12944 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
12946 @node Signing and encrypting
12947 @section Signing and encrypting
12949 @cindex using s/mime
12950 @cindex using smime
12952 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
12953 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
12954 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
12955 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
12957 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
12958 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
12959 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
12960 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
12961 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
12962 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
12963 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
12964 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
12965 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
12966 automatically encrypted messages.
12968 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
12969 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
12970 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
12975 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
12976 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
12978 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12981 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
12982 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12984 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12987 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
12988 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12990 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12993 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
12994 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
12996 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12999 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
13000 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
13002 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13005 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
13006 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
13008 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13011 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
13012 @findex mml-unsecure-message
13013 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
13017 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
13019 @node Select Methods
13020 @chapter Select Methods
13021 @cindex foreign groups
13022 @cindex select methods
13024 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
13025 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
13026 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
13027 personal mail group.
13029 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
13030 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
13031 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
13032 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
13033 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
13034 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
13036 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
13037 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
13039 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
13042 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
13043 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
13044 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
13045 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
13046 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
13048 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
13051 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
13052 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
13053 * Using IMAP:: Reading mail from @acronym{IMAP}.
13054 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
13055 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
13056 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files.
13057 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
13058 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
13059 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
13063 @node Server Buffer
13064 @section Server Buffer
13066 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
13067 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
13068 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
13069 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
13070 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
13071 back end represents a virtual server.
13073 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
13074 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
13075 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
13076 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
13078 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
13079 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
13080 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
13081 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
13082 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
13083 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
13084 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
13086 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
13087 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
13090 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
13091 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
13092 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
13093 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
13094 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
13095 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
13096 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
13099 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
13100 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
13103 @node Server Buffer Format
13104 @subsection Server Buffer Format
13105 @cindex server buffer format
13107 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
13108 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
13109 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
13110 variable, with some simple extensions:
13115 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
13118 The name of this server.
13121 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
13124 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
13127 Whether this server is agentized.
13130 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
13131 The mode line can also be customized by using the
13132 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
13133 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
13143 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
13146 @node Server Commands
13147 @subsection Server Commands
13148 @cindex server commands
13154 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
13155 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
13156 command or better use it as a prefix key.
13160 @findex gnus-server-add-server
13161 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
13165 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
13166 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
13170 @findex gnus-server-show-server
13171 Show the definition of a server (@code{gnus-server-show-server}).
13174 @kindex SPACE (Server)
13175 @findex gnus-server-read-server
13176 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
13180 @findex gnus-server-exit
13181 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
13185 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
13186 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
13190 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
13191 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
13195 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
13196 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
13200 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
13201 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
13205 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
13206 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
13207 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
13212 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
13213 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
13214 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
13215 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
13219 @findex gnus-server-compact-server
13221 Compact all groups in the server under point
13222 (@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
13223 nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
13224 hence getting a correct total article count.
13228 Some more commands for closing, disabling, and re-opening servers are
13229 listed in @ref{Unavailable Servers}.
13232 @node Example Methods
13233 @subsection Example Methods
13235 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
13238 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
13241 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
13247 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
13248 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
13251 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
13252 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
13254 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
13255 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
13259 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
13262 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
13263 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
13265 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
13266 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
13267 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
13271 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
13274 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
13277 Here's the method for a public spool:
13281 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
13282 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
13288 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
13289 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
13290 on the firewall machine and connect with
13291 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} from there to the
13292 @acronym{NNTP} server.
13293 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
13294 should probably look something like this:
13298 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)
13299 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
13300 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host"))
13303 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
13304 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
13305 configuration to the example above:
13308 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13311 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
13312 an indirect connection:
13315 (setq gnus-select-method
13317 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
13318 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
13319 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
13320 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13321 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C"))
13322 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)))
13325 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
13326 provide automatic authorization, of course.
13328 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
13329 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
13330 netcat connection to the news server as follows:
13334 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13335 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
13336 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13340 @node Creating a Virtual Server
13341 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
13343 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
13344 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
13346 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
13347 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
13348 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
13350 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
13352 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
13353 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
13354 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
13355 will contain the following:
13365 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
13366 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
13369 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
13370 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
13371 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
13374 @node Server Variables
13375 @subsection Server Variables
13376 @cindex server variables
13377 @cindex server parameters
13379 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
13380 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
13381 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
13382 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
13383 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
13385 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
13386 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
13387 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
13388 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
13389 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
13390 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
13391 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
13392 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
13393 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
13397 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
13398 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
13399 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
13402 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
13404 @node Servers and Methods
13405 @subsection Servers and Methods
13407 Wherever you would normally use a select method
13408 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
13409 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
13410 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
13414 @node Unavailable Servers
13415 @subsection Unavailable Servers
13417 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
13418 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
13419 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
13420 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
13421 actually the case or not.
13423 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
13424 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
13425 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
13426 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
13427 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
13428 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
13429 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
13430 it will regard that server as ``down''.
13432 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
13433 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
13435 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
13436 with the following commands:
13442 @findex gnus-server-open-server
13443 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
13444 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
13448 @findex gnus-server-close-server
13449 Close the connection (if any) to the server
13450 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
13454 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
13455 Mark the current server as unreachable
13456 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
13459 @kindex M-o (Server)
13460 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
13461 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
13462 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
13465 @kindex M-c (Server)
13466 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
13467 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
13468 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
13472 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
13473 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
13474 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
13478 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
13479 Copy a server and give it a new name
13480 (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}). This can be useful if you have a
13481 complex method definition, and want to use the same definition towards
13482 a different (physical) server.
13486 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
13487 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
13493 @section Getting News
13494 @cindex reading news
13495 @cindex news back ends
13497 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
13498 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
13499 or it can read from a local spool.
13502 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
13503 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
13511 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
13512 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
13513 server as the, uhm, address.
13515 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
13516 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
13517 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
13518 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13520 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
13521 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
13522 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
13524 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
13529 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
13530 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
13531 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
13533 @cindex authentication
13534 @cindex nntp authentication
13535 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
13536 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
13537 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
13538 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
13539 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
13540 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
13541 present in this hook.
13543 @item nntp-authinfo-function
13544 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
13545 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
13546 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
13547 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
13548 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
13549 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
13550 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
13551 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
13552 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
13553 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
13554 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
13558 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
13561 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
13563 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
13564 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
13565 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
13566 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
13567 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
13568 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
13569 @samp{force} is explained below.
13573 Here's an example file:
13576 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
13577 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
13580 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
13581 have to be first, for instance.
13583 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
13584 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
13585 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
13586 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
13587 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
13588 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
13589 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
13591 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
13592 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
13598 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
13599 previously mentioned.
13601 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
13603 @item nntp-server-action-alist
13604 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
13605 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
13606 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
13607 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
13610 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
13611 '(("innd" (ding))))
13614 You probably don't want to do that, though.
13616 The default value is
13619 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
13620 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
13621 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
13624 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
13625 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
13627 @item nntp-maximum-request
13628 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
13629 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
13630 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
13631 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
13632 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
13633 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
13634 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
13636 @item nntp-connection-timeout
13637 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
13638 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
13639 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
13640 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
13641 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
13642 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
13643 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
13644 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
13645 no timeouts are done.
13647 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
13648 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
13649 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
13650 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
13653 @item nntp-xover-commands
13654 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
13655 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
13657 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
13658 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
13662 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
13663 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
13664 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
13665 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
13666 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
13667 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
13668 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
13669 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
13670 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
13671 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
13672 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
13674 @item nntp-xref-number-is-evil
13675 @vindex nntp-xref-number-is-evil
13676 When Gnus refers to an article having the @code{Message-ID} that a user
13677 specifies or having the @code{Message-ID} of the parent article of the
13678 current one (@pxref{Finding the Parent}), Gnus sends a @code{HEAD}
13679 command to the @acronym{NNTP} server to know where it is, and the server
13680 returns the data containing the pairs of a group and an article number
13681 in the @code{Xref} header. Gnus normally uses the article number to
13682 refer to the article if the data shows that that article is in the
13683 current group, while it uses the @code{Message-ID} otherwise. However,
13684 some news servers, e.g., ones running Diablo, run multiple engines
13685 having the same articles but article numbers are not kept synchronized
13686 between them. In that case, the article number that appears in the
13687 @code{Xref} header varies by which engine is chosen, so you cannot refer
13688 to the parent article that is in the current group, for instance. If
13689 you connect to such a server, set this variable to a non-@code{nil}
13690 value, and Gnus never uses article numbers. For example:
13693 (setq gnus-select-method
13695 (nntp-address "newszilla.example.com")
13696 (nntp-xref-number-is-evil t)
13700 The default value of this server variable is @code{nil}.
13702 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
13703 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
13704 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
13706 @item nntp-record-commands
13707 @vindex nntp-record-commands
13708 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
13709 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
13710 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
13711 that doesn't seem to work.
13713 @item nntp-open-connection-function
13714 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
13715 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
13716 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
13717 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
13718 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
13719 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
13720 indirect ones (three pre-made).
13722 @item nntp-never-echoes-commands
13723 @vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
13724 Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
13725 reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
13726 to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
13727 @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
13728 example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
13729 @code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
13730 overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
13732 @item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
13733 @vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
13734 List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
13735 you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
13736 not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
13737 @code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
13738 default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
13740 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
13741 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
13742 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
13743 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
13744 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
13745 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
13746 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
13749 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
13752 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
13753 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
13755 @item nntp-server-list-active-group
13756 If @code{nil}, then always use @samp{GROUP} instead of @samp{LIST
13757 ACTIVE}. This is usually slower, but on misconfigured servers that
13758 don't update their active files often, this can help.
13764 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
13765 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
13766 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
13770 @node Direct Functions
13771 @subsubsection Direct Functions
13772 @cindex direct connection functions
13774 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
13775 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
13776 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
13777 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13780 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
13781 @item nntp-open-network-stream
13782 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
13783 remote system. If both Emacs and the server supports it, the
13784 connection will be upgraded to an encrypted @acronym{STARTTLS}
13785 connection automatically.
13788 The same as the above, but don't do automatic @acronym{STARTTLS} upgrades.
13790 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
13791 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
13792 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13793 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GnuTLS}
13794 installed. You then define a server as follows:
13797 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13798 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
13800 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13801 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
13802 (nntp-port-number 563)
13803 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13806 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
13807 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
13808 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13809 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
13810 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
13811 then define a server as follows:
13814 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13815 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
13817 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13818 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
13819 (nntp-port-number 563)
13820 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13823 @findex nntp-open-netcat-stream
13824 @item nntp-open-netcat-stream
13825 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server using the @code{netcat}
13826 program. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have
13827 the default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
13828 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
13829 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
13830 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
13834 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13835 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
13836 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13839 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
13840 session, which is not a good idea.
13842 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
13843 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
13844 Like @code{nntp-open-netcat-stream}, but uses @code{telnet} rather than
13845 @code{netcat}. @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things
13846 like line-end-conversion, but sometimes netcat is simply
13847 not available. The previous example would turn into:
13851 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13852 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
13853 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
13854 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
13859 @node Indirect Functions
13860 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
13861 @cindex indirect connection functions
13863 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
13864 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13865 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
13866 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
13867 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
13868 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13871 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13872 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13873 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then uses @code{netcat} to connect
13874 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
13875 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
13877 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
13880 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13881 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13882 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13883 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13885 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13886 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13887 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13888 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
13889 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
13890 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections.
13893 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13894 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13895 Does essentially the same, but uses @code{telnet} instead of @samp{netcat}
13896 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
13897 @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things like
13898 line-end-conversion, but sometimes @code{netcat} is simply not available.
13900 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13903 @item nntp-telnet-command
13904 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13905 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
13906 intermediate host. The default is @samp{telnet}.
13908 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13909 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13910 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13911 @code{nntp-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{("-8")}.
13913 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13914 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13915 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13916 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13918 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13919 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13920 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13921 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. If you use @samp{ssh}, you may need to set
13922 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
13923 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
13924 host. The default is @code{nil}.
13927 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13928 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13930 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13931 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13932 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
13933 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
13935 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13938 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
13939 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
13940 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
13943 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
13944 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
13945 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13946 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
13948 @item nntp-via-user-password
13949 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
13950 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
13952 @item nntp-via-envuser
13953 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
13954 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
13955 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
13956 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
13958 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
13959 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
13960 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
13961 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
13965 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13966 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13970 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
13975 @item nntp-via-user-name
13976 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
13977 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
13979 @item nntp-via-address
13980 @vindex nntp-via-address
13981 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
13986 @node Common Variables
13987 @subsubsection Common Variables
13989 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
13990 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
13991 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
13992 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
13993 variables individually).
13997 @item nntp-pre-command
13998 @vindex nntp-pre-command
13999 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
14000 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
14001 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
14002 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
14005 @vindex nntp-address
14006 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14008 @item nntp-port-number
14009 @vindex nntp-port-number
14010 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14011 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
14012 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
14013 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
14014 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
14015 not work with named ports.
14017 @item nntp-end-of-line
14018 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
14019 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
14020 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
14021 using a non native telnet connection function.
14023 @item nntp-netcat-command
14024 @vindex nntp-netcat-command
14025 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
14026 @samp{netcat}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
14027 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14030 @item nntp-netcat-switches
14031 @vindex nntp-netcat-switches
14032 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-netcat-command}. The default
14038 @subsection News Spool
14042 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
14043 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
14044 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
14047 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
14048 anything else) as the address.
14050 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
14051 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
14052 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
14053 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
14057 @item nnspool-inews-program
14058 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
14059 Program used to post an article.
14061 @item nnspool-inews-switches
14062 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
14063 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
14065 @item nnspool-spool-directory
14066 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
14067 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
14068 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
14070 @item nnspool-nov-directory
14071 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
14072 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
14073 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
14075 @item nnspool-lib-dir
14076 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
14077 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
14079 @item nnspool-active-file
14080 @vindex nnspool-active-file
14081 The name of the active file.
14083 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
14084 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
14085 The name of the group descriptions file.
14087 @item nnspool-history-file
14088 @vindex nnspool-history-file
14089 The name of the news history file.
14091 @item nnspool-active-times-file
14092 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
14093 The name of the active date file.
14095 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
14096 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
14097 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
14100 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14101 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14103 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
14104 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
14105 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
14112 @section Using IMAP
14115 The most popular mail backend is probably @code{nnimap}, which
14116 provides access to @acronym{IMAP} servers. @acronym{IMAP} servers
14117 store mail remotely, so the client doesn't store anything locally.
14118 This means that it's a convenient choice when you're reading your mail
14119 from different locations, or with different user agents.
14122 * Connecting to an IMAP Server:: Getting started with @acronym{IMAP}.
14123 * Customizing the IMAP Connection:: Variables for @acronym{IMAP} connection.
14124 * Client-Side IMAP Splitting:: Put mail in the correct mail box.
14128 @node Connecting to an IMAP Server
14129 @subsection Connecting to an IMAP Server
14131 Connecting to an @acronym{IMAP} can be very easy. Type @kbd{B} in the
14132 group buffer, or (if your primary interest is reading email), say
14136 (setq gnus-select-method
14137 '(nnimap "imap.gmail.com"))
14140 You'll be prompted for a user name and password. If you grow tired of
14141 that, then add the following to your @file{~/.authinfo} file:
14144 machine imap.gmail.com login <username> password <password> port imap
14147 That should basically be it for most users.
14150 @node Customizing the IMAP Connection
14151 @subsection Customizing the IMAP Connection
14153 Here's an example method that's more complex:
14156 (nnimap "imap.gmail.com"
14157 (nnimap-inbox "INBOX")
14158 (nnimap-split-methods default)
14160 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14164 @item nnimap-address
14165 The address of the server, like @samp{imap.gmail.com}.
14167 @item nnimap-server-port
14168 If the server uses a non-standard port, that can be specified here. A
14169 typical port would be @code{"imap"} or @code{"imaps"}.
14171 @item nnimap-stream
14172 How @code{nnimap} should connect to the server. Possible values are:
14176 This is the default, and this first tries the @code{ssl} setting, and
14177 then tries the @code{network} setting.
14180 This uses standard @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
14183 Non-encrypted and unsafe straight socket connection, but will upgrade
14184 to encrypted @acronym{STARTTLS} if both Emacs and the server
14188 Encrypted @acronym{STARTTLS} over the normal @acronym{IMAP} port.
14191 If you need to tunnel via other systems to connect to the server, you
14192 can use this option, and customize @code{nnimap-shell-program} to be
14197 @item nnimap-authenticator
14198 Some @acronym{IMAP} servers allow anonymous logins. In that case,
14199 this should be set to @code{anonymous}.
14201 @item nnimap-expunge
14202 If non-@code{nil}, expunge articles after deleting them. This is always done
14203 if the server supports UID EXPUNGE, but it's not done by default on
14204 servers that doesn't support that command.
14206 @item nnimap-streaming
14207 Virtually all @acronym{IMAP} server support fast streaming of data.
14208 If you have problems connecting to the server, try setting this to
14211 @item nnimap-fetch-partial-articles
14212 If non-@code{nil}, fetch partial articles from the server. If set to
14213 a string, then it's interpreted as a regexp, and parts that have
14214 matching types will be fetched. For instance, @samp{"text/"} will
14215 fetch all textual parts, while leaving the rest on the server.
14217 @item nnimap-record-commands
14218 If non-@code{nil}, record all @acronym{IMAP} commands in the
14219 @samp{"*imap log*"} buffer.
14224 @node Client-Side IMAP Splitting
14225 @subsection Client-Side IMAP Splitting
14227 Many people prefer to do the sorting/splitting of mail into their mail
14228 boxes on the @acronym{IMAP} server. That way they don't have to
14229 download the mail they're not all that interested in.
14231 If you do want to do client-side mail splitting, then the following
14232 variables are relevant:
14236 This is the @acronym{IMAP} mail box that will be scanned for new
14237 mail. This can also be a list of mail box names.
14239 @item nnimap-split-methods
14240 Uses the same syntax as @code{nnmail-split-methods} (@pxref{Splitting
14241 Mail}), except the symbol @code{default}, which means that it should
14242 use the value of the @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable.
14244 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14245 Uses the same syntax as @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14247 @item nnimap-unsplittable-articles
14248 List of flag symbols to ignore when doing splitting. That is,
14249 articles that have these flags won't be considered when splitting.
14250 The default is @samp{(%Deleted %Seen)}.
14254 Here's a complete example @code{nnimap} backend with a client-side
14255 ``fancy'' splitting method:
14258 (nnimap "imap.example.com"
14259 (nnimap-inbox "INBOX")
14260 (nnimap-split-methods
14261 (| ("MailScanner-SpamCheck" "spam" "spam.detected")
14262 (to "foo@@bar.com" "foo")
14268 @section Getting Mail
14269 @cindex reading mail
14272 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
14276 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
14277 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
14278 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
14279 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
14280 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
14281 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
14282 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
14283 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
14284 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
14285 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
14286 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
14287 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
14288 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
14292 @node Mail in a Newsreader
14293 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
14295 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
14296 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
14297 of a culture shock.
14299 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
14300 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
14302 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
14303 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
14304 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
14305 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
14307 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
14309 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
14310 deleted? How awful!
14312 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
14313 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
14314 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
14315 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
14318 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
14319 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
14320 they want to treat a message.
14322 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
14323 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
14324 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
14325 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
14326 archived somewhere else.
14328 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
14329 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
14330 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
14331 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
14332 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
14334 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
14335 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
14336 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
14338 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
14339 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
14342 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
14343 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
14344 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
14345 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
14346 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
14348 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
14349 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
14350 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
14351 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
14352 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
14353 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
14357 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
14358 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
14360 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
14361 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
14362 and things will happen automatically.
14364 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
14365 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14368 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
14371 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
14372 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
14373 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
14374 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
14375 like any other group.
14377 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
14380 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14381 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14382 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14386 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
14387 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
14388 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
14391 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
14392 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
14393 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
14396 @node Splitting Mail
14397 @subsection Splitting Mail
14398 @cindex splitting mail
14399 @cindex mail splitting
14400 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
14402 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
14403 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
14404 to be split into groups.
14407 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14408 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14409 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14410 ("mail.other" "")))
14413 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
14414 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
14415 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
14416 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
14417 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
14418 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
14419 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
14422 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
14426 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
14427 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14429 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14430 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
14431 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
14432 mail belongs in that group.
14434 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
14435 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
14436 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
14437 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
14438 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
14439 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
14440 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
14441 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
14442 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
14443 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
14445 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
14446 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
14447 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
14448 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
14449 thinks should carry this mail message.
14451 This variable can also be a fancy split method. For the syntax,
14452 see @ref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14454 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
14455 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
14456 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
14457 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
14459 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
14460 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
14461 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
14462 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
14463 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
14465 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
14468 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
14469 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
14470 links. If that's the case for you, set
14471 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
14472 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
14474 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
14475 @findex nnmail-split-history
14476 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
14477 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
14478 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
14479 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
14482 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
14483 Header lines longer than the value of
14484 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
14487 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
14488 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
14489 By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
14490 non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
14491 articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
14492 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
14493 In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
14494 variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
14495 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
14496 value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
14497 string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
14498 charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
14500 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
14501 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
14502 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
14503 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
14504 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
14505 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
14506 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
14507 other kinds of entries.)
14509 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
14510 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
14511 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
14512 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
14513 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
14514 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
14515 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
14516 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
14517 month's rent money.
14521 @subsection Mail Sources
14523 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
14524 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
14525 maildir, for instance.
14528 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
14529 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
14530 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
14534 @node Mail Source Specifiers
14535 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
14537 @cindex mail server
14540 @cindex mail source
14542 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
14543 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
14548 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
14551 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
14552 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
14553 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
14556 The @code{mail-sources} is global for all mail groups. You can specify
14557 an additional mail source for a particular group by including the
14558 @code{group} mail specifier in @code{mail-sources}, and setting a
14559 @code{mail-source} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) specifying
14560 a single mail source. When this is used, @code{mail-sources} is
14561 typically just @code{(group)}; the @code{mail-source} parameter for a
14562 group might look like this:
14565 (mail-source . (file :path "home/user/spools/foo.spool"))
14568 This means that the group's (and only this group's) messages will be
14569 fetched from the spool file @samp{/user/spools/foo.spool}.
14571 The following mail source types are available:
14575 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
14581 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
14582 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
14583 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
14587 Script run before/after fetching mail.
14590 An example file mail source:
14593 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
14596 Or using the default file name:
14602 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
14603 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
14604 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
14605 mail spool while moving the mail.
14607 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
14611 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
14614 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
14618 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
14621 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
14623 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
14626 Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
14627 file you want to use.
14631 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
14632 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
14633 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
14634 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
14635 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
14636 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
14637 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
14638 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
14639 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
14640 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
14642 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
14643 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
14644 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
14645 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
14651 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
14655 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
14659 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
14660 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
14661 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
14662 predicate are considered.
14666 Script run before/after fetching mail.
14670 An example directory mail source:
14673 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
14678 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
14684 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
14685 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
14688 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
14689 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
14690 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
14691 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
14692 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
14695 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
14699 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
14700 the user is prompted.
14703 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
14704 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
14707 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
14710 The valid format specifier characters are:
14714 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
14715 included in this string.
14718 The name of the server.
14721 The port number of the server.
14724 The user name to use.
14727 The password to use.
14730 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
14731 corresponding keywords.
14734 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
14735 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
14737 One popular way to use this is to set up an SSH tunnel to access the
14738 @acronym{POP} server. Here's an example:
14741 (pop :server "127.0.0.1"
14746 "nohup ssh -f -L 1234:pop.server:110 remote.host sleep 3600 &")
14750 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
14751 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
14754 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
14755 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
14756 mail should be moved to.
14758 @item :authentication
14759 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
14760 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
14765 @vindex pop3-movemail
14766 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
14767 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
14768 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server}
14769 is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
14770 after fetching when using @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers
14771 maintain no state information between sessions, so what the client
14772 believes is there and what is actually there may not match up. If they
14773 do not, then you may get duplicate mails or the whole thing can fall
14774 apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
14776 Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
14777 Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
14778 name, and default fetcher:
14784 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
14787 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
14788 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
14791 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
14794 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
14798 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
14799 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
14800 contains exactly one mail.
14806 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
14807 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
14810 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
14811 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
14813 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
14814 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
14815 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
14818 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
14819 from locking problems).
14823 Two example maildir mail sources:
14826 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
14827 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
14831 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
14836 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
14837 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
14838 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
14839 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
14840 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{Using IMAP}, for more information.
14846 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
14847 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
14850 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
14851 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
14854 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
14858 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
14862 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
14863 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
14864 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
14865 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
14867 @item :authentication
14868 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
14869 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
14870 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
14871 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
14874 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
14875 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
14876 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
14882 Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
14883 don't forget to redirect the error output to the void. The valid format
14884 specifier characters are:
14888 The name of the server.
14891 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
14894 The port number of the server.
14897 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
14898 corresponding keywords.
14901 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
14902 which normally is the mailbox which receives incoming mail.
14905 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
14906 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
14907 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
14908 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
14909 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
14910 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
14913 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
14914 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
14915 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
14916 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
14919 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
14920 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
14924 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
14927 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
14929 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
14933 Get the actual mail source from the @code{mail-source} group parameter,
14934 @xref{Group Parameters}.
14939 @item Common Keywords
14940 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
14946 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
14947 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
14952 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
14957 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
14958 useful when you use local mail and news.
14963 @subsubsection Function Interface
14965 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
14966 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
14967 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
14968 consider the following mail-source setting:
14971 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
14972 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
14975 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
14976 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
14977 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
14978 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
14979 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
14981 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
14984 @node Mail Source Customization
14985 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
14987 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
14988 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
14992 @item mail-source-crash-box
14993 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
14994 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
14995 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
14998 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
14999 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
15000 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
15001 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
15002 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
15003 (the deletion will only happen when receiving new mail). You may also
15004 set @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
15005 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
15006 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{10} in alpha Gnusae
15007 and @code{2} in released Gnusae. @xref{Gnus Development}.
15009 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15010 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15011 If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
15012 files. This variable only applies when
15013 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
15015 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
15016 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
15017 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
15019 @item mail-source-directory
15020 @vindex mail-source-directory
15021 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
15022 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
15023 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
15024 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
15026 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15027 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15028 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
15029 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
15030 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
15031 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
15034 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
15035 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
15036 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is @code{#o600}.
15038 @item mail-source-movemail-program
15039 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
15040 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
15041 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
15046 @node Fetching Mail
15047 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
15049 @vindex mail-sources
15050 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
15051 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
15052 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
15054 If this variable is @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to
15055 fetch mail by themselves.
15057 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
15058 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
15063 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15064 :password "secret")))
15067 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
15071 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
15072 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15075 :password "secret")))
15079 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
15080 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
15081 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
15082 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
15083 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
15084 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
15088 @node Mail Back End Variables
15089 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
15091 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
15095 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15096 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15097 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
15098 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
15100 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
15101 @item nnmail-split-hook
15102 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
15103 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
15104 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
15105 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
15106 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
15107 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
15108 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
15109 in the buffer will show up in any files.
15110 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
15113 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15114 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15115 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15116 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15117 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
15118 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
15119 starting to handle the new mail) and
15120 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
15121 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
15122 default file modes the new mail files get:
15125 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15126 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes #o700)))
15128 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15129 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes #o775)))
15132 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
15133 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
15134 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
15135 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
15136 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
15137 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
15138 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
15140 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
15141 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
15142 @findex delete-file
15143 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
15145 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15146 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15147 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
15148 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
15149 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
15151 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15152 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15153 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
15154 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
15155 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
15157 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
15158 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
15159 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
15164 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
15165 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
15166 @cindex mail splitting
15167 @cindex fancy mail splitting
15169 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
15170 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
15171 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
15172 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
15173 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
15174 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
15176 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
15179 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
15180 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
15181 ;; @r{from real errors.}
15182 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
15184 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
15185 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
15186 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
15187 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
15188 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
15189 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
15190 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
15191 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
15192 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
15193 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
15194 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
15195 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
15196 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
15197 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
15198 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
15199 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
15200 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
15204 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
15205 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
15206 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
15211 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
15212 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
15214 @c Don't fold this line.
15215 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
15216 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
15217 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
15218 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
15221 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
15222 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
15223 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
15224 @var{split} is processed.
15226 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
15227 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
15228 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
15229 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15231 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
15232 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
15233 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
15234 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
15235 stored in one or more groups.
15237 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
15238 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
15239 process all @var{split}s in the list.
15242 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
15243 this message. Use with extreme caution.
15245 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
15246 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
15247 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
15248 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
15251 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
15252 body of the messages:
15255 (defun split-on-body ()
15259 (goto-char (point-min))
15260 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
15264 The buffer is narrowed to the header of the message in question when
15265 @var{function} is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called
15266 after @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
15267 above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
15268 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
15269 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
15270 (@pxref{Client-Side IMAP Splitting}).
15272 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
15273 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
15274 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
15275 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
15276 should return a split.
15279 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
15283 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
15285 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
15286 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
15287 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
15288 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
15292 (any "joe" "joemail")
15296 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
15297 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
15298 of the following three ways:
15302 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
15303 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
15304 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
15305 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
15306 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
15309 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
15312 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
15313 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
15314 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
15315 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
15316 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
15319 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
15320 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
15321 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
15322 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15323 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
15324 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15325 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15328 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
15329 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
15330 they are expanded as specified by the variable
15331 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
15332 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
15333 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
15334 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
15338 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
15340 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
15341 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
15343 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
15346 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
15347 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
15348 when all this splitting is performed.
15350 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
15351 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
15352 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
15355 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
15358 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
15359 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
15361 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
15362 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
15363 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
15364 groupings 1 through 9.
15366 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
15367 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
15368 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
15369 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
15370 groups when users send to an address using different case
15371 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
15374 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
15375 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
15376 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
15377 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
15378 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
15379 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
15380 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
15381 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
15382 it once per thread.
15384 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
15385 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
15386 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
15387 using the colon feature, like so:
15389 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
15390 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
15392 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
15393 ;; @r{other splits go here}
15397 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
15398 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
15399 in the file specified by the variable
15400 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
15401 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
15402 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
15403 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
15404 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
15405 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
15406 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
15407 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
15408 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
15409 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
15410 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
15411 300 kBytes in size.)
15412 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15413 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
15414 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
15415 messages goes into the new group.
15417 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
15418 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
15419 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
15420 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
15421 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
15422 ``outgoing'' group.
15425 @node Group Mail Splitting
15426 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
15427 @cindex mail splitting
15428 @cindex group mail splitting
15430 @findex gnus-group-split
15431 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
15432 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
15433 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
15434 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
15435 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
15436 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
15437 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
15438 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
15440 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
15441 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
15442 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
15443 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
15445 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
15446 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
15447 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
15448 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
15449 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
15450 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
15451 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
15453 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
15454 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
15455 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
15456 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
15457 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
15458 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
15459 @code{gnus-group-split}.
15461 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
15462 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
15463 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
15464 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
15465 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
15466 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
15467 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
15468 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
15469 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
15470 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
15471 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
15472 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
15473 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
15475 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
15480 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
15481 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
15483 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
15484 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
15485 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
15486 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
15488 ((split-spec . catch-all))
15491 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
15492 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
15493 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
15496 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
15497 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
15498 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
15502 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
15503 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
15504 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
15508 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
15511 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
15512 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
15513 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
15514 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
15515 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
15516 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
15517 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
15518 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
15519 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
15521 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
15522 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
15523 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
15524 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
15525 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
15526 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
15527 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
15528 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
15529 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
15531 @findex gnus-group-split-update
15532 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
15533 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
15534 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
15535 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
15536 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
15539 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
15542 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
15543 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
15544 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
15545 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
15546 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
15549 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
15550 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
15551 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
15552 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
15554 @node Incorporating Old Mail
15555 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
15556 @cindex incorporating old mail
15557 @cindex import old mail
15559 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
15560 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
15561 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
15564 Doing so can be quite easy.
15566 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
15567 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
15568 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
15569 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
15570 your @code{nnml} groups.
15576 Go to the group buffer.
15579 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
15580 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15583 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
15586 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
15587 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
15590 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
15591 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
15594 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
15595 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
15596 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
15597 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
15598 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
15600 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
15601 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
15602 using the new mail back end.
15605 @node Expiring Mail
15606 @subsection Expiring Mail
15607 @cindex article expiry
15608 @cindex expiring mail
15610 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
15611 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
15612 different approach to mail reading.
15614 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
15615 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
15616 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
15617 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
15618 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
15619 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
15622 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
15623 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
15624 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
15625 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
15626 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
15627 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
15628 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
15629 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
15630 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
15632 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-marks
15633 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
15634 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
15635 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
15636 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
15637 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
15638 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
15639 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} (and so on) are considered
15640 expirable. @code{gnus-auto-expirable-marks} has the full list of
15643 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
15644 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
15645 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
15646 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
15647 into its own group.)
15649 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
15650 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
15651 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
15652 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
15653 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
15654 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
15655 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
15656 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
15659 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
15660 Groups that match the regular expression
15661 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
15662 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
15663 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
15665 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
15666 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
15667 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
15668 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
15669 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15671 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
15673 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
15674 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
15675 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
15678 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
15679 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
15680 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
15681 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
15682 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
15684 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
15685 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
15688 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
15689 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
15692 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
15693 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
15695 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
15696 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
15697 don't really mix very well.
15699 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
15700 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
15701 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
15702 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
15705 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
15706 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
15707 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
15708 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
15711 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15713 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15715 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
15717 ((string= group "mail.junk")
15719 ((string= group "important")
15725 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
15726 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
15728 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
15729 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
15730 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
15733 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
15734 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
15736 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
15737 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
15738 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
15739 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
15740 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
15741 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
15742 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
15743 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
15744 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
15745 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
15746 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
15747 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
15748 name or @code{delete}.
15750 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
15752 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
15755 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
15756 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
15757 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
15758 expire mail to groups according to the variable
15759 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
15762 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
15763 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
15764 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
15765 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
15766 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
15769 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
15770 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
15771 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
15772 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
15773 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
15774 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
15776 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
15777 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
15778 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
15779 easier for procmail users.
15781 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
15782 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
15783 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
15784 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
15785 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
15786 caution. Even more dangerous is the
15787 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
15788 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
15789 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
15790 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
15791 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
15792 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
15793 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
15796 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
15798 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
15799 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
15800 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
15801 auto-expire turned on.
15803 @vindex gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable
15804 The expirable marks of articles will be removed when copying or moving
15805 them to a group in which auto-expire is not turned on. This is for
15806 preventing articles from being expired unintentionally. On the other
15807 hand, to a group that has turned auto-expire on, the expirable marks of
15808 articles that are copied or moved will not be changed by default. I.e.,
15809 when copying or moving to such a group, articles that were expirable
15810 will be left expirable and ones that were not expirable will not be
15811 marked as expirable. So, even though in auto-expire groups, some
15812 articles will never get expired (unless you read them again). If you
15813 don't side with that behavior that unexpirable articles may be mixed
15814 into auto-expire groups, you can set
15815 @code{gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable} to a
15816 non-@code{nil} value. In that case, articles that have been read will
15817 be marked as expirable automatically when being copied or moved to a
15818 group that has auto-expire turned on. The default value is @code{nil}.
15822 @subsection Washing Mail
15823 @cindex mail washing
15824 @cindex list server brain damage
15825 @cindex incoming mail treatment
15827 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
15828 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
15829 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
15830 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
15831 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
15832 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
15834 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
15835 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
15836 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
15839 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
15840 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
15841 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
15842 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
15845 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
15846 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
15847 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
15848 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
15849 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
15852 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
15853 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
15854 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
15855 Emacs running on MS machines.
15859 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
15860 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
15861 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
15862 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
15865 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
15866 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
15867 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
15868 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
15870 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
15871 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
15872 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
15873 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
15874 into a feature by documenting it.)
15876 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
15877 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
15878 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
15879 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
15880 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
15881 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
15882 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
15885 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
15886 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
15889 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
15890 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
15893 This can also be done non-destructively with
15894 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
15896 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
15897 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
15898 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
15900 @item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
15901 @findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
15902 @c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
15905 Some mail user agents (e.g. Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
15906 @code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
15907 function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
15908 contain a line matching the regular expression
15909 @code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
15913 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
15914 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
15915 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
15919 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
15920 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
15921 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
15928 @subsection Duplicates
15930 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
15931 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
15932 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
15933 @cindex duplicate mails
15934 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
15935 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
15936 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
15937 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
15938 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
15939 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
15940 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
15941 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
15942 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
15943 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
15944 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
15945 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
15946 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
15948 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
15949 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
15950 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
15951 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
15953 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
15956 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
15957 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
15961 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
15962 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
15963 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
15964 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
15965 (any mail "mail.misc")
15966 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15972 (setq nnmail-split-methods
15973 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
15974 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15978 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
15979 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
15980 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
15981 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
15982 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
15985 @node Not Reading Mail
15986 @subsection Not Reading Mail
15988 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
15989 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
15990 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
15992 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
15993 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
15994 mail, which should help.
15996 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15997 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15998 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15999 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16000 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16001 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
16002 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old (pre-Emacs
16003 23) Rmail file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
16004 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
16005 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
16006 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
16008 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
16009 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
16013 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
16014 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
16016 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
16017 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
16018 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
16020 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
16021 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
16022 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
16026 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
16027 * Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
16028 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
16029 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
16030 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
16031 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
16032 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
16037 @node Unix Mail Box
16038 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
16040 @cindex unix mail box
16042 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16043 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16044 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
16045 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
16046 which group it belongs in.
16048 Virtual server settings:
16051 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
16052 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16053 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
16056 @item nnmbox-active-file
16057 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16058 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
16059 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
16061 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
16062 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16063 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
16064 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
16069 @subsubsection Babyl
16072 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16073 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16074 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box to store mail.
16075 @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail article to say which
16076 group it belongs in.
16078 Virtual server settings:
16081 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
16082 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16083 The name of the Babyl file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
16085 @item nnbabyl-active-file
16086 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16087 The name of the active file for the Babyl file. The default is
16088 @file{~/.rmail-active}
16090 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16091 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16092 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
16098 @subsubsection Mail Spool
16100 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
16102 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
16103 format. It should be used with some caution.
16105 @vindex nnml-directory
16106 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
16107 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
16108 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
16109 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
16111 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
16114 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
16115 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
16116 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
16117 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
16118 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
16119 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
16120 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
16121 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
16123 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
16124 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
16125 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
16126 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
16128 Virtual server settings:
16131 @item nnml-directory
16132 @vindex nnml-directory
16133 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
16134 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
16137 @item nnml-active-file
16138 @vindex nnml-active-file
16139 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
16140 @file{~/Mail/active}.
16142 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
16143 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
16144 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16145 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
16147 @item nnml-get-new-mail
16148 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16149 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
16152 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
16153 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
16154 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16155 default is @code{nil}.
16157 @item nnml-nov-file-name
16158 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
16159 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
16161 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16162 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16163 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
16165 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
16166 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
16167 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
16168 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
16169 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
16170 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
16171 as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
16172 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
16173 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
16175 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16176 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16177 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
16178 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
16179 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
16183 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
16184 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
16185 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
16186 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
16187 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
16188 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
16189 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
16194 @subsubsection MH Spool
16196 @cindex mh-e mail spool
16198 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
16199 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
16200 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
16201 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
16204 Virtual server settings:
16207 @item nnmh-directory
16208 @vindex nnmh-directory
16209 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
16210 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
16213 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
16214 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16215 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
16219 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
16220 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
16221 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
16222 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
16223 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
16224 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
16225 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
16230 @subsubsection Maildir
16234 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
16235 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
16236 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
16237 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
16238 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
16241 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
16242 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
16243 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
16244 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
16245 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
16246 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
16247 that appear as group in Gnus.
16249 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
16250 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
16251 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
16253 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
16254 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
16255 another, and you will keep your marks.
16257 Virtual server settings:
16261 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
16262 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
16263 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
16264 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
16265 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
16266 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
16267 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
16268 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
16269 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
16270 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
16272 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
16273 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
16274 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
16275 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
16276 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
16277 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
16278 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
16279 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
16280 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
16281 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
16284 @item target-prefix
16285 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
16286 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
16287 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
16290 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
16291 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
16292 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
16293 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
16294 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
16295 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
16296 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
16297 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
16298 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
16300 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
16301 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
16302 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
16303 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
16304 symlinks pointing to them will be).
16306 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
16307 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
16308 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
16309 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
16310 @code{force} argument.
16312 @item directory-files
16313 This should be a function with the same interface as
16314 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
16315 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
16316 parameter is optional; the default is
16317 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
16318 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
16319 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
16320 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
16321 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
16322 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
16325 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
16326 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
16327 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
16328 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
16329 value is @code{nil}.
16331 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
16332 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
16333 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
16334 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
16335 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
16338 @subsubsection Group parameters
16340 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
16341 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
16342 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
16343 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
16344 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
16345 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
16348 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
16349 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
16350 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
16351 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
16352 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
16353 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
16354 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
16355 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
16356 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
16360 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
16361 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
16362 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
16363 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
16364 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
16365 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
16366 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
16367 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
16368 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
16369 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
16370 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
16371 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
16372 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
16375 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
16377 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
16379 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
16380 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
16381 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
16382 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
16383 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
16384 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
16385 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
16386 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
16387 article. So that form can refer to
16388 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
16389 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
16390 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
16391 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
16394 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
16395 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
16396 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
16397 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
16398 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
16399 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
16400 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
16401 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
16402 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
16403 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
16404 contain extra copies of the articles.
16406 @item directory-files
16407 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
16408 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
16409 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
16410 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
16412 @item distrust-Lines:
16413 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
16414 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
16415 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
16418 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
16419 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16420 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
16421 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
16422 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
16423 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
16426 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
16427 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16428 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
16429 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
16430 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
16431 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
16432 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
16434 @item nov-cache-size
16435 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
16436 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
16437 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
16438 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
16439 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
16440 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
16441 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
16442 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
16443 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
16444 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
16445 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
16448 @subsubsection Article identification
16449 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
16450 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
16451 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
16452 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
16453 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
16454 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
16455 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
16456 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
16457 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
16458 request the article in the summary buffer.
16460 @subsubsection NOV data
16461 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
16462 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
16463 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
16464 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
16465 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
16466 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
16467 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
16468 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
16469 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
16470 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
16471 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
16473 @subsubsection Article marks
16474 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
16475 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
16476 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
16477 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
16478 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
16479 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
16480 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
16481 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
16483 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
16484 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
16485 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
16486 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
16487 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
16488 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
16489 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
16490 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
16491 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
16495 @subsubsection Mail Folders
16497 @cindex mbox folders
16498 @cindex mail folders
16500 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
16501 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
16502 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
16503 numbers and arrival dates.
16505 Virtual server settings:
16508 @item nnfolder-directory
16509 @vindex nnfolder-directory
16510 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
16511 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
16512 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
16514 @item nnfolder-active-file
16515 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
16516 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
16518 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
16519 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
16520 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16521 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
16523 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
16524 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16525 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
16526 default is @code{t}
16528 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
16529 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
16530 @cindex backup files
16531 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
16532 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
16533 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
16534 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
16537 (defun turn-off-backup ()
16538 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
16540 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
16543 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
16544 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
16545 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
16546 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
16547 extract some information from it before removing it.
16549 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
16550 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
16551 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16552 default is @code{nil}.
16554 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
16555 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
16556 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
16558 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
16559 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
16560 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
16561 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
16566 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
16567 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
16568 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
16569 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
16570 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
16571 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
16574 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
16575 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
16577 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
16578 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
16579 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
16580 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
16581 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
16583 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
16584 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
16585 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
16586 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
16587 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
16588 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
16589 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
16590 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
16593 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
16594 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
16595 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
16596 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
16601 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
16602 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
16603 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
16604 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
16605 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
16606 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
16607 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
16608 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
16609 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
16610 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
16611 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
16612 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
16613 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
16618 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
16619 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
16620 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
16621 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
16622 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
16623 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
16624 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
16625 Rmail was Emacs's first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
16626 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
16627 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
16628 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
16629 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
16630 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
16631 course, and is still maintained within Emacs. Since Emacs 23, it
16632 uses standard mbox format rather than Babyl.
16634 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
16635 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
16640 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
16641 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
16642 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
16643 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
16644 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
16645 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
16646 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
16647 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
16648 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
16649 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
16650 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
16651 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
16652 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
16653 provided by the active file and overviews.
16655 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
16656 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
16657 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
16658 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
16659 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
16662 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
16663 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
16668 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
16669 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
16670 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
16671 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
16672 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
16673 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
16674 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
16678 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
16679 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
16680 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
16681 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
16682 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
16683 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
16684 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
16685 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
16686 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
16688 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
16689 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
16690 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
16691 friendly mail back end all over.
16695 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
16696 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
16699 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
16700 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
16701 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
16702 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
16703 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}.
16704 (Use @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this
16705 slows you down or takes up very much space, a non-block-structured
16708 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
16709 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
16710 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
16711 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
16712 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
16713 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
16714 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
16715 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
16716 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
16717 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
16718 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
16720 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
16721 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
16722 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
16723 else, and still have your marks.
16725 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
16726 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
16727 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
16728 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
16729 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
16730 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
16731 removed in the future.
16733 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
16734 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
16735 on your file system.
16737 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
16738 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
16743 @node Browsing the Web
16744 @section Browsing the Web
16746 @cindex browsing the web
16750 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
16751 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
16752 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
16753 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
16754 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
16755 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
16756 even know what a news group is.
16758 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
16759 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
16760 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
16761 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
16762 you mad in the end.
16764 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
16767 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
16768 interfaces to these sources.
16772 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
16773 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
16774 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
16777 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
16778 alternatives to work.
16780 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
16781 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
16782 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
16783 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
16784 though, you should be ok.
16786 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
16787 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
16788 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
16789 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
16790 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
16792 @node Archiving Mail
16793 @subsection Archiving Mail
16794 @cindex archiving mail
16795 @cindex backup of mail
16797 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
16798 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
16799 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
16800 marks is fairly simple.
16802 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
16803 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
16806 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
16807 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
16808 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
16809 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
16810 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
16811 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
16812 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
16813 before you restore the data.
16816 @subsection Web Searches
16821 @cindex Usenet searches
16822 @cindex searching the Usenet
16824 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
16825 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
16826 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
16827 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
16828 searches without having to use a browser.
16830 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
16831 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
16832 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
16833 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
16834 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
16836 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
16837 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
16838 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
16839 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
16840 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
16841 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
16842 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
16843 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
16844 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
16845 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
16848 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
16849 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
16850 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
16851 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
16852 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
16853 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
16855 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
16856 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
16857 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
16859 Virtual server variables:
16864 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
16865 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
16866 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
16869 @vindex nnweb-search
16870 The search string to feed to the search engine.
16872 @item nnweb-max-hits
16873 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
16874 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
16877 @item nnweb-type-definition
16878 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
16879 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
16880 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
16885 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
16889 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
16892 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
16895 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
16899 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
16910 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
16911 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
16912 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
16913 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
16914 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
16916 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
16917 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16919 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
16920 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
16921 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
16924 @kindex G R (Group)
16925 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
16926 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
16927 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
16928 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
16930 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
16931 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
16932 subscribe to groups.
16934 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
16935 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
16936 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
16937 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
16938 variable or other. Also @xref{Non-ASCII Group Names}, for more
16941 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
16942 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
16943 and a @samp{text/html} part.
16946 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
16947 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
16950 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
16951 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
16955 @defun nnrss-opml-export
16956 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
16957 @acronym{OPML} format.
16960 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
16963 @item nnrss-directory
16964 @vindex nnrss-directory
16965 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
16966 @file{~/News/rss/}.
16968 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
16969 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
16970 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
16971 data files. The default is the value of
16972 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
16973 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
16975 @item nnrss-ignore-article-fields
16976 @vindex nnrss-ignore-article-fields
16977 Some feeds update constantly article fields during their publications,
16978 e.g. to indicate the number of comments. However, if there is
16979 a difference between the local article and the distant one, the latter
16980 is considered to be new. To avoid this and discard some fields, set this
16981 variable to the list of fields to be ignored. The default is
16982 @code{'(slash:comments)}.
16984 @item nnrss-use-local
16985 @vindex nnrss-use-local
16986 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
16987 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
16988 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
16989 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
16990 download script using @command{wget}.
16993 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
16994 the summary buffer.
16997 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
16998 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
17000 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
17002 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
17003 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
17006 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
17010 (require 'browse-url)
17012 (defun browse-nnrss-url (arg)
17014 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
17017 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
17018 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
17021 (browse-url (cdr url))
17022 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
17023 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
17025 (eval-after-load "gnus"
17026 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
17027 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
17028 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
17031 Even if you have added @samp{text/html} to the
17032 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
17033 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
17034 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
17035 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
17036 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
17037 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
17038 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
17039 @code{nnrss} groups:
17042 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
17043 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
17045 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
17046 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
17047 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
17049 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
17052 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
17056 @node Customizing W3
17057 @subsection Customizing W3
17063 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
17064 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
17065 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
17068 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
17069 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
17070 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
17073 (eval-after-load "w3"
17075 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
17076 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
17077 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
17078 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
17080 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
17083 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
17084 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
17088 @node Other Sources
17089 @section Other Sources
17091 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
17092 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
17096 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
17097 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
17098 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
17099 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
17100 * The Empty Backend:: The backend that never has any news.
17104 @node Directory Groups
17105 @subsection Directory Groups
17107 @cindex directory groups
17109 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
17110 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
17113 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
17114 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
17115 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
17116 back end to read directories. Big deal.
17118 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
17119 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
17120 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
17121 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
17122 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
17124 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
17126 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
17127 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
17128 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
17129 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
17132 @node Anything Groups
17133 @subsection Anything Groups
17136 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
17137 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
17138 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
17141 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
17142 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
17143 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
17144 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
17145 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
17146 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
17147 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
17148 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
17149 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
17150 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
17153 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
17154 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
17155 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
17156 in the article buffer, just as usual.
17158 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
17159 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
17160 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
17161 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
17163 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
17164 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
17165 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
17166 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
17167 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
17168 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
17169 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
17170 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
17175 @item nneething-map-file-directory
17176 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
17177 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
17178 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
17180 @item nneething-exclude-files
17181 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
17182 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
17183 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
17185 @item nneething-include-files
17186 @vindex nneething-include-files
17187 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
17188 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
17190 @item nneething-map-file
17191 @vindex nneething-map-file
17192 Name of the map files.
17196 @node Document Groups
17197 @subsection Document Groups
17199 @cindex documentation group
17202 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
17203 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
17213 The standard Unix mbox file.
17215 @cindex MMDF mail box
17217 The MMDF mail box format.
17220 Several news articles appended into a file.
17222 @cindex rnews batch files
17224 The rnews batch transport format.
17227 Netscape mail boxes.
17230 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
17232 @item standard-digest
17233 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
17236 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
17238 @item lanl-gov-announce
17239 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
17241 @cindex git commit messages
17243 @code{git} commit messages.
17245 @cindex forwarded messages
17246 @item rfc822-forward
17247 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
17250 The Outlook mail box.
17253 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
17256 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
17259 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
17262 An RFC934-forwarded message.
17268 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
17271 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
17277 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
17278 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
17279 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
17282 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
17283 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
17284 group. And that's it.
17286 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
17287 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
17288 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
17289 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
17290 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
17291 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
17292 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
17293 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
17294 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
17295 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
17297 Virtual server variables:
17300 @item nndoc-article-type
17301 @vindex nndoc-article-type
17302 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
17303 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
17304 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
17305 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
17306 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
17308 @item nndoc-post-type
17309 @vindex nndoc-post-type
17310 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
17311 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
17316 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
17320 @node Document Server Internals
17321 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
17323 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
17324 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
17325 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
17326 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
17328 First, here's an example document type definition:
17332 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
17333 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
17336 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
17337 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
17338 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
17339 types can be defined with very few settings:
17342 @item first-article
17343 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
17344 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
17347 @item article-begin
17348 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
17349 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
17350 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
17351 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
17353 @item article-begin-function
17354 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
17355 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
17358 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
17359 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
17360 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
17362 @item head-begin-function
17363 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
17364 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
17367 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
17368 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
17371 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
17372 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
17373 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
17375 @item body-begin-function
17376 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
17377 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
17380 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
17381 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
17382 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
17384 @item body-end-function
17385 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
17386 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
17389 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
17390 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
17393 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
17394 regexp will be totally ignored.
17398 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
17399 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
17400 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
17401 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
17402 something that's palatable for Gnus:
17405 @item prepare-body-function
17406 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
17407 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
17408 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
17410 @item article-transform-function
17411 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17412 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17413 body of the article.
17415 @item generate-head-function
17416 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17417 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17418 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17419 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17421 @item generate-article-function
17422 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
17423 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
17424 parameter when requesting all articles.
17426 @item dissection-function
17427 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
17428 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
17429 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
17430 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
17431 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
17432 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
17436 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17441 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17442 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17443 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17444 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17445 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17446 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17447 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17448 (subtype digest guess))
17451 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
17452 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
17453 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
17454 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
17455 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
17457 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
17458 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
17459 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
17460 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
17461 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
17462 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
17463 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
17464 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
17465 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
17466 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
17467 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
17468 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
17471 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17472 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17473 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17476 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17477 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17478 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17480 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17486 @item nngateway-address
17487 @vindex nngateway-address
17488 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17490 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17491 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17492 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17493 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17494 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17495 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17496 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17499 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17500 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17501 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17504 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17507 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17510 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17513 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17515 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17518 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17519 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17520 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17522 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17524 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17525 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17526 @code{nngateway-address}.
17534 (setq gnus-post-method
17536 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17537 (nngateway-header-transformation
17538 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17541 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17544 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17548 @node The Empty Backend
17549 @subsection The Empty Backend
17552 @code{nnnil} is a backend that can be used as a placeholder if you
17553 have to specify a backend somewhere, but don't really want to. The
17554 classical example is if you don't want to have a primary select
17555 methods, but want to only use secondary ones:
17558 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnnil ""))
17559 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
17565 @node Combined Groups
17566 @section Combined Groups
17568 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17572 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17576 @node Virtual Groups
17577 @subsection Virtual Groups
17579 @cindex virtual groups
17580 @cindex merging groups
17582 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17585 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17586 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17587 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17589 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17590 regexp to match component groups.
17592 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17593 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17594 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17595 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17596 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17597 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17598 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17599 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17601 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17602 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17605 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17608 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17609 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17611 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17612 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17613 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17614 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17617 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17620 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17621 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17622 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17624 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17625 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17626 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17627 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17628 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17630 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17631 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17632 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17634 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17635 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
17636 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
17637 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
17638 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
17639 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
17640 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
17641 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
17642 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
17643 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
17644 it---it'll have much the same effect.
17646 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17647 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17648 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17649 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17650 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17651 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17652 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17654 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17655 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17657 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17658 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17662 @node Email Based Diary
17663 @section Email Based Diary
17665 @cindex email based diary
17668 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
17669 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
17670 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
17671 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
17672 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
17673 namely, as event reminders.
17675 Here is a typical scenario:
17679 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
17680 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
17682 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
17684 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
17686 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
17687 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
17688 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
17690 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
17691 of the night you're gonna have.
17693 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
17694 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
17697 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
17698 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
17699 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
17700 explained in the sections below.
17703 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
17704 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
17705 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
17709 @node The NNDiary Back End
17710 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
17712 @cindex the nndiary back end
17714 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
17715 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
17716 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
17717 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
17718 directory per group.
17720 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
17721 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
17722 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
17723 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
17726 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
17727 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
17728 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
17731 @node Diary Messages
17732 @subsubsection Diary Messages
17733 @cindex nndiary messages
17734 @cindex nndiary mails
17736 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
17737 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
17738 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
17739 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
17740 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
17741 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
17742 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
17746 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
17747 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
17748 (separated by a comma).
17750 A field is either an integer, or a range.
17752 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
17754 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
17755 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
17756 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
17758 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
17759 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
17760 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
17762 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
17763 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
17764 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
17765 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
17766 list of available time zone values, see the variable
17767 @code{nndiary-headers}.
17770 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
17771 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
17772 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
17777 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
17780 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
17782 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
17785 @node Running NNDiary
17786 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
17787 @cindex running nndiary
17788 @cindex nndiary operation modes
17790 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
17791 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
17792 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
17793 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
17794 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
17795 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
17797 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
17798 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
17799 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
17800 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
17801 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
17802 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
17803 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
17806 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
17811 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
17812 line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
17815 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
17818 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
17819 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
17820 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
17821 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
17822 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
17824 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
17825 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
17834 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
17835 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
17837 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
17838 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
17839 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
17840 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
17843 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
17844 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
17845 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
17848 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
17849 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
17850 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
17852 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
17853 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
17854 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
17855 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
17856 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
17858 @node Customizing NNDiary
17859 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
17860 @cindex customizing nndiary
17861 @cindex nndiary customization
17863 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
17864 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
17865 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
17866 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
17868 @defvar nndiary-reminders
17869 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
17870 appointments (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
17871 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
17872 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
17876 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
17877 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
17882 @node The Gnus Diary Library
17883 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
17885 @cindex the gnus diary library
17887 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
17888 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
17889 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
17890 useful things for you.
17892 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
17895 (require 'gnus-diary)
17898 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
17899 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
17900 (sorry if you used them before).
17904 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
17905 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
17906 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
17907 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
17910 @node Diary Summary Line Format
17911 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
17912 @cindex diary summary buffer line
17913 @cindex diary summary line format
17915 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
17916 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
17917 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
17918 see the event's date.
17920 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
17921 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
17922 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
17923 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximate remaining time until the
17924 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
17926 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
17927 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
17928 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
17931 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
17934 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
17935 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
17938 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
17941 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
17942 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
17943 with the following user options:
17945 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
17946 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
17947 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
17948 diary groups'parameters.
17951 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
17952 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
17953 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
17956 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
17957 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
17958 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
17959 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
17960 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
17963 @node Diary Articles Sorting
17964 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
17965 @cindex diary articles sorting
17966 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
17967 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
17968 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
17969 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
17971 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
17972 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
17973 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
17974 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
17975 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
17977 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
17978 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
17979 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
17980 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
17983 @node Diary Headers Generation
17984 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
17985 @cindex diary headers generation
17986 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
17988 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
17989 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
17990 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
17991 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
17994 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
17995 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
17996 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c C-f d} in
17997 @code{message-mode} and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the
17998 process of converting a usual mail to a diary one.
18000 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
18001 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
18002 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
18005 @node Diary Group Parameters
18006 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
18007 @cindex diary group parameters
18009 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
18010 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
18011 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
18012 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
18013 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
18014 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
18015 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
18016 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
18018 @node Sending or Not Sending
18019 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
18021 Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
18022 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
18026 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
18027 messages for real. This means for instance that you can give
18028 appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
18029 sending the diary message to them as well.
18031 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
18032 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
18033 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
18034 comes in very handy for private appointments.
18037 @node Gnus Unplugged
18038 @section Gnus Unplugged
18043 @cindex Gnus unplugged
18045 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
18046 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
18047 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
18048 read news. Believe it or not.
18050 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
18051 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
18052 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
18053 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
18054 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
18056 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
18057 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
18058 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
18059 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
18060 reading news on a machine.
18062 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
18063 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
18064 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
18066 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
18069 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
18070 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
18071 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
18072 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
18073 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
18074 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
18075 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
18076 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
18077 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
18078 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
18079 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
18080 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
18081 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
18082 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
18087 @subsection Agent Basics
18089 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
18091 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
18092 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
18093 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
18094 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
18096 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
18097 connected to the net continuously.
18099 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
18100 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
18102 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
18103 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
18104 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
18105 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
18106 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
18108 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
18109 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
18110 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
18111 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
18112 they're kinda like plugged always).
18114 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
18115 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
18116 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
18119 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
18120 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
18121 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
18122 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
18123 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
18125 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
18130 @findex gnus-unplugged
18131 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
18132 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
18133 already fetched while in this mode.
18136 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
18137 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
18138 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
18139 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
18140 Source Specifiers}).
18143 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
18144 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
18145 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
18146 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
18147 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
18150 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
18151 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
18152 then you read the news offline.
18155 And then you go to step 2.
18158 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
18164 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
18165 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
18166 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
18167 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
18168 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
18169 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
18170 no servers are agentized.
18173 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
18174 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
18175 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
18176 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
18178 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
18179 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
18180 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
18181 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
18182 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
18183 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
18187 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
18191 @node Agent Categories
18192 @subsection Agent Categories
18194 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
18195 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
18196 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
18197 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
18198 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
18199 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
18200 you're interested in the articles anyway.
18202 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
18203 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
18204 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
18205 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
18206 buffer for creating and managing categories.
18208 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
18209 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
18210 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
18211 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
18212 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
18215 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
18216 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
18217 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
18218 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
18219 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
18220 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
18224 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
18225 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
18226 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
18230 @node Category Syntax
18231 @subsubsection Category Syntax
18233 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
18234 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
18235 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
18238 @cindex Agent Parameters
18241 The list of groups that are in this category.
18243 @item agent-predicate
18244 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
18245 are eligible for downloading; and
18248 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
18249 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
18250 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
18252 @item agent-enable-expiration
18253 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
18254 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
18255 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
18256 only groups that should not be expired.
18258 @item agent-days-until-old
18259 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
18260 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
18262 @item agent-low-score
18263 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
18265 @item agent-high-score
18266 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
18268 @item agent-short-article
18269 an integer that overrides the value of
18270 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
18272 @item agent-long-article
18273 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
18275 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
18276 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
18277 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
18278 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
18279 undownloaded faces.
18282 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
18285 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
18286 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
18287 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
18290 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
18291 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
18292 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
18293 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
18295 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
18296 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
18297 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
18299 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
18300 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
18301 operators sprinkled in between.
18303 Perhaps some examples are in order.
18305 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
18306 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
18312 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
18313 short (for some value of ``short'').
18315 Here's a more complex predicate:
18324 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
18325 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
18328 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
18329 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
18330 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
18332 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
18333 you want to do, you can write your own.
18335 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
18336 bound to the value determined by calling
18337 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
18338 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
18339 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
18340 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
18341 predicate to individual groups.
18345 True if the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
18346 lines; default 100.
18349 True if the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
18350 lines; default 200.
18353 True if the article has a download score less than
18354 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
18357 True if the article has a download score greater than
18358 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
18361 True if the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
18362 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
18363 checksum and sees whether articles match.
18372 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
18373 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
18374 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
18377 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
18378 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
18379 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
18380 something along the lines of the following:
18383 (defun my-article-old-p ()
18384 "Say whether an article is old."
18385 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
18386 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
18389 with the predicate then defined as:
18392 (not my-article-old-p)
18395 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
18396 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
18400 (require 'gnus-agent)
18401 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
18402 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
18403 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
18406 and simply specify your predicate as:
18412 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
18413 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
18414 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
18415 just don't give a damn.
18417 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
18418 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
18419 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
18420 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
18421 parameters like so:
18424 (agent-predicate . short)
18427 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
18428 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
18429 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
18431 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
18434 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
18437 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
18438 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
18439 predicate is assumed to be a list.
18442 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
18443 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
18444 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
18445 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
18446 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
18447 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
18449 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
18450 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
18451 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
18452 if it's to be specific to that group.
18454 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
18461 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
18462 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
18468 Category specification
18472 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18478 Group/Topic Parameter specification
18481 (agent-score ("from"
18482 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18487 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
18493 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
18494 keywords stated above.
18500 Category specification
18503 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
18509 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
18513 Group Parameter specification
18516 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
18519 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
18524 Use @code{normal} score files
18526 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
18527 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
18528 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
18529 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
18531 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
18532 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
18533 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
18534 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
18538 Category Specification
18545 Group Parameter specification
18548 (agent-score . file)
18553 @node Category Buffer
18554 @subsubsection Category Buffer
18556 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
18557 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
18558 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
18560 The following commands are available in this buffer:
18564 @kindex q (Category)
18565 @findex gnus-category-exit
18566 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
18569 @kindex e (Category)
18570 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
18571 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
18572 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
18575 @kindex k (Category)
18576 @findex gnus-category-kill
18577 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
18580 @kindex c (Category)
18581 @findex gnus-category-copy
18582 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
18585 @kindex a (Category)
18586 @findex gnus-category-add
18587 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
18590 @kindex p (Category)
18591 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
18592 Edit the predicate of the current category
18593 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
18596 @kindex g (Category)
18597 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
18598 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
18599 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
18602 @kindex s (Category)
18603 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
18604 Edit the download score rule of the current category
18605 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
18608 @kindex l (Category)
18609 @findex gnus-category-list
18610 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
18614 @node Category Variables
18615 @subsubsection Category Variables
18618 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
18619 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
18620 Hook run in category buffers.
18622 @item gnus-category-line-format
18623 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
18624 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
18625 Variables}). Valid elements are:
18629 The name of the category.
18632 The number of groups in the category.
18635 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
18636 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
18637 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
18639 @item gnus-agent-short-article
18640 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
18641 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
18643 @item gnus-agent-long-article
18644 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
18645 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
18647 @item gnus-agent-low-score
18648 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
18649 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
18652 @item gnus-agent-high-score
18653 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
18654 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
18657 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
18658 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18659 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
18660 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
18661 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
18662 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
18663 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
18664 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
18668 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18669 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18670 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
18671 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
18672 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
18673 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
18674 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
18679 @node Agent Commands
18680 @subsection Agent Commands
18681 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
18682 @kindex J j (Agent)
18684 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
18685 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
18686 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
18690 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
18691 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
18692 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
18698 @node Group Agent Commands
18699 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
18703 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
18704 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
18705 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
18706 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
18709 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
18710 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
18711 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
18714 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
18715 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
18716 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
18717 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
18720 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
18721 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
18722 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
18723 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
18726 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
18727 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
18728 Add the current group to an Agent category
18729 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
18730 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18733 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
18734 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
18735 Remove the current group from its category, if any
18736 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
18737 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18740 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
18741 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18742 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
18748 @node Summary Agent Commands
18749 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
18753 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
18754 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
18755 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
18758 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
18759 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
18760 Remove the downloading mark from the article
18761 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
18765 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
18766 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
18767 Toggle whether to download the article
18768 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
18772 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
18773 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
18774 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
18777 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
18778 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
18779 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
18780 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
18783 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
18784 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
18785 Download all processable articles in this group.
18786 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
18789 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
18790 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
18791 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
18792 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
18797 @node Server Agent Commands
18798 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
18802 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
18803 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
18804 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
18805 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
18808 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
18809 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
18810 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
18811 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
18816 @node Agent Visuals
18817 @subsection Agent Visuals
18819 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
18820 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
18821 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
18822 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
18823 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
18824 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
18825 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
18826 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
18827 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
18828 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
18830 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
18831 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
18832 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
18833 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
18834 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
18835 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
18836 the download status of each article so that you always know which
18837 articles will be available when unplugged.
18839 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
18840 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
18841 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
18842 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
18843 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
18844 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
18845 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
18846 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
18848 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
18849 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
18850 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
18851 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
18852 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
18853 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
18854 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
18855 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
18856 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
18858 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
18859 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
18860 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
18861 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
18862 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
18863 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
18864 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
18865 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
18866 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
18867 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
18869 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
18870 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
18871 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
18872 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
18873 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
18874 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18876 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
18877 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
18878 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
18879 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
18880 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
18881 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
18882 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
18883 expiring'' articles.
18885 @node Agent as Cache
18886 @subsection Agent as Cache
18888 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
18889 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
18890 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
18891 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
18892 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
18893 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
18894 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
18895 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
18896 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
18898 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
18899 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
18900 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
18901 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
18902 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
18905 @subsection Agent Expiry
18907 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18908 @findex gnus-agent-expire
18909 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
18910 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
18911 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
18912 @cindex agent expiry
18913 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
18914 @cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
18916 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
18917 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
18918 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
18919 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
18920 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
18921 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
18922 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
18923 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
18925 Note that other functions might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you
18926 to keep the agent synchronized with the group.
18928 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
18929 prevent expiration in selected groups.
18931 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
18932 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
18933 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
18934 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
18935 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
18936 be kept indefinitely.
18938 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
18939 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
18940 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
18941 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
18943 @node Agent Regeneration
18944 @subsection Agent Regeneration
18946 @cindex agent regeneration
18947 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
18948 @cindex regeneration
18950 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
18951 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
18952 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
18953 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
18954 internal inconsistencies.
18956 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
18957 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
18958 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
18959 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
18960 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
18961 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
18963 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
18964 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
18965 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
18966 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
18967 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
18968 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
18970 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18971 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18972 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
18973 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
18974 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
18975 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
18978 @node Agent and flags
18979 @subsection Agent and flags
18981 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
18982 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
18983 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
18984 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
18985 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
18986 to the flags in its own files.
18988 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
18989 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
18990 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
18992 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18993 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
18994 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
18995 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
18996 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
18997 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
18999 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
19000 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
19001 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
19002 in the group buffer.
19004 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
19005 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
19006 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
19007 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
19008 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
19009 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
19010 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
19011 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
19013 @node Agent and IMAP
19014 @subsection Agent and IMAP
19016 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
19017 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
19018 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
19019 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
19021 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
19022 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
19027 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
19030 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
19034 @node Outgoing Messages
19035 @subsection Outgoing Messages
19037 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
19038 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
19039 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
19041 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
19042 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
19043 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
19045 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
19046 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
19047 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
19048 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
19051 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
19052 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
19053 ask you to confirm your action (see
19054 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
19056 @node Agent Variables
19057 @subsection Agent Variables
19062 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
19063 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
19064 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
19065 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
19067 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
19068 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
19071 @item gnus-agent-directory
19072 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
19073 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
19074 @file{~/News/agent/}.
19076 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
19077 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
19078 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
19079 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
19080 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
19083 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19084 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19085 Hook run when connecting to the network.
19087 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19088 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19089 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
19091 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19092 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19093 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
19095 @item gnus-agent-cache
19096 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
19097 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
19098 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
19099 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
19101 @item gnus-agent-go-online
19102 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
19103 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
19104 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
19105 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
19106 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
19107 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
19110 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19111 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19112 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
19113 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
19114 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
19115 read. The default is @code{t}.
19117 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19118 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19119 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19120 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19121 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19122 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19123 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19125 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19126 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19127 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
19128 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
19129 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
19130 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
19131 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
19132 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
19133 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
19134 over and over again.
19136 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19137 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19138 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
19139 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
19140 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
19141 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
19142 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
19143 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
19144 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
19145 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
19146 However, all articles parsed prior to losing the connection will be
19147 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
19150 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
19151 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
19152 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
19153 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
19154 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
19155 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
19156 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
19157 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
19158 is only valid if the Agent is used.
19160 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19161 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19162 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
19163 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
19164 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
19165 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
19167 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
19168 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
19169 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
19170 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
19171 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
19173 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
19174 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
19175 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
19176 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
19177 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
19178 mail. The default is @code{t}.
19180 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19181 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19182 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
19183 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
19184 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
19186 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19187 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19188 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
19189 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
19190 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
19191 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
19192 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
19193 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
19194 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
19195 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
19196 start Gnus. The default is @samp{nil}.
19201 @node Example Setup
19202 @subsection Example Setup
19204 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
19205 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
19206 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
19209 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
19210 ;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
19211 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
19213 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
19214 ;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
19215 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
19217 ;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
19218 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
19220 ;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
19221 ;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
19222 ;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
19225 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
19226 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
19229 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
19230 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
19231 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
19232 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
19233 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
19236 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
19237 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
19238 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
19239 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
19240 back all the killed groups.)
19242 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
19243 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
19244 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
19247 @node Batching Agents
19248 @subsection Batching Agents
19249 @findex gnus-agent-batch
19251 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
19252 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
19253 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
19255 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
19256 following incantation:
19260 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
19264 @node Agent Caveats
19265 @subsection Agent Caveats
19267 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
19268 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
19272 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
19274 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
19275 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
19276 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
19278 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
19279 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
19281 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
19285 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
19286 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
19287 locally stored articles.
19294 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
19295 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
19296 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
19299 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
19300 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
19301 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
19302 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
19303 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
19305 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
19306 before generating the summary buffer.
19308 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
19309 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
19310 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
19312 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
19313 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
19314 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
19315 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
19318 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
19319 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
19320 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
19321 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
19322 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
19323 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
19324 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
19325 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
19326 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
19327 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
19328 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
19329 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
19330 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
19331 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
19332 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
19333 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
19337 @node Summary Score Commands
19338 @section Summary Score Commands
19339 @cindex score commands
19341 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
19342 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
19343 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
19344 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
19345 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
19347 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
19348 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
19349 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
19350 score file the current one.
19352 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
19357 @kindex V s (Summary)
19358 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
19359 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
19362 @kindex V S (Summary)
19363 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
19364 Display the score of the current article
19365 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
19368 @kindex V t (Summary)
19369 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
19370 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
19371 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
19372 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
19373 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
19374 score file and edit it.
19377 @kindex V w (Summary)
19378 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
19379 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
19382 @kindex V R (Summary)
19383 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
19384 Run the current summary through the scoring process
19385 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
19386 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
19387 effect you're having.
19390 @kindex V c (Summary)
19391 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
19392 Make a different score file the current
19393 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
19396 @kindex V e (Summary)
19397 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
19398 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
19399 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
19403 @kindex V f (Summary)
19404 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
19405 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
19406 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
19409 @kindex V F (Summary)
19410 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19411 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
19412 after editing score files.
19415 @kindex V C (Summary)
19416 @findex gnus-score-customize
19417 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
19418 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
19422 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
19427 @kindex V m (Summary)
19428 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
19429 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
19430 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
19433 @kindex V x (Summary)
19434 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
19435 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
19436 expunge all articles below this score
19437 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
19440 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
19441 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
19444 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
19445 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
19449 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
19450 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
19452 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
19453 keys are available:
19457 Score on the author name.
19460 Score on the subject line.
19463 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
19466 Score on the @code{References} line.
19472 Score on the number of lines.
19475 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
19478 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
19479 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
19482 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
19483 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
19484 @file{ADAPT} files.)
19493 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
19499 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
19500 what headers you are scoring on.
19512 Substring matching.
19515 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
19544 Greater than number.
19549 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
19550 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
19551 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
19556 Temporary score entry.
19559 Permanent score entry.
19562 Immediately scoring.
19566 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
19567 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
19568 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
19572 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
19573 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
19574 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
19575 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
19577 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
19578 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
19579 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
19580 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
19581 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
19583 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
19584 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
19585 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
19586 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
19587 current score file.
19589 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
19590 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
19591 pretend they are keymaps or not.
19594 @node Group Score Commands
19595 @section Group Score Commands
19596 @cindex group score commands
19598 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
19603 @kindex W e (Group)
19604 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
19605 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
19606 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
19609 @kindex W f (Group)
19610 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19611 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
19612 all the time. This command will flush the cache
19613 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
19617 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
19619 @findex gnus-batch-score
19620 @cindex batch scoring
19622 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
19626 @node Score Variables
19627 @section Score Variables
19628 @cindex score variables
19632 @item gnus-use-scoring
19633 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
19634 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
19635 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
19637 @item gnus-kill-killed
19638 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
19639 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
19640 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
19641 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
19642 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
19643 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
19644 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
19646 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
19647 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
19648 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
19649 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
19650 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
19652 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
19653 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
19654 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
19655 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
19657 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19658 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19659 @cindex score cache
19660 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
19661 score files. However, this might make your Emacs grow big and
19662 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
19663 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
19664 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
19665 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
19666 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
19669 @item gnus-save-score
19670 @vindex gnus-save-score
19671 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
19672 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
19673 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19675 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
19676 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
19677 across group visits.
19679 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19680 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19681 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
19682 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
19683 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
19684 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
19685 manually entered data.
19687 @item gnus-summary-default-score
19688 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
19689 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
19691 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
19692 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
19693 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
19694 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
19695 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
19696 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
19698 @item gnus-score-over-mark
19699 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
19700 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
19701 default. Default is @samp{+}.
19703 @item gnus-score-below-mark
19704 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
19705 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
19706 default. Default is @samp{-}.
19708 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19709 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19710 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
19711 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
19713 Predefined functions available are:
19716 @item gnus-score-find-single
19717 @findex gnus-score-find-single
19718 Only apply the group's own score file.
19720 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
19721 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
19722 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
19723 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
19724 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
19725 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
19726 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
19727 then a regexp match is done.
19729 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
19730 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
19732 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
19733 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
19734 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
19735 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
19737 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19738 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19739 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
19740 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
19741 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
19745 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
19746 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
19747 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
19748 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
19749 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
19750 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
19751 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
19754 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
19755 overall score file, you could use the value
19757 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
19758 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
19761 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
19762 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
19763 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
19764 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
19765 are expired. It's 7 by default.
19767 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19768 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19769 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
19770 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
19771 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
19772 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
19773 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
19774 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
19776 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19777 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19778 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
19780 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
19781 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
19782 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
19783 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
19784 threading---according to the current value of
19785 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
19786 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
19787 simplified in this manner.
19792 @node Score File Format
19793 @section Score File Format
19794 @cindex score file format
19796 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
19797 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
19798 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
19800 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
19804 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
19806 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
19808 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
19810 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
19815 (mark-and-expunge -10)
19819 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
19820 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
19821 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
19822 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
19826 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
19827 Scoring}, for a different approach.
19829 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
19830 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
19831 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
19833 Six keys are supported by this alist:
19838 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
19839 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
19840 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
19841 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
19842 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
19843 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
19844 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
19845 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
19846 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
19847 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
19848 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
19849 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
19850 to articles that matches these score entries.
19852 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
19853 score entry has one to four elements.
19857 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
19858 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
19862 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
19863 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
19864 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
19865 is successful. If this element is not present, the
19866 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
19867 instead. This is 1000 by default.
19870 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
19871 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
19872 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
19873 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
19874 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
19877 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
19878 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
19879 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
19880 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
19883 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
19884 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
19885 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
19886 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
19887 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
19888 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
19889 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
19890 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
19891 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
19892 instead, if you feel like.
19895 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
19896 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
19897 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
19898 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
19899 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
19900 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
19904 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
19905 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
19909 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
19910 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
19912 These predicates are true if
19915 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
19918 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
19919 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
19926 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
19927 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
19928 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
19929 it's not. I think.)
19931 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
19932 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
19933 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
19934 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
19937 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
19938 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
19939 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
19940 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
19941 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
19942 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
19943 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
19947 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
19948 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
19949 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
19950 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
19951 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
19952 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
19953 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
19954 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
19957 @item Head, Body, All
19958 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
19962 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
19963 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
19964 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
19965 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
19966 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
19967 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
19968 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
19972 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
19973 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
19974 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
19975 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
19976 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
19977 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
19978 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
19979 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
19980 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
19981 nondeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
19982 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
19986 @cindex score file atoms
19988 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19989 lower than this number will be marked as read.
19992 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19993 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
19995 @item mark-and-expunge
19996 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19997 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
20000 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
20001 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
20002 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
20003 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
20004 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
20007 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
20008 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
20011 @item exclude-files
20012 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
20013 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
20017 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}ed. This element will be
20018 ignored when handling global score files.
20021 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
20022 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
20023 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
20024 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
20027 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
20028 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
20029 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
20030 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
20032 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
20036 (mark-and-expunge -100)
20039 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
20040 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
20041 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{c y}) the
20042 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
20043 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
20045 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
20046 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
20047 scoring rules exist.
20050 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
20051 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
20052 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
20053 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
20054 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
20055 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
20056 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20057 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
20058 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
20059 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
20060 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
20064 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
20065 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
20066 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
20067 file for a number of groups.
20070 @cindex local variables
20071 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
20072 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
20073 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
20074 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
20075 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
20080 @node Score File Editing
20081 @section Score File Editing
20083 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
20084 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
20085 with a mode for that.
20087 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
20088 additional commands:
20093 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
20094 @findex gnus-score-edit-exit
20095 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
20096 (@code{gnus-score-edit-exit}).
20099 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
20100 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
20101 Insert the current date in numerical format
20102 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
20103 you were wondering.
20106 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
20107 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
20108 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
20109 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
20110 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
20115 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
20117 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
20118 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
20120 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
20121 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
20124 @node Adaptive Scoring
20125 @section Adaptive Scoring
20126 @cindex adaptive scoring
20128 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
20129 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
20130 stupidity, to be precise.
20132 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
20133 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
20134 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
20135 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
20136 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20137 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
20138 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
20139 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
20140 variable to @code{(word line)}.
20142 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20143 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
20144 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
20145 might look something like this:
20148 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20149 '((gnus-unread-mark)
20150 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
20151 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
20152 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
20153 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
20154 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
20155 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
20156 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
20157 (gnus-ancient-mark)
20158 (gnus-low-score-mark)
20159 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
20162 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
20163 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
20164 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
20165 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
20166 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
20167 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
20170 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
20171 will be applied to each article.
20173 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
20174 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
20175 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
20176 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
20178 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
20179 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
20180 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
20181 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
20183 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
20184 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
20185 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
20186 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
20188 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
20189 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
20190 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
20191 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
20192 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
20193 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
20195 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
20196 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
20197 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
20199 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
20200 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
20201 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
20203 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
20204 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
20205 let you use different rules in different groups.
20207 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
20208 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
20209 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
20212 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
20213 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
20214 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
20215 default) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
20217 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
20218 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
20219 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
20220 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
20221 the length of the match is less than
20222 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
20223 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
20226 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20227 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
20228 headers. If you adapt on words, the
20229 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
20230 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
20233 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20234 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
20235 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
20236 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
20237 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
20240 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
20241 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
20242 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
20243 score with 30 points.
20245 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
20246 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
20247 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
20248 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
20249 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
20251 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
20252 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
20253 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
20254 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
20255 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
20257 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
20258 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
20259 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
20260 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
20262 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
20263 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
20264 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
20265 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
20267 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
20268 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
20269 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
20270 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
20271 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
20273 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
20274 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
20275 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
20277 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
20278 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
20279 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
20280 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
20283 @node Home Score File
20284 @section Home Score File
20286 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
20287 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
20288 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
20289 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
20291 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
20292 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
20293 could perhaps use the same home score file.
20295 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
20296 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
20301 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
20305 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
20306 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
20310 A list. The elements in this list can be:
20314 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
20315 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
20318 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
20319 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
20320 name of the group as the parameter.
20323 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
20326 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
20331 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
20334 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20335 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
20338 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
20339 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
20341 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
20343 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20344 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
20347 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
20348 Other functions include
20351 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
20352 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
20353 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
20354 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
20358 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
20359 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
20360 their own home score files:
20363 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20364 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
20365 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
20366 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
20367 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
20370 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
20371 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
20372 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
20373 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
20374 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
20376 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
20377 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
20378 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
20379 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
20380 precedence over this variable.
20383 @node Followups To Yourself
20384 @section Followups To Yourself
20386 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
20387 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
20388 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
20389 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
20390 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
20391 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
20395 @item gnus-score-followup-article
20396 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
20397 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
20400 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
20401 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
20402 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
20406 @vindex message-sent-hook
20407 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
20408 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
20410 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
20414 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
20415 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
20419 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20420 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20423 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
20424 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
20429 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
20433 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
20434 is system-dependent.
20437 @node Scoring On Other Headers
20438 @section Scoring On Other Headers
20439 @cindex scoring on other headers
20441 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
20442 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
20443 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
20444 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
20445 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
20447 @vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
20448 You can inhibit this slow scoring on headers or body by setting the
20449 variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
20450 @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
20451 the group matches the regexp. If it is t, slow scoring on it is
20452 inhibited for all groups.
20454 Now, there's not much you can do about the slowness for news groups, but for
20455 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
20456 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
20457 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
20458 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
20460 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
20463 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
20464 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
20467 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
20468 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
20469 time if you have much mail.
20471 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
20472 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
20478 @section Scoring Tips
20479 @cindex scoring tips
20485 @cindex scoring crossposts
20486 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
20487 the @code{Xref} header.
20489 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
20492 @item Multiple crossposts
20493 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
20494 more than, say, 3 groups:
20497 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
20501 @item Matching on the body
20502 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
20503 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
20504 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
20505 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
20506 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
20507 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
20508 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
20511 @item Marking as read
20512 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
20513 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
20514 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
20518 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
20520 @item Negated character classes
20521 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
20522 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
20523 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
20527 @node Reverse Scoring
20528 @section Reverse Scoring
20529 @cindex reverse scoring
20531 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
20532 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
20533 like this in your score file:
20537 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
20542 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
20543 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
20546 @node Global Score Files
20547 @section Global Score Files
20548 @cindex global score files
20550 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
20551 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
20552 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
20554 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
20555 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
20556 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
20558 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
20559 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
20560 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
20561 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
20562 files are applicable to which group.
20564 To use the score file
20565 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
20566 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
20570 (setq gnus-global-score-files
20571 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
20572 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
20575 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
20577 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
20578 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
20579 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
20580 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
20582 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
20583 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
20585 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
20586 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
20587 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
20588 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
20589 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
20590 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
20592 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
20598 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
20600 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
20602 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
20604 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
20605 lowered out of existence.
20607 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
20608 articles completely.
20611 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
20612 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
20613 old articles for a long time.
20616 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
20617 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
20618 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
20619 holding our breath yet?
20623 @section Kill Files
20626 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
20627 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
20628 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
20630 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
20631 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
20632 files into score files.
20634 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
20635 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
20636 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
20637 that isn't a very good idea.
20639 Normal kill files look like this:
20642 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20643 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
20647 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
20648 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
20650 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
20651 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
20654 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
20659 @kindex M-k (Summary)
20660 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
20661 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
20664 @kindex M-K (Summary)
20665 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
20666 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
20669 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
20674 @kindex M-k (Group)
20675 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
20676 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
20679 @kindex M-K (Group)
20680 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
20681 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
20684 Kill file variables:
20687 @item gnus-kill-file-name
20688 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
20689 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
20690 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
20691 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
20692 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
20693 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
20695 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20696 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20697 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
20698 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
20701 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
20702 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
20703 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
20704 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
20705 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
20706 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
20707 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
20708 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
20709 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
20711 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20712 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20713 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
20718 @node Converting Kill Files
20719 @section Converting Kill Files
20721 @cindex converting kill files
20723 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
20724 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
20725 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
20728 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Emacs by default.
20729 You can fetch it from the contrib directory of the Gnus distribution or
20731 @uref{http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
20733 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
20734 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
20735 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
20739 @node Advanced Scoring
20740 @section Advanced Scoring
20742 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20743 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20744 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20745 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20746 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20748 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20752 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20753 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20754 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20758 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20759 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20761 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20762 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20763 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20764 non-@code{nil} value.
20766 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20767 operator, and various match operators.
20774 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20775 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20776 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20781 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20782 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
20783 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20788 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20789 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20793 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20794 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20795 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20796 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20797 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20798 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20799 the ancestry you want to go.
20801 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20802 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20803 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20804 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20805 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20808 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
20809 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
20811 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
20812 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
20815 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
20816 when he's talking about Gnus:
20821 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20822 ("subject" "Gnus"))
20829 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
20833 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20840 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
20841 really don't want to read what he's written:
20845 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20846 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
20850 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
20851 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
20852 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
20859 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
20860 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
20861 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
20862 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20866 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
20867 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
20868 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
20869 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
20872 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
20874 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
20878 The possibilities are endless.
20880 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20881 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20883 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20884 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20885 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20886 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20887 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20888 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20889 @samp{subject}) first.
20891 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20892 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20903 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20904 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20910 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20917 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20918 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20923 @section Score Decays
20924 @cindex score decays
20927 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
20928 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
20929 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
20930 use them in any sensible way.
20932 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
20933 @findex gnus-decay-score
20934 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20935 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20936 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20937 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20938 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20939 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
20940 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
20941 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
20942 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
20943 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
20947 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
20948 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
20949 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
20951 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
20953 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
20955 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
20956 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
20957 ;; XEmacs's floor can handle only the floating point
20958 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
20959 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
20961 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
20965 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
20966 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
20967 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
20968 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
20972 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
20975 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
20978 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
20982 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
20983 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
20984 the new score, which should be an integer.
20986 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
20987 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
20993 FIXME: Add a brief overview of Gnus search capabilities. A brief
20994 comparison of nnir, nnmairix, contrib/gnus-namazu would be nice
20997 This chapter describes tools for searching groups and servers for
20998 articles matching a query and then retrieving those articles. Gnus
20999 provides a simpler mechanism for searching through articles in a summary buffer
21000 to find those matching a pattern. @xref{Searching for Articles}.
21003 * nnir:: Searching with various engines.
21004 * nnmairix:: Searching with Mairix.
21011 This section describes how to use @code{nnir} to search for articles
21015 * What is nnir?:: What does @code{nnir} do?
21016 * Basic Usage:: How to perform simple searches.
21017 * Setting up nnir:: How to set up @code{nnir}.
21020 @node What is nnir?
21021 @subsection What is nnir?
21023 @code{nnir} is a Gnus interface to a number of tools for searching
21024 through mail and news repositories. Different backends (like
21025 @code{nnimap} and @code{nntp}) work with different tools (called
21026 @dfn{engines} in @code{nnir} lingo), but all use the same basic search
21029 The @code{nnimap} and @code{gmane} search engines should work with no
21030 configuration. Other engines require a local index that needs to be
21031 created and maintained outside of Gnus.
21035 @subsection Basic Usage
21037 In the group buffer typing @kbd{G G} will search the group on the
21038 current line by calling @code{gnus-group-make-nnir-group}. This prompts
21039 for a query string, creates an ephemeral @code{nnir} group containing
21040 the articles that match this query, and takes you to a summary buffer
21041 showing these articles. Articles may then be read, moved and deleted
21042 using the usual commands.
21044 The @code{nnir} group made in this way is an @code{ephemeral} group, and
21045 some changes are not permanent: aside from reading, moving, and
21046 deleting, you can't act on the original article. But there is an
21047 alternative: you can @emph{warp} to the original group for the article
21048 on the current line with @kbd{A W}, aka
21049 @code{gnus-warp-to-article}. Even better, the function
21050 @code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}, bound by default in summary buffers to
21051 @kbd{A T}, will first warp to the original group before it works its
21052 magic and includes all the articles in the thread. From here you can
21053 read, move and delete articles, but also copy them, alter article marks,
21056 You say you want to search more than just the group on the current line?
21057 No problem: just process-mark the groups you want to search. You want
21058 even more? Calling for an nnir search with the cursor on a topic heading
21059 will search all the groups under that heading.
21061 Still not enough? OK, in the server buffer
21062 @code{gnus-group-make-nnir-group} (now bound to @kbd{G}) will search all
21063 groups from the server on the current line. Too much? Want to ignore
21064 certain groups when searching, like spam groups? Just customize
21065 @code{nnir-ignored-newsgroups}.
21067 One more thing: individual search engines may have special search
21068 features. You can access these special features by giving a prefix-arg
21069 to @code{gnus-group-make-nnir-group}. If you are searching multiple
21070 groups with different search engines you will be prompted for the
21071 special search features for each engine separately.
21074 @node Setting up nnir
21075 @subsection Setting up nnir
21077 To set up nnir you may need to do some prep work. Firstly, you may need
21078 to configure the search engines you plan to use. Some of them, like
21079 @code{imap} and @code{gmane}, need no special configuration. Others,
21080 like @code{namazu} and @code{swish}, require configuration as described
21081 below. Secondly, you need to associate a search engine with a server or
21084 If you just want to use the @code{imap} engine to search @code{nnimap}
21085 servers, and the @code{gmane} engine to search @code{gmane} then you
21086 don't have to do anything. But you might want to read the details of the
21087 query language anyway.
21090 * Associating Engines:: How to associate engines.
21091 * The imap Engine:: Imap configuration and usage.
21092 * The gmane Engine:: Gmane configuration and usage.
21093 * The swish++ Engine:: Swish++ configuration and usage.
21094 * The swish-e Engine:: Swish-e configuration and usage.
21095 * The namazu Engine:: Namazu configuration and usage.
21096 * The hyrex Engine:: Hyrex configuration and usage.
21097 * Customizations:: User customizable settings.
21100 @node Associating Engines
21101 @subsubsection Associating Engines
21104 When searching a group, @code{nnir} needs to know which search engine to
21105 use. You can configure a given server to use a particular engine by
21106 setting the server variable @code{nnir-search-engine} to the engine
21107 name. For example to use the @code{namazu} engine to search the server
21108 named @code{home} you can use
21111 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
21113 (nnimap-address "localhost")
21114 (nnir-search-engine namazu))))
21117 Alternatively you might want to use a particular engine for all servers
21118 with a given backend. For example, you might want to use the @code{imap}
21119 engine for all servers using the @code{nnimap} backend. In this case you
21120 can customize the variable @code{nnir-method-default-engines}. This is
21121 an alist of pairs of the form @code{(backend . engine)}. By default this
21122 variable is set to use the @code{imap} engine for all servers using the
21123 @code{nnimap} backend, and the @code{gmane} backend for @code{nntp}
21124 servers. (Don't worry, the @code{gmane} search engine won't actually try
21125 to search non-gmane @code{nntp} servers.) But if you wanted to use
21126 @code{namazu} for all your servers with an @code{nnimap} backend you
21127 could change this to
21130 '((nnimap . namazu)
21134 @node The imap Engine
21135 @subsubsection The imap Engine
21137 The @code{imap} engine requires no configuration.
21139 Queries using the @code{imap} engine follow a simple query language.
21140 The search is always case-insensitive and supports the following
21141 features (inspired by the Google search input language):
21145 @item Boolean query operators
21146 AND, OR, and NOT are supported, and parentheses can be used to control
21147 operator precedence, e.g. (emacs OR xemacs) AND linux. Note that
21148 operators must be written with all capital letters to be
21149 recognized. Also preceding a term with a - sign is equivalent to NOT
21152 @item Automatic AND queries
21153 If you specify multiple words then they will be treated as an AND
21154 expression intended to match all components.
21156 @item Phrase searches
21157 If you wrap your query in double-quotes then it will be treated as a
21162 By default the whole message will be searched. The query can be limited
21163 to a specific part of a message by using a prefix-arg. After inputting
21164 the query this will prompt (with completion) for a message part.
21165 Choices include ``Whole message'', ``Subject'', ``From'', and
21166 ``To''. Any unrecognized input is interpreted as a header name. For
21167 example, typing @kbd{Message-ID} in response to this prompt will limit
21168 the query to the Message-ID header.
21170 Finally selecting ``Imap'' will interpret the query as a raw
21171 @acronym{IMAP} search query. The format of such queries can be found in
21174 If you don't like the default of searching whole messages you can
21175 customize @code{nnir-imap-default-search-key}. For example to use
21176 @acronym{IMAP} queries by default
21179 (setq nnir-imap-default-search-key "Imap")
21182 @node The gmane Engine
21183 @subsubsection The gmane Engine
21185 The @code{gmane} engine requires no configuration.
21187 Gmane queries follow a simple query language:
21190 @item Boolean query operators
21191 AND, OR, NOT (or AND NOT), and XOR are supported, and brackets can be
21192 used to control operator precedence, e.g. (emacs OR xemacs) AND linux.
21193 Note that operators must be written with all capital letters to be
21196 @item Required and excluded terms
21197 + and - can be used to require or exclude terms, e.g. football -american
21199 @item Unicode handling
21200 The search engine converts all text to utf-8, so searching should work
21204 Common English words (like 'the' and 'a') are ignored by default. You
21205 can override this by prefixing such words with a + (e.g. +the) or
21206 enclosing the word in quotes (e.g. "the").
21210 The query can be limited to articles by a specific author using a
21211 prefix-arg. After inputting the query this will prompt for an author
21212 name (or part of a name) to match.
21214 @node The swish++ Engine
21215 @subsubsection The swish++ Engine
21217 FIXME: Say something more here.
21219 Documentation for swish++ may be found at the swish++ sourceforge page:
21220 @uref{http://swishplusplus.sourceforge.net}
21224 @item nnir-swish++-program
21225 The name of the swish++ executable. Defaults to @code{search}
21227 @item nnir-swish++-additional-switches
21228 A list of strings to be given as additional arguments to
21229 swish++. @code{nil} by default.
21231 @item nnir-swish++-remove-prefix
21232 The prefix to remove from each file name returned by swish++ in order
21233 to get a group name. By default this is @code{$HOME/Mail}.
21237 @node The swish-e Engine
21238 @subsubsection The swish-e Engine
21240 FIXME: Say something more here.
21242 Documentation for swish-e may be found at the swish-e homepage
21243 @uref{http://swish-e.org}
21247 @item nnir-swish-e-program
21248 The name of the swish-e search program. Defaults to @code{swish-e}.
21250 @item nnir-swish-e-additional-switches
21251 A list of strings to be given as additional arguments to
21252 swish-e. @code{nil} by default.
21254 @item nnir-swish-e-remove-prefix
21255 The prefix to remove from each file name returned by swish-e in order
21256 to get a group name. By default this is @code{$HOME/Mail}.
21260 @node The namazu Engine
21261 @subsubsection The namazu Engine
21263 Using the namazu engine requires creating and maintaining index files.
21264 One directory should contain all the index files, and nnir must be told
21265 where to find them by setting the @code{nnir-namazu-index-directory}
21268 To work correctly the @code{nnir-namazu-remove-prefix} variable must
21269 also be correct. This is the prefix to remove from each file name
21270 returned by Namazu in order to get a proper group name (albeit with `/'
21273 For example, suppose that Namazu returns file names such as
21274 @samp{/home/john/Mail/mail/misc/42}. For this example, use the
21275 following setting: @code{(setq nnir-namazu-remove-prefix
21276 "/home/john/Mail/")} Note the trailing slash. Removing this prefix from
21277 the directory gives @samp{mail/misc/42}. @code{nnir} knows to remove
21278 the @samp{/42} and to replace @samp{/} with @samp{.} to arrive at the
21279 correct group name @samp{mail.misc}.
21281 Extra switches may be passed to the namazu search command by setting the
21282 variable @code{nnir-namazu-additional-switches}. It is particularly
21283 important not to pass any any switches to namazu that will change the
21284 output format. Good switches to use include `--sort', `--ascending',
21285 `--early' and `--late'. Refer to the Namazu documentation for further
21286 information on valid switches.
21288 Mail must first be indexed with the `mknmz' program. Read the documentation
21289 for namazu to create a configuration file. Here is an example:
21293 package conf; # Don't remove this line!
21295 # Paths which will not be indexed. Don't use `^' or `$' anchors.
21296 $EXCLUDE_PATH = "spam|sent";
21298 # Header fields which should be searchable. case-insensitive
21299 $REMAIN_HEADER = "from|date|message-id|subject";
21301 # Searchable fields. case-insensitive
21302 $SEARCH_FIELD = "from|date|message-id|subject";
21304 # The max length of a word.
21305 $WORD_LENG_MAX = 128;
21307 # The max length of a field.
21308 $MAX_FIELD_LENGTH = 256;
21312 For this example, mail is stored in the directories @samp{~/Mail/mail/},
21313 @samp{~/Mail/lists/} and @samp{~/Mail/archive/}, so to index them go to
21314 the index directory set in @code{nnir-namazu-index-directory} and issue
21315 the following command:
21318 mknmz --mailnews ~/Mail/archive/ ~/Mail/mail/ ~/Mail/lists/
21321 For maximum searching efficiency you might want to have a cron job run
21322 this command periodically, say every four hours.
21324 @node The hyrex Engine
21325 @subsubsection The hyrex Engine
21326 This engine is obsolete.
21328 @node Customizations
21329 @subsubsection Customizations
21333 @item nnir-method-default-engines
21334 Alist of server backend - search engine pairs. The default associations
21341 @item nnir-ignored-newsgroups
21342 A regexp to match newsgroups in the active file that should be skipped
21343 when searching all groups on a server.
21345 @item nnir-summary-line-format
21346 The format specification to be used for lines in an nnir summary buffer.
21347 All the items from `gnus-summary-line-format' are available, along with
21348 three items unique to nnir summary buffers:
21351 %Z Search retrieval score value (integer)
21352 %G Article original full group name (string)
21353 %g Article original short group name (string)
21356 If nil (the default) this will use @code{gnus-summary-line-format}.
21358 @item nnir-retrieve-headers-override-function
21359 If non-nil, a function that retrieves article headers rather than using
21360 the gnus built-in function. This function takes an article list and
21361 group as arguments and populates the `nntp-server-buffer' with the
21362 retrieved headers. It should then return either 'nov or 'headers
21363 indicating the retrieved header format. Failure to retrieve headers
21364 should return @code{nil}
21366 If this variable is nil, or if the provided function returns nil for a
21367 search result, @code{gnus-retrieve-headers} will be called instead."
21378 This paragraph describes how to set up mairix and the back end
21379 @code{nnmairix} for indexing and searching your mail from within
21380 Gnus. Additionally, you can create permanent ``smart'' groups which are
21381 bound to mairix searches and are automatically updated.
21384 * About mairix:: About the mairix mail search engine
21385 * nnmairix requirements:: What you will need for using nnmairix
21386 * What nnmairix does:: What does nnmairix actually do?
21387 * Setting up mairix:: Set up your mairix installation
21388 * Configuring nnmairix:: Set up the nnmairix back end
21389 * nnmairix keyboard shortcuts:: List of available keyboard shortcuts
21390 * Propagating marks:: How to propagate marks from nnmairix groups
21391 * nnmairix tips and tricks:: Some tips, tricks and examples
21392 * nnmairix caveats:: Some more stuff you might want to know
21395 @c FIXME: The markup in this section might need improvement.
21396 @c E.g. adding @samp, @var, @file, @command, etc.
21397 @c Cf. (info "(texinfo)Indicating")
21400 @subsection About mairix
21402 Mairix is a tool for indexing and searching words in locally stored
21403 mail. It was written by Richard Curnow and is licensed under the
21404 GPL. Mairix comes with most popular GNU/Linux distributions, but it also
21405 runs under Windows (with cygwin), Mac OS X and Solaris. The homepage can
21407 @uref{http://www.rpcurnow.force9.co.uk/mairix/index.html}
21409 Though mairix might not be as flexible as other search tools like
21410 swish++ or namazu, which you can use via the @code{nnir} back end, it
21411 has the prime advantage of being incredibly fast. On current systems, it
21412 can easily search through headers and message bodies of thousands and
21413 thousands of mails in well under a second. Building the database
21414 necessary for searching might take a minute or two, but only has to be
21415 done once fully. Afterwards, the updates are done incrementally and
21416 therefore are really fast, too. Additionally, mairix is very easy to set
21419 For maximum speed though, mairix should be used with mails stored in
21420 @code{Maildir} or @code{MH} format (this includes the @code{nnml} back
21421 end), although it also works with mbox. Mairix presents the search
21422 results by populating a @emph{virtual} maildir/MH folder with symlinks
21423 which point to the ``real'' message files (if mbox is used, copies are
21424 made). Since mairix already presents search results in such a virtual
21425 mail folder, it is very well suited for using it as an external program
21426 for creating @emph{smart} mail folders, which represent certain mail
21429 @node nnmairix requirements
21430 @subsection nnmairix requirements
21432 Mairix searches local mail---that means, mairix absolutely must have
21433 direct access to your mail folders. If your mail resides on another
21434 server (e.g. an @acronym{IMAP} server) and you happen to have shell
21435 access, @code{nnmairix} supports running mairix remotely, e.g. via ssh.
21437 Additionally, @code{nnmairix} only supports the following Gnus back
21438 ends: @code{nnml}, @code{nnmaildir}, and @code{nnimap}. You must use
21439 one of these back ends for using @code{nnmairix}. Other back ends, like
21440 @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnfolder} or @code{nnmh}, won't work.
21442 If you absolutely must use mbox and still want to use @code{nnmairix},
21443 you can set up a local @acronym{IMAP} server, which you then access via
21444 @code{nnimap}. This is a rather massive setup for accessing some mbox
21445 files, so just change to MH or Maildir already... However, if you're
21446 really, really passionate about using mbox, you might want to look into
21447 the package @file{mairix.el}, which comes with Emacs 23.
21449 @node What nnmairix does
21450 @subsection What nnmairix does
21452 The back end @code{nnmairix} enables you to call mairix from within Gnus,
21453 either to query mairix with a search term or to update the
21454 database. While visiting a message in the summary buffer, you can use
21455 several pre-defined shortcuts for calling mairix, e.g. to quickly
21456 search for all mails from the sender of the current message or to
21457 display the whole thread associated with the message, even if the
21458 mails are in different folders.
21460 Additionally, you can create permanent @code{nnmairix} groups which are bound
21461 to certain mairix searches. This way, you can easily create a group
21462 containing mails from a certain sender, with a certain subject line or
21463 even for one specific thread based on the Message-ID. If you check for
21464 new mail in these folders (e.g. by pressing @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g}), they
21465 automatically update themselves by calling mairix.
21467 You might ask why you need @code{nnmairix} at all, since mairix already
21468 creates the group, populates it with links to the mails so that you can
21469 then access it with Gnus, right? Well, this @emph{might} work, but often
21470 does not---at least not without problems. Most probably you will get
21471 strange article counts, and sometimes you might see mails which Gnus
21472 claims have already been canceled and are inaccessible. This is due to
21473 the fact that Gnus isn't really amused when things are happening behind
21474 its back. Another problem can be the mail back end itself, e.g. if you
21475 use mairix with an @acronym{IMAP} server (I had Dovecot complaining
21476 about corrupt index files when mairix changed the contents of the search
21477 group). Using @code{nnmairix} should circumvent these problems.
21479 @code{nnmairix} is not really a mail back end---it's actually more like
21480 a wrapper, sitting between a ``real'' mail back end where mairix stores
21481 the searches and the Gnus front end. You can choose between three
21482 different mail back ends for the mairix folders: @code{nnml},
21483 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnimap}. @code{nnmairix} will call the mairix
21484 binary so that the search results are stored in folders named
21485 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>} on this mail back end, but it will
21486 present these folders in the Gnus front end only with @code{<NAME>}.
21487 You can use an existing mail back end where you already store your mail,
21488 but if you're uncomfortable with @code{nnmairix} creating new mail
21489 groups alongside your other mail, you can also create e.g. a new
21490 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml} server exclusively for mairix, but then
21491 make sure those servers do not accidentally receive your new mail
21492 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). A special case exists if you want to use
21493 mairix remotely on an IMAP server with @code{nnimap}---here the mairix
21494 folders and your other mail must be on the same @code{nnimap} back end.
21496 @node Setting up mairix
21497 @subsection Setting up mairix
21499 First: create a backup of your mail folders (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}).
21501 Setting up mairix is easy: simply create a @file{.mairixrc} file with
21502 (at least) the following entries:
21505 # Your Maildir/MH base folder
21509 This is the base folder for your mails. All the following directories
21510 are relative to this base folder. If you want to use @code{nnmairix}
21511 with @code{nnimap}, this base directory has to point to the mail
21512 directory where the @acronym{IMAP} server stores the mail folders!
21515 maildir= ... your maildir folders which should be indexed ...
21516 mh= ... your nnml/mh folders which should be indexed ...
21517 mbox = ... your mbox files which should be indexed ...
21520 This specifies all your mail folders and mbox files (relative to the
21521 base directory!) you want to index with mairix. Note that the
21522 @code{nnml} back end saves mails in MH format, so you have to put those
21523 directories in the @code{mh} line. See the example at the end of this
21524 section and mairixrc's man-page for further details.
21530 @vindex nnmairix-group-prefix
21531 This should make sure that you don't accidentally index the mairix
21532 search results. You can change the prefix of these folders with the
21533 variable @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
21536 mformat= ... 'maildir' or 'mh' ...
21537 database= ... location of database file ...
21540 The @code{format} setting specifies the output format for the mairix
21541 search folder. Set this to @code{mh} if you want to access search results
21542 with @code{nnml}. Otherwise choose @code{maildir}.
21544 To summarize, here is my shortened @file{.mairixrc} file as an example:
21548 maildir=.personal:.work:.logcheck:.sent
21549 mh=../Mail/nnml/*...
21550 mbox=../mboxmail/mailarchive_year*
21553 database=~/.mairixdatabase
21556 In this case, the base directory is @file{~/Maildir}, where all my Maildir
21557 folders are stored. As you can see, the folders are separated by
21558 colons. If you wonder why every folder begins with a dot: this is
21559 because I use Dovecot as @acronym{IMAP} server, which again uses
21560 @code{Maildir++} folders. For testing nnmairix, I also have some
21561 @code{nnml} mail, which is saved in @file{~/Mail/nnml}. Since this has
21562 to be specified relative to the @code{base} directory, the @code{../Mail}
21563 notation is needed. Note that the line ends in @code{*...}, which means
21564 to recursively scan all files under this directory. Without the three
21565 dots, the wildcard @code{*} will not work recursively. I also have some
21566 old mbox files with archived mail lying around in @file{~/mboxmail}.
21567 The other lines should be obvious.
21569 See the man page for @code{mairixrc} for details and further options,
21570 especially regarding wildcard usage, which may be a little different
21571 than you are used to.
21573 Now simply call @code{mairix} to create the index for the first time.
21574 Note that this may take a few minutes, but every following index will do
21575 the updates incrementally and hence is very fast.
21577 @node Configuring nnmairix
21578 @subsection Configuring nnmairix
21580 In group mode, type @kbd{G b c}
21581 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). This will ask you for all
21582 necessary information and create a @code{nnmairix} server as a foreign
21583 server. You will have to specify the following:
21588 The @strong{name} of the @code{nnmairix} server---choose whatever you
21592 The name of the @strong{back end server} where mairix should store its
21593 searches. This must be a full server name, like @code{nnml:mymail}.
21594 Just hit @kbd{TAB} to see the available servers. Currently, servers
21595 which are accessed through @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnimap} and
21596 @code{nnml} are supported. As explained above, for locally stored
21597 mails, this can be an existing server where you store your mails.
21598 However, you can also create e.g. a new @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml}
21599 server exclusively for @code{nnmairix} in your secondary select methods
21600 (@pxref{Finding the News}). If you use a secondary @code{nnml} server
21601 just for mairix, make sure that you explicitly set the server variable
21602 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}, or you might lose mail
21603 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). If you want to use mairix remotely on an
21604 @acronym{IMAP} server, you have to choose the corresponding
21605 @code{nnimap} server here.
21608 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-search-options
21609 The @strong{command} to call the mairix binary. This will usually just
21610 be @code{mairix}, but you can also choose something like @code{ssh
21611 SERVER mairix} if you want to call mairix remotely, e.g. on your
21612 @acronym{IMAP} server. If you want to add some default options to
21613 mairix, you could do this here, but better use the variable
21614 @code{nnmairix-mairix-search-options} instead.
21617 The name of the @strong{default search group}. This will be the group
21618 where all temporary mairix searches are stored, i.e. all searches which
21619 are not bound to permanent @code{nnmairix} groups. Choose whatever you
21623 If the mail back end is @code{nnimap} or @code{nnmaildir}, you will be
21624 asked if you work with @strong{Maildir++}, i.e. with hidden maildir
21625 folders (=beginning with a dot). For example, you have to answer
21626 @samp{yes} here if you work with the Dovecot @acronym{IMAP}
21627 server. Otherwise, you should answer @samp{no} here.
21631 @node nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
21632 @subsection nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
21639 @kindex G b c (Group)
21640 @findex nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group
21641 Creates @code{nnmairix} server and default search group for this server
21642 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). You should have done
21643 this by now (@pxref{Configuring nnmairix}).
21646 @kindex G b s (Group)
21647 @findex nnmairix-search
21648 Prompts for query which is then sent to the mairix binary. Search
21649 results are put into the default search group which is automatically
21650 displayed (@code{nnmairix-search}).
21653 @kindex G b m (Group)
21654 @findex nnmairix-widget-search
21655 Allows you to create a mairix search or a permanent group more
21656 comfortably using graphical widgets, similar to a customization
21657 group. Just try it to see how it works (@code{nnmairix-widget-search}).
21660 @kindex G b i (Group)
21661 @findex nnmairix-search-interactive
21662 Another command for creating a mairix query more comfortably, but uses
21663 only the minibuffer (@code{nnmairix-search-interactive}).
21666 @kindex G b g (Group)
21667 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group
21668 Creates a permanent group which is associated with a search query
21669 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group}). The @code{nnmairix} back end
21670 automatically calls mairix when you update this group with @kbd{g} or
21674 @kindex G b q (Group)
21675 @findex nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group
21676 Changes the search query for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor
21677 (@code{nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group}).
21680 @kindex G b t (Group)
21681 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group
21682 Toggles the 'threads' parameter for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor,
21683 i.e. if you want see the whole threads of the found messages
21684 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group}).
21687 @kindex G b u (Group)
21688 @findex nnmairix-update-database
21689 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-update-options
21690 Calls mairix binary for updating the database
21691 (@code{nnmairix-update-database}). The default parameters are @code{-F}
21692 and @code{-Q} for making this as fast as possible (see variable
21693 @code{nnmairix-mairix-update-options} for defining these default
21697 @kindex G b r (Group)
21698 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group
21699 Keep articles in this @code{nnmairix} group always read or unread, or leave the
21700 marks unchanged (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group}).
21703 @kindex G b d (Group)
21704 @findex nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group
21705 Recreate @code{nnmairix} group on the ``real'' mail back end
21706 (@code{nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group}). You can do this if
21707 you always get wrong article counts with a @code{nnmairix} group.
21710 @kindex G b a (Group)
21711 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group
21712 Toggles the @code{allow-fast} parameters for group under cursor
21713 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group}). The default
21714 behavior of @code{nnmairix} is to do a mairix search every time you
21715 update or enter the group. With the @code{allow-fast} parameter set,
21716 mairix will only be called when you explicitly update the group, but not
21717 upon entering. This makes entering the group faster, but it may also
21718 lead to dangling symlinks if something changed between updating and
21719 entering the group which is not yet in the mairix database.
21722 @kindex G b p (Group)
21723 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group
21724 Toggle marks propagation for this group
21725 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group}). (@pxref{Propagating
21729 @kindex G b o (Group)
21730 @findex nnmairix-propagate-marks
21731 Manually propagate marks (@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks}); needed only when
21732 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} is set to @code{nil}.
21741 @kindex $ m (Summary)
21742 @findex nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article
21743 Allows you to create a mairix query or group based on the current
21744 message using graphical widgets (same as @code{nnmairix-widget-search})
21745 (@code{nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article}).
21748 @kindex $ g (Summary)
21749 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message
21750 Interactively creates a new search group with query based on the current
21751 message, but uses the minibuffer instead of graphical widgets
21752 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message}).
21755 @kindex $ t (Summary)
21756 @findex nnmairix-search-thread-this-article
21757 Searches thread for the current article
21758 (@code{nnmairix-search-thread-this-article}). This is effectively a
21759 shortcut for calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{m:msgid} of the
21760 current article and enabled threads.
21763 @kindex $ f (Summary)
21764 @findex nnmairix-search-from-this-article
21765 Searches all messages from sender of the current article
21766 (@code{nnmairix-search-from-this-article}). This is a shortcut for
21767 calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{f:From}.
21770 @kindex $ o (Summary)
21771 @findex nnmairix-goto-original-article
21772 (Only in @code{nnmairix} groups!) Tries determine the group this article
21773 originally came from and displays the article in this group, so that
21774 e.g. replying to this article the correct posting styles/group
21775 parameters are applied (@code{nnmairix-goto-original-article}). This
21776 function will use the registry if available, but can also parse the
21777 article file name as a fallback method.
21780 @kindex $ u (Summary)
21781 @findex nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article
21782 Remove possibly existing tick mark from original article
21783 (@code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article}). (@pxref{nnmairix
21788 @node Propagating marks
21789 @subsection Propagating marks
21791 First of: you really need a patched mairix binary for using the marks
21792 propagation feature efficiently. Otherwise, you would have to update
21793 the mairix database all the time. You can get the patch at
21795 @uref{http://www.randomsample.de/mairix-maildir-patch.tar}
21797 You need the mairix v0.21 source code for this patch; everything else
21798 is explained in the accompanied readme file. If you don't want to use
21799 marks propagation, you don't have to apply these patches, but they also
21800 fix some annoyances regarding changing maildir flags, so it might still
21803 With the patched mairix binary, you can use @code{nnmairix} as an
21804 alternative to mail splitting (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}). For
21805 example, instead of splitting all mails from @samp{david@@foobar.com}
21806 into a group, you can simply create a search group with the query
21807 @samp{f:david@@foobar.com}. This is actually what ``smart folders'' are
21808 all about: simply put everything in one mail folder and dynamically
21809 create searches instead of splitting. This is more flexible, since you
21810 can dynamically change your folders any time you want to. This also
21811 implies that you will usually read your mails in the @code{nnmairix}
21812 groups instead of your ``real'' mail groups.
21814 There is one problem, though: say you got a new mail from
21815 @samp{david@@foobar.com}; it will now show up in two groups, the
21816 ``real'' group (your INBOX, for example) and in the @code{nnmairix}
21817 search group (provided you have updated the mairix database). Now you
21818 enter the @code{nnmairix} group and read the mail. The mail will be
21819 marked as read, but only in the @code{nnmairix} group---in the ``real''
21820 mail group it will be still shown as unread.
21822 You could now catch up the mail group (@pxref{Group Data}), but this is
21823 tedious and error prone, since you may overlook mails you don't have
21824 created @code{nnmairix} groups for. Of course, you could first use
21825 @code{nnmairix-goto-original-article} (@pxref{nnmairix keyboard
21826 shortcuts}) and then read the mail in the original group, but that's
21827 even more cumbersome.
21829 Clearly, the easiest way would be if marks could somehow be
21830 automatically set for the original article. This is exactly what
21831 @emph{marks propagation} is about.
21833 Marks propagation is inactive by default. You can activate it for a
21834 certain @code{nnmairix} group with
21835 @code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group} (bound to @kbd{G b
21836 p}). This function will warn you if you try to use it with your default
21837 search group; the reason is that the default search group is used for
21838 temporary searches, and it's easy to accidentally propagate marks from
21839 this group. However, you can ignore this warning if you really want to.
21841 With marks propagation enabled, all the marks you set in a @code{nnmairix}
21842 group should now be propagated to the original article. For example,
21843 you can now tick an article (by default with @kbd{!}) and this mark should
21844 magically be set for the original article, too.
21846 A few more remarks which you may or may not want to know:
21848 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close
21849 Marks will not be set immediately, but only upon closing a group. This
21850 not only makes marks propagation faster, it also avoids problems with
21851 dangling symlinks when dealing with maildir files (since changing flags
21852 will change the file name). You can also control when to propagate marks
21853 via @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} (see the doc-string for
21856 Obviously, @code{nnmairix} will have to look up the original group for every
21857 article you want to set marks for. If available, @code{nnmairix} will first use
21858 the registry for determining the original group. The registry is very
21859 fast, hence you should really, really enable the registry when using
21860 marks propagation. If you don't have to worry about RAM and disc space,
21861 set @code{gnus-registry-max-entries} to a large enough value; to be on
21862 the safe side, choose roughly the amount of mails you index with mairix.
21864 @vindex nnmairix-only-use-registry
21865 If you don't want to use the registry or the registry hasn't seen the
21866 original article yet, @code{nnmairix} will use an additional mairix
21867 search for determining the file name of the article. This, of course, is
21868 way slower than the registry---if you set hundreds or even thousands of
21869 marks this way, it might take some time. You can avoid this situation by
21870 setting @code{nnmairix-only-use-registry} to t.
21872 Maybe you also want to propagate marks the other way round, i.e. if you
21873 tick an article in a "real" mail group, you'd like to have the same
21874 article in a @code{nnmairix} group ticked, too. For several good
21875 reasons, this can only be done efficiently if you use maildir. To
21876 immediately contradict myself, let me mention that it WON'T work with
21877 @code{nnmaildir}, since @code{nnmaildir} stores the marks externally and
21878 not in the file name. Therefore, propagating marks to @code{nnmairix}
21879 groups will usually only work if you use an IMAP server which uses
21880 maildir as its file format.
21882 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups
21883 If you work with this setup, just set
21884 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t} and see what
21885 happens. If you don't like what you see, just set it to @code{nil} again. One
21886 problem might be that you get a wrong number of unread articles; this
21887 usually happens when you delete or expire articles in the original
21888 groups. When this happens, you can recreate the @code{nnmairix} group on the
21889 back end using @kbd{G b d}.
21891 @node nnmairix tips and tricks
21892 @subsection nnmairix tips and tricks
21898 @findex nnmairix-update-groups
21899 I put all my important mail groups at group level 1. The mairix groups
21900 have group level 5, so they do not get checked at start up (@pxref{Group
21903 I use the following to check for mails:
21906 (defun my-check-mail-mairix-update (level)
21908 ;; if no prefix given, set level=1
21909 (gnus-group-get-new-news (or level 1))
21910 (nnmairix-update-groups "mairixsearch" t t)
21911 (gnus-group-list-groups))
21913 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map "g" 'my-check-mail-mairix-update)
21916 Instead of @samp{"mairixsearch"} use the name of your @code{nnmairix}
21917 server. See the doc string for @code{nnmairix-update-groups} for
21921 Example: search group for ticked articles
21923 For example, you can create a group for all ticked articles, where the
21924 articles always stay unread:
21926 Hit @kbd{G b g}, enter group name (e.g. @samp{important}), use
21927 @samp{F:f} as query and do not include threads.
21929 Now activate marks propagation for this group by using @kbd{G b p}. Then
21930 activate the always-unread feature by using @kbd{G b r} twice.
21932 So far so good---but how do you remove the tick marks in the @code{nnmairix}
21933 group? There are two options: You may simply use
21934 @code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article} (bound to @kbd{$ u}) to remove
21935 tick marks from the original article. The other possibility is to set
21936 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t}, but see the above
21937 comments about this option. If it works for you, the tick marks should
21938 also exist in the @code{nnmairix} group and you can remove them as usual,
21939 e.g. by marking an article as read.
21941 When you have removed a tick mark from the original article, this
21942 article should vanish from the @code{nnmairix} group after you have updated the
21943 mairix database and updated the group. Fortunately, there is a function
21944 for doing exactly that: @code{nnmairix-update-groups}. See the previous code
21945 snippet and the doc string for details.
21948 Dealing with auto-subscription of mail groups
21950 As described before, all @code{nnmairix} groups are in fact stored on
21951 the mail back end in the form @samp{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can
21952 see them when you enter the back end server in the server buffer. You
21953 should not subscribe these groups! Unfortunately, these groups will
21954 usually get @emph{auto-subscribed} when you use @code{nnmaildir} or
21955 @code{nnml}, i.e. you will suddenly see groups of the form
21956 @samp{zz_mairix*} pop up in your group buffer. If this happens to you,
21957 simply kill these groups with C-k. For avoiding this, turn off
21958 auto-subscription completely by setting the variable
21959 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups} to @code{nil} (@pxref{Filtering New
21960 Groups}), or if you like to keep this feature use the following kludge
21961 for turning it off for all groups beginning with @samp{zz_}:
21964 (setq gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
21965 "^\\(nnml\\|nnfolder\\|nnmbox\\|nnmh\\|nnbabyl\\|nnmaildir\\).*:\\([^z]\\|z$\\|\\z[^z]\\|zz$\\|zz[^_]\\|zz_$\\).*")
21970 @node nnmairix caveats
21971 @subsection nnmairix caveats
21975 You can create a secondary @code{nnml} server just for nnmairix, but then
21976 you have to explicitly set the corresponding server variable
21977 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}. Otherwise, new mail might get
21978 put into this secondary server (and would never show up again). Here's
21979 an example server definition:
21982 (nnml "mairix" (nnml-directory "mairix") (nnml-get-new-mail nil))
21985 (The @code{nnmaildir} back end also has a server variable
21986 @code{get-new-mail}, but its default value is @code{nil}, so you don't
21987 have to explicitly set it if you use a @code{nnmaildir} server just for
21991 If you use the Gnus registry: don't use the registry with
21992 @code{nnmairix} groups (put them in
21993 @code{gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups}; this is the default). Be
21994 @emph{extra careful} if you use
21995 @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}; mails which are split
21996 into @code{nnmairix} groups are usually gone for good as soon as you
21997 check the group for new mail (yes, it has happened to me...).
22000 Therefore: @emph{Never ever} put ``real'' mails into @code{nnmairix}
22001 groups (you shouldn't be able to, anyway).
22004 If you use the Gnus agent (@pxref{Gnus Unplugged}): don't agentize
22005 @code{nnmairix} groups (though I have no idea what happens if you do).
22008 mairix does only support us-ascii characters.
22011 @code{nnmairix} uses a rather brute force method to force Gnus to
22012 completely reread the group on the mail back end after mairix was
22013 called---it simply deletes and re-creates the group on the mail
22014 back end. So far, this has worked for me without any problems, and I
22015 don't see how @code{nnmairix} could delete other mail groups than its
22016 own, but anyway: you really should have a backup of your mail
22020 All necessary information is stored in the group parameters
22021 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). This has the advantage that no active file
22022 is needed, but also implies that when you kill a @code{nnmairix} group,
22023 it is gone for good.
22026 @findex nnmairix-purge-old-groups
22027 If you create and kill a lot of @code{nnmairix} groups, the
22028 ``zz_mairix-*'' groups will accumulate on the mail back end server. To
22029 delete old groups which are no longer needed, call
22030 @code{nnmairix-purge-old-groups}. Note that this assumes that you don't
22031 save any ``real'' mail in folders of the form
22032 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can change the prefix of
22033 @code{nnmairix} groups by changing the variable
22034 @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
22037 The following only applies if you @emph{don't} use the mentioned patch
22038 for mairix (@pxref{Propagating marks}):
22040 A problem can occur when using @code{nnmairix} with maildir folders and
22041 comes with the fact that maildir stores mail flags like @samp{Seen} or
22042 @samp{Replied} by appending chars @samp{S} and @samp{R} to the message
22043 file name, respectively. This implies that currently you would have to
22044 update the mairix database not only when new mail arrives, but also when
22045 mail flags are changing. The same applies to new mails which are indexed
22046 while they are still in the @samp{new} folder but then get moved to
22047 @samp{cur} when Gnus has seen the mail. If you don't update the database
22048 after this has happened, a mairix query can lead to symlinks pointing to
22049 non-existing files. In Gnus, these messages will usually appear with
22050 ``(none)'' entries in the header and can't be accessed. If this happens
22051 to you, using @kbd{G b u} and updating the group will usually fix this.
22058 @include message.texi
22059 @chapter Emacs MIME
22060 @include emacs-mime.texi
22062 @include sieve.texi
22074 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
22075 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
22076 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
22077 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
22078 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
22079 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
22080 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
22081 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
22082 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
22083 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
22084 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
22085 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
22086 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
22087 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
22088 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
22089 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
22090 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
22091 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
22092 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
22093 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
22097 @node Process/Prefix
22098 @section Process/Prefix
22099 @cindex process/prefix convention
22101 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
22102 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
22104 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
22105 command to be performed on.
22109 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
22110 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
22111 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
22112 with the current one.
22114 @vindex transient-mark-mode
22115 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
22116 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
22118 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
22119 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
22122 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
22123 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
22125 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
22128 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
22129 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
22130 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
22131 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
22133 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
22134 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
22135 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
22136 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
22137 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
22138 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
22139 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
22140 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
22142 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
22143 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
22144 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
22145 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
22146 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
22150 @section Interactive
22151 @cindex interaction
22155 @item gnus-novice-user
22156 @vindex gnus-novice-user
22157 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
22158 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
22159 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
22160 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
22163 @item gnus-expert-user
22164 @vindex gnus-expert-user
22165 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
22166 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing,
22167 no matter how strange. For example, quitting Gnus, exiting a group
22168 without an update, catching up with a group, deleting expired
22169 articles, and replying by mail to a news message will not require
22172 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
22173 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
22174 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
22175 is @code{t} by default.
22177 @item gnus-interactive-exit
22178 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
22179 If non-@code{nil}, require a confirmation when exiting Gnus. If
22180 @code{quiet}, update any active summary buffers automatically without
22181 querying. The default value is @code{t}.
22185 @node Symbolic Prefixes
22186 @section Symbolic Prefixes
22187 @cindex symbolic prefixes
22189 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
22190 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
22191 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
22192 rule of 900 to the current article.
22194 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
22195 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
22196 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
22197 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
22198 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
22199 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
22200 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
22202 @kindex M-i (Summary)
22203 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
22204 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
22205 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
22206 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
22207 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
22208 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
22209 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
22210 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
22212 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
22213 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
22214 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
22216 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
22220 @node Formatting Variables
22221 @section Formatting Variables
22222 @cindex formatting variables
22224 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
22225 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
22226 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
22227 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
22228 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
22231 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
22232 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
22233 lots of percentages everywhere.
22236 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
22237 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
22238 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
22239 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
22240 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
22241 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
22242 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
22243 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
22246 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
22247 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
22248 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
22249 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
22250 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
22251 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
22252 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
22253 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
22255 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
22256 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
22258 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
22259 @findex gnus-update-format
22260 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
22261 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
22262 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
22263 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
22267 @node Formatting Basics
22268 @subsection Formatting Basics
22270 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
22271 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
22272 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
22274 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
22275 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
22276 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
22277 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
22278 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
22281 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
22282 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
22283 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
22284 less than 4 characters wide.
22286 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
22287 @samp{%&user-date;}.
22290 @node Mode Line Formatting
22291 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
22293 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
22294 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
22295 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
22296 with the following two differences:
22301 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
22304 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
22305 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
22306 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
22307 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
22308 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
22309 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
22310 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
22315 @node Advanced Formatting
22316 @subsection Advanced Formatting
22318 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
22319 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
22320 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
22321 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
22323 These are the valid modifiers:
22328 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
22332 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
22337 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
22340 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
22345 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
22348 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
22351 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
22354 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
22360 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
22365 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
22366 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
22367 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
22368 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
22369 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
22370 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
22371 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
22373 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
22374 last operation, padding.
22377 @node User-Defined Specs
22378 @subsection User-Defined Specs
22380 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
22381 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
22382 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
22383 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
22384 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
22385 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
22386 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
22387 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
22388 should protect against that.
22390 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
22391 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
22393 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
22394 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
22395 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
22396 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
22400 @node Formatting Fonts
22401 @subsection Formatting Fonts
22404 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22405 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
22406 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
22407 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
22408 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
22412 @vindex gnus-face-0
22413 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
22414 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
22415 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
22416 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
22417 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
22418 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
22420 @cindex %<<, %>>, guillemets
22421 @c @cindex %<<, %>>, %«, %», guillemets
22422 @vindex gnus-balloon-face-0
22423 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
22424 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
22425 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
22426 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
22427 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
22428 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
22429 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
22430 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
22431 (in Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
22432 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
22433 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
22436 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
22439 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
22440 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
22441 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
22443 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
22444 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
22445 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
22446 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
22447 ;; @r{Set the color.}
22448 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
22449 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
22451 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
22452 (setq gnus-group-line-format
22453 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
22456 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
22457 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
22459 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
22460 mode-line variables.
22462 @node Positioning Point
22463 @subsection Positioning Point
22465 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
22466 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
22467 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
22469 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
22471 @findex gnus-goto-colon
22472 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
22473 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
22475 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
22476 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
22477 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
22482 @subsection Tabulation
22484 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
22485 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
22486 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
22487 about lining up the following text afterwards.
22489 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
22490 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
22492 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22493 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
22494 This is the soft tabulator.
22496 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22497 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
22498 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
22501 @node Wide Characters
22502 @subsection Wide Characters
22504 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
22505 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
22506 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
22508 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
22509 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
22510 these countries, that's not true.
22512 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
22513 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
22514 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
22515 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
22519 @node Window Layout
22520 @section Window Layout
22521 @cindex window layout
22523 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
22525 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
22526 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
22527 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
22528 @code{t} by default.
22530 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
22531 glitches. Use at your own peril.
22533 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
22534 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
22535 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
22538 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)))
22539 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22543 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
22544 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
22545 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
22546 possible names is listed below.
22548 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
22549 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
22552 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22556 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
22557 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
22558 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
22559 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
22560 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
22561 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
22562 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
22563 size spec per split.
22565 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
22566 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
22567 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
22568 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
22569 present) gets focus.
22571 Here's a more complicated example:
22574 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
22575 (summary 0.25 point)
22579 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
22580 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
22581 occupy, not a percentage.
22583 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
22584 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
22585 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
22586 be used as a split.
22588 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
22591 (article (horizontal 1.0
22595 (summary 0.25 point)
22599 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
22600 @code{horizontal} thingie?
22602 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
22603 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
22604 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
22605 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
22606 the screen is to be given to this strip.
22608 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
22609 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
22610 lines from the splits.
22612 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
22617 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
22618 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
22619 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
22620 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
22621 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
22622 size = number | frame-params
22623 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
22627 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
22628 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
22629 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
22630 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
22632 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
22633 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
22634 @cindex window height
22635 @cindex window width
22636 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
22637 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
22638 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
22639 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
22640 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
22641 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
22643 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
22644 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
22645 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
22646 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
22648 @findex gnus-configure-frame
22649 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
22650 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
22651 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
22652 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
22653 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
22654 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
22655 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
22656 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
22657 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
22658 configuration list.
22661 (gnus-configure-frame
22665 (article 0.3 point))
22673 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
22674 @code{frame} split:
22677 (gnus-configure-frame
22680 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
22682 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
22683 (user-position . t)
22684 (left . -1) (top . 1))
22689 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
22690 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
22691 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
22692 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
22693 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
22694 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
22695 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
22696 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
22698 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
22699 be found in its default value.
22701 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
22702 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
22703 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
22707 (message (horizontal 1.0
22708 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
22710 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
22715 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
22716 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
22717 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
22722 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
22723 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
22724 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
22725 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
22726 (name . "Message"))
22727 (message 1.0 point))))
22730 @findex gnus-add-configuration
22731 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
22732 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
22733 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
22734 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
22737 (gnus-add-configuration
22738 '(article (vertical 1.0
22740 (summary .25 point)
22744 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
22745 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
22746 Gnus has been loaded.
22748 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
22749 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
22750 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
22751 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
22752 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
22754 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
22755 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
22756 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
22759 @subsection Window Configuration Names
22761 Here's a list of most of the currently known window configurations,
22762 and when they're used:
22769 Entering a group and showing only the summary.
22772 Selecting an article.
22778 Browsing groups from the server buffer.
22781 Composing a (new) message.
22784 Showing only the article buffer.
22787 Editing an article.
22790 Editing group parameters and the like.
22793 Editing a server definition.
22796 Composing a news message.
22799 Replying or following up an article without yanking the text.
22802 Forwarding a message.
22805 Replying or following up an article with yanking the text.
22808 Bouncing a message.
22811 Sending an article to an external process.
22814 Sending a bug report.
22817 Displaying the score trace.
22820 Displaying the score words.
22823 Displaying the split trace.
22825 @item compose-bounce
22826 Composing a bounce message.
22829 Previewing a @acronym{MIME} part.
22834 @subsection Example Window Configurations
22838 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
22839 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
22854 (gnus-add-configuration
22857 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22859 (summary 0.16 point)
22862 (gnus-add-configuration
22865 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22866 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
22872 @node Faces and Fonts
22873 @section Faces and Fonts
22878 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
22879 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
22880 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
22885 @section Mode Lines
22888 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
22889 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
22890 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
22891 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
22892 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
22893 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
22894 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
22897 @cindex display-time
22899 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
22900 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
22901 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
22902 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
22903 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
22904 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
22905 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
22906 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
22909 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
22911 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
22912 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
22914 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
22915 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
22916 (length display-time-string)))))
22919 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
22920 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
22921 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
22922 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
22923 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
22926 @node Highlighting and Menus
22927 @section Highlighting and Menus
22929 @cindex highlighting
22932 @vindex gnus-visual
22933 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
22934 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
22935 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
22938 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
22939 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
22942 @item group-highlight
22943 Do highlights in the group buffer.
22944 @item summary-highlight
22945 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
22946 @item article-highlight
22947 Do highlights in the article buffer.
22949 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
22951 Create menus in the group buffer.
22953 Create menus in the summary buffers.
22955 Create menus in the article buffer.
22957 Create menus in the browse buffer.
22959 Create menus in the server buffer.
22961 Create menus in the score buffers.
22963 Create menus in all buffers.
22966 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
22967 buffers, you could say something like:
22970 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
22973 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
22976 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
22979 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
22980 in all Gnus buffers.
22982 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
22985 @item gnus-mouse-face
22986 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22987 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
22988 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
22992 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
22996 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
22997 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
22998 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
23000 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
23001 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
23002 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
23004 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
23005 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
23006 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
23008 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
23009 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
23010 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
23012 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
23013 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
23014 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
23016 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
23017 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
23018 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
23028 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
23029 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
23030 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
23031 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
23032 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
23034 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
23035 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
23036 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
23038 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
23039 been idle for thirty minutes:
23042 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
23045 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
23049 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
23052 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
23053 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
23054 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23056 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
23057 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
23058 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
23059 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23061 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
23062 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
23063 @var{idle} minutes.
23065 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
23066 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
23069 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
23070 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
23071 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
23073 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
23074 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
23075 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
23076 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
23078 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
23079 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23081 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
23083 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
23086 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
23087 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
23088 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
23089 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
23090 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
23091 @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
23092 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
23093 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
23094 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
23095 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
23097 @findex gnus-demon-init
23098 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
23099 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
23100 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
23101 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
23102 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
23104 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
23105 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
23106 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
23114 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
23115 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
23116 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
23118 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
23119 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
23120 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
23121 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
23122 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
23123 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
23124 @code{undo} function.
23126 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
23127 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
23128 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
23129 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
23130 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
23131 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
23132 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
23133 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
23134 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
23135 never be totally undoable.
23137 @findex gnus-undo-mode
23138 @vindex gnus-use-undo
23140 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
23141 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
23142 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
23143 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
23147 @node Predicate Specifiers
23148 @section Predicate Specifiers
23149 @cindex predicate specifiers
23151 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
23152 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
23153 to type all that much.
23155 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
23160 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
23161 gnus-article-unread-p)
23164 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
23165 functions all take one parameter.
23167 @findex gnus-make-predicate
23168 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
23169 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
23170 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
23175 @section Moderation
23178 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
23179 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
23180 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
23183 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
23187 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
23190 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
23192 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
23197 You split your incoming mail by matching on
23198 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
23199 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
23202 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
23203 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
23206 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
23207 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
23211 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
23214 (setq gnus-moderated-list
23215 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
23219 @node Fetching a Group
23220 @section Fetching a Group
23221 @cindex fetching a group
23223 @findex gnus-fetch-group
23224 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
23225 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
23226 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
23227 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
23228 It takes the group name as a parameter.
23231 @node Image Enhancements
23232 @section Image Enhancements
23234 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
23235 support images, Emacs 22 does.} and up, are able to display pictures and
23236 stuff, so Gnus has taken advantage of that.
23239 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
23240 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
23241 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
23242 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
23243 * Gravatars:: Display the avatar of people you read.
23244 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
23252 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
23253 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
23254 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
23258 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
23259 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
23260 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
23268 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
23269 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions have), or that you
23270 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
23271 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
23272 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
23273 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
23274 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends, see below. For XEmacs it's
23275 faster if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The
23276 default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
23277 @code{display} program.
23279 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is included in the
23280 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
23281 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
23282 On Windows, you may use the packages @code{netpbm} and @code{compface}
23283 from @url{http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net}. You need to add the
23284 @code{bin} directory to your @code{PATH} environment variable.
23285 @c In fact only the following DLLs and binaries seem to be required:
23286 @c compface1.dll uncompface.exe libnetpbm10.dll icontopbm.exe
23288 The variable @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} controls which programs
23289 are used to display the @code{X-Face} header. If this variable is a
23290 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
23291 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
23292 If @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches the
23293 @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
23295 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
23303 @vindex gnus-x-face
23304 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
23305 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
23306 default colors are black and white.
23308 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
23309 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
23310 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
23311 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
23312 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
23313 XEmacs. Here are examples:
23316 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
23317 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
23318 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
23319 (png . (:ascent 80))))
23321 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
23322 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
23323 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
23324 (png . (:relief -2))))
23327 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
23328 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
23329 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
23330 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
23331 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
23332 @samp{libcompface} library.
23335 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
23336 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
23337 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
23338 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
23339 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
23340 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
23342 @findex gnus-random-x-face
23343 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
23344 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
23345 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
23346 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
23347 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
23348 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
23349 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
23350 header data as a string.
23352 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
23353 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
23354 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
23355 randomly generated data.
23357 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
23358 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
23359 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
23360 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
23361 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
23363 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
23364 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23367 (setq message-required-news-headers
23368 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23369 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
23372 Using the last function would be something like this:
23375 (setq message-required-news-headers
23376 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23377 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
23378 (gnus-x-face-from-file
23379 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
23387 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
23389 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
23390 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
23391 represent the author of the message.
23394 @findex gnus-article-display-face
23395 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
23396 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
23399 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
23400 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
23402 Viewing a @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
23405 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
23407 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
23409 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
23410 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
23412 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
23413 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
23414 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
23416 @findex gnus-face-from-file
23417 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
23418 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
23419 converts the file to Face format by using the
23420 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
23422 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
23423 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23426 (setq message-required-news-headers
23427 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23428 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
23429 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
23434 @subsection Smileys
23439 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
23444 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
23445 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
23447 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
23448 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23451 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
23454 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
23455 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
23456 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
23457 text and maps that to file names.
23459 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
23460 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
23461 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
23462 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
23463 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
23466 The following variables customize the appearance of the smileys:
23471 @vindex smiley-style
23472 Specifies the smiley style. Predefined smiley styles include
23473 @code{low-color} (small 13x14 pixel, three-color images), @code{medium}
23474 (more colorful images, 16x16 pixel), and @code{grayscale} (grayscale
23475 images, 14x14 pixel). The default depends on the height of the default
23478 @item smiley-data-directory
23479 @vindex smiley-data-directory
23480 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files. You shouldn't set this
23481 variable anymore. Customize @code{smiley-style} instead.
23483 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
23484 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
23485 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
23499 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
23500 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
23501 over your shoulder as you read news.
23503 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
23512 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
23513 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
23514 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
23515 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
23516 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
23517 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
23518 @code{GIF} formats.
23521 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23522 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
23523 point your Web browser at
23524 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
23526 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
23527 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
23529 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
23530 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
23533 @vindex gnus-picon-style
23534 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
23535 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
23536 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
23538 @vindex gnus-picon-properties
23539 The value of the variable @code{gnus-picon-properties} is a list of
23540 properties applied to picons.
23542 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
23546 @item gnus-picon-databases
23547 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23548 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
23549 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
23550 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
23551 "/usr/local/faces")}.
23553 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
23554 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
23555 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
23556 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
23558 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
23559 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
23560 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
23561 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
23563 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
23564 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
23565 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
23566 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
23567 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
23569 @item gnus-picon-file-types
23570 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
23571 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
23572 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
23574 @item gnus-picon-inhibit-top-level-domains
23575 @vindex gnus-picon-inhibit-top-level-domains
23576 If non-@code{nil} (which is the default), don't display picons for
23577 things like @samp{.net} and @samp{.de}, which aren't usually very
23583 @subsection Gravatars
23587 \include{gravatars}
23591 A gravatar is an image registered to an e-mail address.
23593 You can submit yours on-line at @uref{http://www.gravatar.com}.
23595 The following variables offer control over how things are displayed.
23599 @item gnus-gravatar-size
23600 @vindex gnus-gravatar-size
23601 The size in pixels of gravatars. Gravatars are always square, so one
23602 number for the size is enough.
23604 @item gnus-gravatar-properties
23605 @vindex gnus-gravatar-properties
23606 List of image properties applied to Gravatar images.
23608 @item gnus-gravatar-too-ugly
23609 @vindex gnus-gravatar-too-ugly
23610 Regexp that matches mail addresses or names of people of which avatars
23611 should not be displayed, or @code{nil}. It default to the value of
23612 @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (@pxref{X-Face}).
23616 If you want to see them in the From field, set:
23618 (setq gnus-treat-from-gravatar 'head)
23621 If you want to see them in the Cc and To fields, set:
23624 (setq gnus-treat-mail-gravatar 'head)
23629 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
23632 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
23633 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
23634 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
23635 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
23636 unusual directory structure.
23638 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
23639 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
23640 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
23645 @subsubsection Toolbar
23649 @item gnus-use-toolbar
23650 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
23651 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
23652 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
23653 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
23654 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
23655 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
23656 names show. The default is @code{default}.
23658 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
23659 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
23660 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
23661 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
23662 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
23663 The default is that of the default toolbar.
23665 @item gnus-group-toolbar
23666 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
23667 The toolbar in the group buffer.
23669 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
23670 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
23671 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
23673 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
23674 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
23675 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
23686 @node Fuzzy Matching
23687 @section Fuzzy Matching
23688 @cindex fuzzy matching
23690 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
23691 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
23693 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
23694 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
23695 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
23697 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
23698 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
23699 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
23700 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
23701 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
23704 @node Thwarting Email Spam
23705 @section Thwarting Email Spam
23709 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23711 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
23712 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
23713 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
23714 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
23715 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
23716 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
23717 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
23718 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
23721 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
23722 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
23723 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
23724 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
23725 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
23726 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
23728 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
23731 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
23732 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
23733 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
23734 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
23737 @node The problem of spam
23738 @subsection The problem of spam
23740 @cindex spam filtering approaches
23741 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
23743 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23745 First, some background on spam.
23747 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
23748 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
23749 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
23750 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
23751 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
23752 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
23753 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
23754 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
23755 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
23757 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
23758 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
23759 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
23760 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
23761 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
23762 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
23763 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
23764 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
23765 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
23768 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
23769 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
23770 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
23771 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
23772 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
23773 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
23774 from Bulgarian IPs.
23776 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
23777 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
23778 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
23779 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
23781 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
23782 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
23783 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
23784 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
23786 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
23787 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
23788 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
23789 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
23790 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
23791 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
23792 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
23793 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
23794 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
23796 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
23797 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
23798 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
23799 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
23800 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
23801 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
23802 down for some time because of the incident.
23804 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
23805 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
23806 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
23807 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
23808 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
23809 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
23810 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
23811 to store the database of spam analysis. Statistical analysis on the
23812 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
23813 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
23814 the server that it has misclassified mail.
23816 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
23817 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
23818 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
23819 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
23820 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
23821 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
23822 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
23825 @node Anti-Spam Basics
23826 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
23830 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23832 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
23833 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
23835 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
23836 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
23837 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
23838 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
23839 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
23840 part of the mail address.)
23843 (setq message-default-news-headers
23844 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
23847 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23848 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23852 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
23853 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
23854 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
23859 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
23860 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
23861 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
23862 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
23864 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
23865 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
23866 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
23867 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
23868 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
23869 your fancy split rule in this way:
23874 (to "larsi" "misc")
23878 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
23879 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
23880 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
23881 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
23882 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
23884 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
23885 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
23886 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
23887 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
23889 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
23893 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
23894 @cindex SpamAssassin
23895 @cindex Vipul's Razor
23898 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
23899 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
23900 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
23901 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
23902 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
23903 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
23904 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
23906 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
23907 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
23908 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
23911 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
23912 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
23913 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
23914 Specifiers}) follow.
23918 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
23922 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
23925 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
23926 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
23927 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
23930 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
23934 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23937 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
23938 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
23942 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
23943 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
23944 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
23945 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
23948 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
23950 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
23954 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
23955 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
23959 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
23960 downloaded by default. You need to set
23961 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
23962 (@pxref{Client-Side IMAP Splitting}).
23964 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
23965 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
23966 spam. And here is the nifty function:
23969 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
23970 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
23972 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d" t)
23973 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
23977 @subsection Hashcash
23980 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
23981 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
23982 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
23983 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
23984 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
23986 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
23987 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
23988 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
23989 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
23990 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
23991 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
23992 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
23993 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
23994 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
23995 one of them separately.
23998 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
23999 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
24000 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
24001 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
24002 need to install to use this feature, see
24003 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
24004 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
24006 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
24007 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
24008 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
24011 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
24014 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
24018 @item hashcash-default-payment
24019 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
24020 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
24021 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
24024 @item hashcash-payment-alist
24025 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
24026 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
24027 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
24028 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
24029 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
24030 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
24031 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
24032 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
24034 @item hashcash-path
24035 @vindex hashcash-path
24036 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
24037 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
24038 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
24039 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
24040 when you generate hashcash payments.
24044 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
24045 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
24046 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
24047 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
24048 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
24049 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
24050 Hashcash Payments}).
24053 @section Spam Package
24054 @cindex spam filtering
24057 The Spam package provides Gnus with a centralized mechanism for
24058 detecting and filtering spam. It filters new mail, and processes
24059 messages according to whether they are spam or ham. (@dfn{Ham} is the
24060 name used throughout this manual to indicate non-spam messages.)
24063 * Spam Package Introduction::
24064 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
24065 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
24066 * Spam and Ham Processors::
24067 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
24069 * Extending the Spam package::
24070 * Spam Statistics Package::
24073 @node Spam Package Introduction
24074 @subsection Spam Package Introduction
24075 @cindex spam filtering
24076 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
24079 You must read this section to understand how the Spam package works.
24080 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
24082 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
24083 events. See @xref{Extending the Spam package}.
24085 @cindex spam-initialize
24086 @vindex spam-use-stat
24087 To use the Spam package, you @strong{must} first run the function
24088 @code{spam-initialize}:
24094 This autoloads @code{spam.el} and installs the various hooks necessary
24095 to let the Spam package do its job. In order to make use of the Spam
24096 package, you have to set up certain group parameters and variables,
24097 which we will describe below. All of the variables controlling the
24098 Spam package can be found in the @samp{spam} customization group.
24100 There are two ``contact points'' between the Spam package and the rest
24101 of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and leaving a group.
24103 Checking new mail for spam is done in one of two ways: while splitting
24104 incoming mail, or when you enter a group.
24106 The first way, checking for spam while splitting incoming mail, is
24107 suited to mail back ends such as @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap}, where
24108 new mail appears in a single spool file. The Spam package processes
24109 incoming mail, and sends mail considered to be spam to a designated
24110 ``spam'' group. @xref{Filtering Incoming Mail}.
24112 The second way is suited to back ends such as @code{nntp}, which have
24113 no incoming mail spool, or back ends where the server is in charge of
24114 splitting incoming mail. In this case, when you enter a Gnus group,
24115 the unseen or unread messages in that group are checked for spam.
24116 Detected spam messages are marked as spam. @xref{Detecting Spam in
24119 @cindex spam back ends
24120 In either case, you have to tell the Spam package what method to use
24121 to detect spam messages. There are several methods, or @dfn{spam back
24122 ends} (not to be confused with Gnus back ends!) to choose from: spam
24123 ``blacklists'' and ``whitelists'', dictionary-based filters, and so
24124 forth. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24126 In the Gnus summary buffer, messages that have been identified as spam
24127 always appear with a @samp{$} symbol.
24129 The Spam package divides Gnus groups into three categories: ham
24130 groups, spam groups, and unclassified groups. You should mark each of
24131 the groups you subscribe to as either a ham group or a spam group,
24132 using the @code{spam-contents} group parameter (@pxref{Group
24133 Parameters}). Spam groups have a special property: when you enter a
24134 spam group, all unseen articles are marked as spam. Thus, mail split
24135 into a spam group is automatically marked as spam.
24137 Identifying spam messages is only half of the Spam package's job. The
24138 second half comes into play whenever you exit a group buffer. At this
24139 point, the Spam package does several things:
24141 First, it calls @dfn{spam and ham processors} to process the articles
24142 according to whether they are spam or ham. There is a pair of spam
24143 and ham processors associated with each spam back end, and what the
24144 processors do depends on the back end. At present, the main role of
24145 spam and ham processors is for dictionary-based spam filters: they add
24146 the contents of the messages in the group to the filter's dictionary,
24147 to improve its ability to detect future spam. The @code{spam-process}
24148 group parameter specifies what spam processors to use. @xref{Spam and
24151 If the spam filter failed to mark a spam message, you can mark it
24152 yourself, so that the message is processed as spam when you exit the
24160 @kindex $ (Summary)
24161 @kindex M-d (Summary)
24162 @kindex S x (Summary)
24163 @kindex M s x (Summary)
24164 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24165 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24166 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark
24167 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}).
24171 Similarly, you can unmark an article if it has been erroneously marked
24172 as spam. @xref{Setting Marks}.
24174 Normally, a ham message found in a non-ham group is not processed as
24175 ham---the rationale is that it should be moved into a ham group for
24176 further processing (see below). However, you can force these articles
24177 to be processed as ham by setting
24178 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
24179 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups}.
24181 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24182 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24183 The second thing that the Spam package does when you exit a group is
24184 to move ham articles out of spam groups, and spam articles out of ham
24185 groups. Ham in a spam group is moved to the group specified by the
24186 variable @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}, or the group parameter
24187 @code{ham-process-destination}. Spam in a ham group is moved to the
24188 group specified by the variable @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations},
24189 or the group parameter @code{spam-process-destination}. If these
24190 variables are not set, the articles are left in their current group.
24191 If an article cannot be moved (e.g., with a read-only backend such
24192 as @acronym{NNTP}), it is copied.
24194 If an article is moved to another group, it is processed again when
24195 you visit the new group. Normally, this is not a problem, but if you
24196 want each article to be processed only once, load the
24197 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and set the variable
24198 @code{spam-log-to-registry} to @code{t}. @xref{Spam Package
24199 Configuration Examples}.
24201 Normally, spam groups ignore @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations}.
24202 However, if you set @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only} to
24203 @code{nil}, spam will also be moved out of spam groups, depending on
24204 the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter.
24206 The final thing the Spam package does is to mark spam articles as
24207 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
24209 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
24210 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
24211 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
24213 @node Filtering Incoming Mail
24214 @subsection Filtering Incoming Mail
24215 @cindex spam filtering
24216 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
24219 To use the Spam package to filter incoming mail, you must first set up
24220 fancy mail splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}. The Spam package
24221 defines a special splitting function that you can add to your fancy
24222 split variable (either @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
24223 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on your mail back end):
24229 @vindex spam-split-group
24231 The @code{spam-split} function scans incoming mail according to your
24232 chosen spam back end(s), and sends messages identified as spam to a
24233 spam group. By default, the spam group is a group named @samp{spam},
24234 but you can change this by customizing @code{spam-split-group}. Make
24235 sure the contents of @code{spam-split-group} are an unqualified group
24236 name. For instance, in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server},
24237 the value @samp{spam} means @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The value
24238 @samp{nnimap+server:spam} is therefore wrong---it gives the group
24239 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam}.
24241 @code{spam-split} does not modify the contents of messages in any way.
24243 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
24244 Note for IMAP users: if you use the @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
24245 @code{spam-check-ifile}, and @code{spam-check-stat} spam back ends,
24246 you should also set the variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to
24247 @code{t}. These spam back ends are most useful when they can ``scan''
24248 the full message body. By default, the nnimap back end only retrieves
24249 the message headers; @code{nnimap-split-download-body} tells it to
24250 retrieve the message bodies as well. We don't set this by default
24251 because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and that is not an
24252 appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user. @xref{Client-Side
24255 You have to specify one or more spam back ends for @code{spam-split}
24256 to use, by setting the @code{spam-use-*} variables. @xref{Spam Back
24257 Ends}. Normally, @code{spam-split} simply uses all the spam back ends
24258 you enabled in this way. However, you can tell @code{spam-split} to
24259 use only some of them. Why this is useful? Suppose you are using the
24260 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and @code{spam-use-blackholes} spam back
24261 ends, and the following split rule:
24264 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24265 (any "ding" "ding")
24267 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24272 The problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the ding
24273 folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam detected by
24274 SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through, when it's
24275 sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to the ding
24276 list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the invocation
24277 of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
24279 The solution is to let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, and
24280 perform the other @code{spam-split} rules (including a second
24281 invocation of the regex-headers check) after the ding rule. This is
24282 done by passing a parameter to @code{spam-split}:
24287 ;; @r{spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
24288 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24289 (any "ding" "ding")
24290 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
24292 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24297 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
24298 your particular needs, and target the results of those checks to a
24299 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
24300 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
24301 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
24302 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
24303 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
24305 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
24306 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
24307 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
24308 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24310 @c @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
24311 @c statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
24314 @node Detecting Spam in Groups
24315 @subsection Detecting Spam in Groups
24317 To detect spam when visiting a group, set the group's
24318 @code{spam-autodetect} and @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group
24319 parameters. These are accessible with @kbd{G c} or @kbd{G p}, as
24320 usual (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
24322 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
24323 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
24324 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
24325 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
24327 By default, only unseen articles are processed for spam. You can
24328 force Gnus to recheck all messages in the group by setting the
24329 variable @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages} to @code{t}.
24331 If you use the @code{spam-autodetect} method of checking for spam, you
24332 can specify different spam detection methods for different groups.
24333 For instance, the @samp{ding} group may have @code{spam-use-BBDB} as
24334 the autodetection method, while the @samp{suspect} group may have the
24335 @code{spam-use-blacklist} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods
24336 enabled. Unlike with @code{spam-split}, you don't have any control
24337 over the @emph{sequence} of checks, but this is probably unimportant.
24339 @node Spam and Ham Processors
24340 @subsection Spam and Ham Processors
24341 @cindex spam filtering
24342 @cindex spam filtering variables
24343 @cindex spam variables
24346 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
24347 Spam and ham processors specify special actions to take when you exit
24348 a group buffer. Spam processors act on spam messages, and ham
24349 processors on ham messages. At present, the main role of these
24350 processors is to update the dictionaries of dictionary-based spam back
24351 ends such as Bogofilter (@pxref{Bogofilter}) and the Spam Statistics
24352 package (@pxref{Spam Statistics Filtering}).
24354 The spam and ham processors that apply to each group are determined by
24355 the group's@code{spam-process} group parameter. If this group
24356 parameter is not defined, they are determined by the variable
24357 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups}.
24359 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24360 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
24361 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
24362 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
24363 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
24364 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
24365 by customizing the corresponding variable
24366 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
24367 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
24368 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
24369 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
24370 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
24371 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
24372 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
24375 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
24377 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
24378 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
24379 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
24380 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
24381 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
24382 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
24383 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
24384 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
24385 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
24386 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
24387 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
24388 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
24389 processor which will study them as spam samples.
24391 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
24392 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
24393 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
24394 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
24395 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
24396 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
24397 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
24398 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
24401 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
24402 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
24403 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
24404 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
24405 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
24406 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
24407 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
24412 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
24413 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
24414 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
24415 you really want to.
24418 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
24419 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
24420 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
24421 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
24422 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
24423 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
24426 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24427 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
24428 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
24429 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
24430 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
24431 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
24432 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
24433 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
24434 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
24435 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
24436 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
24437 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
24438 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
24439 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
24440 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
24442 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24443 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24445 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24446 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
24447 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
24449 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
24450 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
24452 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
24453 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
24454 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
24455 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
24456 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
24458 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
24459 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
24460 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
24461 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
24462 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
24465 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24466 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
24467 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
24468 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
24469 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
24470 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
24471 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
24472 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
24473 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
24474 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
24475 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
24476 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
24477 group buffer then you need it here as well.
24479 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24480 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24482 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24483 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
24486 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
24487 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
24488 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
24489 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
24490 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
24491 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
24492 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
24494 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
24495 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
24496 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
24497 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
24499 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
24500 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
24501 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
24502 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
24503 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
24504 from the mail server.
24506 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
24507 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
24508 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
24509 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
24511 @node Spam Package Configuration Examples
24512 @subsection Spam Package Configuration Examples
24513 @cindex spam filtering
24514 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
24515 @cindex spam configuration examples
24518 @subsubheading Ted's setup
24520 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
24522 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
24523 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
24524 (gnus-registry-initialize)
24528 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
24530 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
24531 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
24532 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24533 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24534 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
24535 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
24536 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
24537 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
24538 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
24539 ;; @r{for nnimap you'll probably want to set nnimap-split-methods, see the manual}
24540 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24541 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
24542 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
24543 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
24544 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24545 (any "ding" "ding")
24546 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
24548 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24551 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
24553 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
24554 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
24555 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
24556 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
24558 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24560 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
24561 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
24562 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
24563 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
24564 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24566 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
24567 ((spam-autodetect . t))
24569 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
24571 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
24572 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
24574 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
24575 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
24576 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
24578 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
24580 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
24581 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
24583 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
24584 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
24585 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
24587 (gnus-ticked-mark))
24588 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
24589 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
24590 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
24592 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
24593 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
24594 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
24598 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
24599 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
24601 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
24602 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
24603 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
24604 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
24605 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
24606 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
24607 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
24608 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
24609 @samp{training.spam} folders.
24611 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
24612 does most of the job for me:
24615 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
24616 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
24617 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
24618 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24619 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
24620 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
24621 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
24626 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
24628 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
24629 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
24630 bogofilter or DCC).
24632 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
24633 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
24634 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark
24635 (@code{ham-marks}, @ref{Spam and Ham Processors}). On group exit,
24636 those messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want
24637 to have the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter)
24638 and deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
24640 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
24641 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
24642 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
24643 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
24644 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
24645 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
24647 @item @b{Ham folders:}
24649 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
24650 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
24651 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
24652 @samp{training.spam}.
24655 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
24657 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
24659 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
24660 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
24661 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
24665 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
24668 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
24669 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
24670 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
24671 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
24672 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
24674 @node Spam Back Ends
24675 @subsection Spam Back Ends
24676 @cindex spam back ends
24678 The spam package offers a variety of back ends for detecting spam.
24679 Each back end defines a set of methods for detecting spam
24680 (@pxref{Filtering Incoming Mail}, @pxref{Detecting Spam in Groups}),
24681 and a pair of spam and ham processors (@pxref{Spam and Ham
24685 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
24686 * BBDB Whitelists::
24687 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
24688 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
24690 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
24692 * SpamAssassin back end::
24693 * ifile spam filtering::
24694 * Spam Statistics Filtering::
24698 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
24699 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
24700 @cindex spam filtering
24701 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
24702 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
24705 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
24707 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
24708 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
24709 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
24710 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
24715 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
24717 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
24718 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
24719 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24720 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
24721 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24725 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
24727 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
24728 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24729 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
24733 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
24735 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24736 customizing the group parameters or the
24737 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24738 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24739 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
24743 Instead of the obsolete
24744 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
24745 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
24746 the same way, we promise.
24750 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
24752 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24753 customizing the group parameters or the
24754 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24755 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24756 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24761 Instead of the obsolete
24762 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
24763 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
24764 the same way, we promise.
24768 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
24769 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
24770 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
24771 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
24772 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
24774 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
24775 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
24776 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
24777 Emacs regular expression syntax.
24779 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
24780 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
24781 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
24782 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
24783 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
24784 @file{blacklist} respectively.
24786 @node BBDB Whitelists
24787 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
24788 @cindex spam filtering
24789 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
24790 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
24793 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
24795 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24796 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
24797 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
24798 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
24799 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24800 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
24801 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24805 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
24807 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
24808 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24809 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
24810 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
24811 classified as spammers.
24813 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
24814 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
24815 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
24816 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
24821 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
24823 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24824 customizing the group parameters or the
24825 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24826 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24827 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24832 Instead of the obsolete
24833 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
24834 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
24835 the same way, we promise.
24839 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
24840 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
24841 @cindex spam reporting
24842 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24843 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24846 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
24848 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24849 customizing the group parameters or the
24850 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24851 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24852 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
24855 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
24859 Instead of the obsolete
24860 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
24861 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
24862 same way, we promise.
24866 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
24868 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
24869 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
24870 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
24871 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
24872 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
24876 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
24878 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
24879 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
24880 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
24884 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24885 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24886 @cindex spam filtering
24887 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
24890 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
24892 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24893 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
24894 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
24895 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
24896 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
24897 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24902 @subsubsection Blackholes
24903 @cindex spam filtering
24904 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
24907 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
24909 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
24910 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
24911 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
24912 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
24913 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
24914 contains outdated servers.
24916 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
24917 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
24918 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
24919 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
24920 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
24921 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
24925 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
24927 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
24931 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
24933 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
24934 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
24938 @defvar spam-use-dig
24940 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
24941 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
24945 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
24946 ham processor for blackholes.
24948 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
24949 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
24950 @cindex spam filtering
24951 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
24954 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
24956 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
24957 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
24958 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
24959 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
24960 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
24961 message is spam or ham, respectively.
24965 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
24967 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24968 the message, positively identify it as spam.
24972 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
24974 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24975 the message, positively identify it as ham.
24979 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
24980 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
24983 @subsubsection Bogofilter
24984 @cindex spam filtering
24985 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
24988 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
24990 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24993 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
24994 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
24995 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
24996 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
24997 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
24998 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
25000 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
25001 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
25004 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
25005 processing will be turned off.
25007 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
25016 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
25017 Get the Bogofilter spamicity score (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}).
25020 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
25022 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25023 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
25024 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
25025 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
25026 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
25027 installation documents for details.
25029 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
25033 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
25034 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25035 customizing the group parameters or the
25036 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25037 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
25038 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
25042 Instead of the obsolete
25043 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25044 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25045 the same way, we promise.
25048 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
25049 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25050 customizing the group parameters or the
25051 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25052 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25053 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
25054 of non-spam messages.
25058 Instead of the obsolete
25059 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25060 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25061 the same way, we promise.
25064 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
25066 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
25067 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
25068 database directory.
25072 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
25073 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25074 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
25075 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
25076 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
25077 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
25079 @node SpamAssassin back end
25080 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
25081 @cindex spam filtering
25082 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
25085 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
25087 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
25089 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
25090 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
25091 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
25092 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
25095 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
25096 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
25097 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
25098 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
25101 You should not enable this if you use
25102 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
25106 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
25108 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
25109 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
25111 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
25115 @defvar spam-spamassassin-program
25117 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
25118 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
25119 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
25120 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
25124 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
25125 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
25126 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
25127 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
25128 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
25129 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
25130 to test this functionality.
25132 @node ifile spam filtering
25133 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
25134 @cindex spam filtering
25135 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
25138 @defvar spam-use-ifile
25140 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
25141 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
25145 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
25147 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
25148 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
25149 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
25153 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
25155 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
25156 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
25157 the default value of @samp{spam}.
25160 @defvar spam-ifile-database
25162 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
25163 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
25167 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
25168 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25169 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
25170 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
25173 @node Spam Statistics Filtering
25174 @subsubsection Spam Statistics Filtering
25175 @cindex spam filtering
25176 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
25180 This back end uses the Spam Statistics Emacs Lisp package to perform
25181 statistics-based filtering (@pxref{Spam Statistics Package}). Before
25182 using this, you may want to perform some additional steps to
25183 initialize your Spam Statistics dictionary. @xref{Creating a
25184 spam-stat dictionary}.
25186 @defvar spam-use-stat
25190 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
25191 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25192 customizing the group parameters or the
25193 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25194 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
25195 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
25199 Instead of the obsolete
25200 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25201 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25202 the same way, we promise.
25205 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
25206 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25207 customizing the group parameters or the
25208 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25209 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25210 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
25211 of non-spam messages.
25215 Instead of the obsolete
25216 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25217 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25218 the same way, we promise.
25221 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
25222 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
25223 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
25224 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
25225 @code{spam-split} are provided.
25228 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
25229 @cindex spam filtering
25233 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
25234 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
25235 installed separately.
25237 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
25238 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
25239 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
25240 mail as a spam mail or not.
25242 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
25243 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
25244 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
25246 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Spam Package})
25249 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
25250 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
25251 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
25252 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}. @xref{Spam
25253 Package}. In this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is
25254 filtered using SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be
25255 moved to @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham
25256 messages stay in @samp{INBOX}:
25259 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
25260 spam-split-group "Junk"
25261 ;; @r{for nnimap you'll probably want to set nnimap-split-methods, see the manual}
25262 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
25263 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
25266 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
25267 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
25271 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
25272 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
25273 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
25277 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
25278 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
25279 store its analysis. This is controlled by the variable
25280 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
25281 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
25282 database to live somewhere special, set
25283 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
25286 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
25287 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
25288 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns
25289 the characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
25290 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
25291 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary
25292 buffer and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using
25293 @file{spam.el}'s spam- and ham-processors, which is much more
25294 convenient. For a detailed description of spam- and ham-processors,
25295 @xref{Spam Package}.
25297 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
25298 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25299 customizing the group parameter or the
25300 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
25301 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
25302 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
25306 Instead of the obsolete
25307 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
25308 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
25309 the same way, we promise.
25312 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
25313 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25314 customizing the group parameter or the
25315 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
25316 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
25317 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
25322 Instead of the obsolete
25323 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
25324 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
25325 the same way, we promise.
25328 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
25329 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
25332 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
25333 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
25334 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
25336 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
25337 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
25338 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
25339 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
25340 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
25341 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
25343 @node Extending the Spam package
25344 @subsection Extending the Spam package
25345 @cindex spam filtering
25346 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
25347 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
25349 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
25350 incoming mail, provide the following:
25358 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
25359 "True if blackbox should be used.")
25362 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
25364 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
25365 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
25366 register/unregister routines as a start, or other register/unregister
25367 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
25368 register/unregister spam and ham.
25373 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
25374 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
25375 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
25376 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
25381 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
25388 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
25389 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
25391 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
25392 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
25393 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
25394 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
25397 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
25398 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
25399 Only applicable to spam groups.")
25401 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
25402 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
25403 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
25412 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
25413 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
25415 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
25416 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
25417 variable customization.
25421 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
25423 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
25424 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
25426 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
25427 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
25433 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
25435 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
25436 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
25437 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
25440 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
25442 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
25443 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
25447 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
25449 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
25450 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
25451 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
25455 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
25457 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
25458 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
25459 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
25462 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
25464 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
25465 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
25469 @code{spam-install-backend}
25471 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
25472 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
25473 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
25476 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
25478 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
25479 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
25480 never install such a back end.
25485 @node Spam Statistics Package
25486 @subsection Spam Statistics Package
25487 @cindex Paul Graham
25488 @cindex Graham, Paul
25489 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
25490 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
25491 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
25493 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
25494 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
25495 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
25496 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
25497 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
25498 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
25499 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
25500 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
25501 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
25504 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
25505 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
25506 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
25507 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
25508 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
25509 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
25510 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
25511 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
25513 The Spam Statistics package adds support to Gnus for this kind of
25514 filtering. It can be used as one of the back ends of the Spam package
25515 (@pxref{Spam Package}), or by itself.
25517 Before using the Spam Statistics package, you need to set it up.
25518 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
25519 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
25520 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
25521 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
25524 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
25525 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
25526 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
25529 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25530 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25532 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
25533 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
25534 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
25535 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
25536 need several hundred emails in both collections.
25538 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
25539 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
25540 per mail. Use the following:
25542 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
25543 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
25544 is treated as one spam mail.
25547 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
25548 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
25549 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
25552 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
25553 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds to
25554 the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
25555 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
25556 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds to the group
25557 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
25559 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
25560 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
25561 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
25562 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
25563 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
25566 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
25567 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
25568 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
25569 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
25572 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
25573 reset the dictionary.
25575 @defun spam-stat-reset
25576 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
25579 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
25580 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
25581 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
25582 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
25583 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
25584 only non-spam mails.
25586 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
25587 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
25588 to update the dictionary incrementally.
25591 @defun spam-stat-save
25592 Save the dictionary.
25595 @defvar spam-stat-file
25596 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
25597 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
25600 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
25601 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
25603 This section describes how to use the Spam statistics
25604 @emph{independently} of the @xref{Spam Package}.
25606 First, add the following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25609 (require 'spam-stat)
25613 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
25616 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
25617 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
25618 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
25619 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
25621 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
25622 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
25623 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
25624 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
25627 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25628 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25632 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
25633 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
25636 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
25637 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
25638 expression are considered potential spam.
25641 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25642 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25643 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25647 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
25648 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
25649 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
25650 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
25651 mails, when creating the dictionary!
25654 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25655 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25656 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25660 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
25661 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
25662 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
25663 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
25664 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
25668 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25669 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
25670 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25671 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25676 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
25677 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
25679 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
25681 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
25682 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
25683 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
25686 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
25687 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
25688 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
25691 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
25692 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
25693 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
25694 already been processed as non-spam.
25697 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
25698 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
25699 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
25700 been processed as spam.
25703 @defun spam-stat-save
25704 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
25705 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25708 @defun spam-stat-load
25709 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
25710 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25713 @defun spam-stat-score-word
25714 Return the spam score for a word.
25717 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
25718 Return the spam score for a buffer.
25721 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
25722 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
25723 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
25726 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
25727 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25730 (require 'spam-stat)
25734 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
25737 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25738 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25739 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25740 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25741 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25742 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25743 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25744 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25745 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25746 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25747 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25748 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25749 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25750 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25753 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
25756 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25757 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25758 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25759 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
25760 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25761 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25764 @node The Gnus Registry
25765 @section The Gnus Registry
25770 The Gnus registry is a package that tracks messages by their
25771 Message-ID across all backends. This allows Gnus users to do several
25772 cool things, be the envy of the locals, get free haircuts, and be
25773 experts on world issues. Well, maybe not all of those, but the
25774 features are pretty cool.
25776 Although they will be explained in detail shortly, here's a quick list
25777 of said features in case your attention span is... never mind.
25781 Split messages to their parent
25783 This keeps discussions in the same group. You can use the subject and
25784 the sender in addition to the Message-ID. Several strategies are
25788 Refer to messages by ID
25790 Commands like @code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article} can take
25791 advantage of the registry to jump to the referred article, regardless
25792 of the group the message is in.
25795 Store custom flags and keywords
25797 The registry can store custom flags and keywords for a message. For
25798 instance, you can mark a message ``To-Do'' this way and the flag will
25799 persist whether the message is in the nnimap, nnml, nnmaildir,
25803 Store arbitrary data
25805 Through a simple ELisp API, the registry can remember any data for a
25806 message. A built-in inverse map, when activated, allows quick lookups
25807 of all messages matching a particular set of criteria.
25811 * Gnus Registry Setup::
25812 * Fancy splitting to parent::
25813 * Registry Article Refer Method::
25814 * Store custom flags and keywords::
25815 * Store arbitrary data::
25818 @node Gnus Registry Setup
25819 @subsection Gnus Registry Setup
25821 Fortunately, setting up the Gnus registry is pretty easy:
25824 (setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500)
25826 (gnus-registry-initialize)
25829 This adds registry saves to Gnus newsrc saves (which happen on exit
25830 and when you press @kbd{s} from the @code{*Group*} buffer. It also
25831 adds registry calls to article actions in Gnus (copy, move, etc.) so
25832 it's not easy to undo the initialization. See
25833 @code{gnus-registry-initialize} for the gory details.
25835 Here are other settings used by the author of the registry (understand
25836 what they do before you copy them blindly).
25840 gnus-registry-split-strategy 'majority
25841 gnus-registry-ignored-groups '(("nntp" t)
25845 gnus-registry-max-entries 500000
25846 ;; this is the default
25847 gnus-registry-track-extra '(sender subject))
25850 They say: keep a lot of messages around, track messages by sender and
25851 subject (not just parent Message-ID), and when the registry splits
25852 incoming mail, use a majority rule to decide where messages should go
25853 if there's more than one possibility. In addition, the registry
25854 should ignore messages in groups that match ``nntp'', ``nnrss'',
25855 ``spam'', or ``train.''
25857 You are doubtless impressed by all this, but you ask: ``I am a Gnus
25858 user, I customize to live. Give me more.'' Here you go, these are
25859 the general settings.
25861 @defvar gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups
25862 The groups that will not be followed by
25863 @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}. They will still be
25864 remembered by the registry. This is a list of regular expressions.
25865 By default any group name that ends with ``delayed'', ``drafts'',
25866 ``queue'', or ``INBOX'', belongs to the nnmairix backend, or contains
25867 the word ``archive'' is not followed.
25870 @defvar gnus-registry-max-entries
25871 The number (an integer or @code{nil} for unlimited) of entries the
25872 registry will keep.
25875 @defvar gnus-registry-max-pruned-entries
25876 The maximum number (an integer or @code{nil} for unlimited) of entries
25877 the registry will keep after pruning.
25880 @defvar gnus-registry-cache-file
25881 The file where the registry will be stored between Gnus sessions. By
25882 default the file name is @code{.gnus.registry.eioio} in the same
25883 directory as your @code{.newsrc.eld}.
25886 @node Registry Article Refer Method
25887 @subsection Fetching by @code{Message-ID} Using the Registry
25889 The registry knows how to map each @code{Message-ID} to the group it's
25890 in. This can be leveraged to enhance the ``article refer method'',
25891 the thing that tells Gnus how to look up an article given its
25892 Message-ID (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
25895 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
25897 The @code{nnregistry} refer method does exactly that. It has the
25898 advantage that an article may be found regardless of the group it's
25899 in---provided its @code{Message-ID} is known to the registry. It can
25900 be enabled by augmenting the start-up file with something along these
25904 ;; Keep enough entries to have a good hit rate when referring to an
25905 ;; article using the registry. Use long group names so that Gnus
25906 ;; knows where the article is.
25907 (setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500)
25909 (gnus-registry-initialize)
25911 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
25914 (nnweb "gmane" (nnweb-type gmane))))
25917 The example above instructs Gnus to first look up the article in the
25918 current group, or, alternatively, using the registry, and finally, if
25919 all else fails, using Gmane.
25921 @node Fancy splitting to parent
25922 @subsection Fancy splitting to parent
25924 Simply put, this lets you put followup e-mail where it belongs.
25926 Every message has a Message-ID, which is unique, and the registry
25927 remembers it. When the message is moved or copied, the registry will
25928 notice this and offer the new group as a choice to the splitting
25931 When a followup is made, usually it mentions the original message's
25932 Message-ID in the headers. The registry knows this and uses that
25933 mention to find the group where the original message lives. You only
25934 have to put a rule like this:
25937 (setq nnimap-my-split-fancy '(|
25939 ;; split to parent: you need this
25940 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
25942 ;; other rules, as an example
25948 in your fancy split setup. In addition, you may want to customize the
25949 following variables.
25951 @defvar gnus-registry-track-extra
25952 This is a list of symbols, so it's best to change it from the
25953 Customize interface. By default it's @code{(subject sender)}, which
25954 may work for you. It can be annoying if your mail flow is large and
25955 people don't stick to the same groups.
25958 @defvar gnus-registry-split-strategy
25959 This is a symbol, so it's best to change it from the Customize
25960 interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to set it to
25961 @code{majority} or @code{first} to split by sender or subject based on
25962 the majority of matches or on the first found. I find @code{majority}
25966 @node Store custom flags and keywords
25967 @subsection Store custom flags and keywords
25969 The registry lets you set custom flags and keywords per message. You
25970 can use the Gnus->Registry Marks menu or the @kbd{M M x} keyboard
25971 shortcuts, where @code{x} is the first letter of the mark's name.
25973 @defvar gnus-registry-marks
25974 The custom marks that the registry can use. You can modify the
25975 default list, if you like. If you do, you'll have to exit Emacs
25976 before they take effect (you can also unload the registry and reload
25977 it or evaluate the specific macros you'll need, but you probably don't
25978 want to bother). Use the Customize interface to modify the list.
25980 By default this list has the @code{Important}, @code{Work},
25981 @code{Personal}, @code{To-Do}, and @code{Later} marks. They all have
25982 keyboard shortcuts like @kbd{M M i} for Important, using the first
25986 @defun gnus-registry-mark-article
25987 Call this function to mark an article with a custom registry mark. It
25988 will offer the available marks for completion.
25991 You can use @code{defalias} to install a summary line formatting
25992 function that will show the registry marks. There are two flavors of
25993 this function, either showing the marks as single characters, using
25994 their @code{:char} property, or showing the marks as full strings.
25997 ;; show the marks as single characters (see the :char property in
25998 ;; `gnus-registry-marks'):
25999 ;; (defalias 'gnus-user-format-function-M 'gnus-registry-article-marks-to-chars)
26001 ;; show the marks by name (see `gnus-registry-marks'):
26002 ;; (defalias 'gnus-user-format-function-M 'gnus-registry-article-marks-to-names)
26006 @node Store arbitrary data
26007 @subsection Store arbitrary data
26009 The registry has a simple API that uses a Message-ID as the key to
26010 store arbitrary data (as long as it can be converted to a list for
26013 @defun gnus-registry-set-id-key (id key value)
26014 Store @code{value} under @code{key} for message @code{id}.
26017 @defun gnus-registry-get-id-key (id key)
26018 Get the data under @code{key} for message @code{id}.
26021 @defvar gnus-registry-extra-entries-precious
26022 If any extra entries are precious, their presence will make the
26023 registry keep the whole entry forever, even if there are no groups for
26024 the Message-ID and if the size limit of the registry is reached. By
26025 default this is just @code{(marks)} so the custom registry marks are
26030 @section Interaction with other modes
26035 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provides some useful functions for dired
26036 buffers. It is enabled with
26038 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
26043 @findex gnus-dired-attach
26044 @cindex attachments, selection via dired
26045 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
26046 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
26049 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
26050 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
26051 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
26055 @findex gnus-dired-print
26056 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
26057 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
26060 @node Various Various
26061 @section Various Various
26067 @item gnus-home-directory
26068 @vindex gnus-home-directory
26069 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
26070 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
26072 @item gnus-directory
26073 @vindex gnus-directory
26074 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
26075 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
26076 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
26078 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
26079 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
26080 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
26081 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
26083 @item gnus-default-directory
26084 @vindex gnus-default-directory
26085 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
26086 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
26087 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
26088 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
26089 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
26090 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
26093 @vindex gnus-verbose
26094 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
26095 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
26096 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
26097 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
26098 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
26100 @item gnus-verbose-backends
26101 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
26102 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
26103 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
26105 @item gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26106 @vindex gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26107 This variable controls whether to add timestamps to messages that are
26108 controlled by @code{gnus-verbose} and @code{gnus-verbose-backends} and
26109 are issued. The default value is @code{nil} which means never to add
26110 timestamp. If it is @code{log}, add timestamps to only the messages
26111 that go into the @samp{*Messages*} buffer (in XEmacs, it is the
26112 @w{@samp{ *Message-Log*}} buffer). If it is neither @code{nil} nor
26113 @code{log}, add timestamps not only to log messages but also to the ones
26114 displayed in the echo area.
26116 @item nnheader-max-head-length
26117 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
26118 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
26119 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
26120 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
26121 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
26122 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
26123 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
26124 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
26125 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
26127 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
26128 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
26129 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
26130 read when doing the operation described above.
26132 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26133 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26135 @cindex invalid characters in file names
26136 @cindex characters in file names
26137 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
26138 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
26139 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
26143 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26148 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
26149 Windows (phooey) systems.
26151 @item gnus-hidden-properties
26152 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
26153 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
26154 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
26155 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
26157 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
26158 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
26159 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
26160 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
26161 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
26163 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
26164 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
26165 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
26167 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
26168 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
26170 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
26171 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
26172 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
26173 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
26176 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
26178 @item gnus-safe-html-newsgroups
26179 @vindex gnus-safe-html-newsgroups
26180 Groups in which links in html articles are considered all safe. The
26181 value may be a regexp matching those groups, a list of group names, or
26182 @code{nil}. This overrides @code{mm-w3m-safe-url-regexp}. The default
26183 value is @code{"\\`nnrss[+:]"}. This is effective only when emacs-w3m
26184 renders html articles, i.e., in the case @code{mm-text-html-renderer} is
26185 set to @code{w3m}. @xref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization,
26186 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}.
26193 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
26194 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
26196 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
26198 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
26204 Not because of victories @*
26207 but for the common sunshine,@*
26209 the largess of the spring.
26213 but for the day's work done@*
26214 as well as I was able;@*
26215 not for a seat upon the dais@*
26216 but at the common table.@*
26221 @chapter Appendices
26224 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
26225 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
26226 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
26227 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
26228 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
26229 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
26230 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
26231 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
26232 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
26239 @cindex installing under XEmacs
26241 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
26242 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
26243 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
26244 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
26245 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
26246 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
26253 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
26254 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
26256 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
26257 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
26258 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
26259 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
26260 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
26262 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
26263 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
26264 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
26265 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
26266 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
26267 appropriate name, don't you think?)
26269 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
26270 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
26271 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
26272 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
26275 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
26276 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
26277 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
26278 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
26279 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
26280 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
26281 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
26282 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
26286 @node Gnus Versions
26287 @subsection Gnus Versions
26289 @cindex September Gnus
26291 @cindex Quassia Gnus
26292 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
26296 @cindex Gnus versions
26298 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
26299 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
26300 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
26302 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
26303 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
26305 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
26306 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
26308 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
26309 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
26311 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
26312 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
26315 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
26316 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
26318 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
26320 On April 19, 2010 Gnus development was moved to Git. See
26321 http://git.gnus.org for details (http://www.gnus.org will be updated
26322 with the information when possible).
26324 On the January 31th 2012, Ma Gnus was begun.
26326 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
26327 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
26328 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'', ``Ma Gnus'' -- don't
26329 panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly.
26330 Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of
26331 its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to
26338 What's the point of Gnus?
26340 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
26341 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
26342 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
26343 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
26344 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
26345 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
26346 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
26347 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
26348 keep track of millions of people who post?
26350 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
26351 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
26352 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
26353 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
26354 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
26355 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
26356 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
26357 every one of you to explore and invent.
26359 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
26360 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
26363 @node Compatibility
26364 @subsection Compatibility
26366 @cindex compatibility
26367 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
26368 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
26369 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
26374 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
26378 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
26381 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
26384 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
26385 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
26386 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
26387 important variables have their values copied into their global
26388 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
26389 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
26391 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
26392 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
26393 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
26394 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
26395 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
26399 @cindex highlighting
26400 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
26401 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
26402 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
26403 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
26404 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
26405 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
26408 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
26409 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
26410 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
26411 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
26413 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
26414 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
26415 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
26416 to stop doing it the old way.
26418 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
26420 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26422 @cindex reporting bugs
26424 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
26425 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
26426 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
26428 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
26429 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
26430 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
26431 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
26436 @subsection Conformity
26438 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
26439 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
26447 There are no known breaches of this standard.
26451 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
26453 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
26454 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
26455 We do have some breaches to this one.
26461 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
26462 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
26463 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
26464 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
26465 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
26470 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
26471 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
26472 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
26473 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
26475 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
26476 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
26477 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
26479 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
26480 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
26482 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
26485 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
26486 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
26487 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
26488 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
26489 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
26492 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
26493 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
26494 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
26495 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
26497 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
26498 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
26500 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
26501 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
26502 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
26503 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
26504 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
26505 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
26506 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
26507 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
26511 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
26512 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
26517 @subsection Emacsen
26523 This version of Gnus should work on:
26531 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
26535 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
26536 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
26537 Emacs versions. Particularly, Gnus 5.10.8 should also work on Emacs
26538 20.7 and XEmacs 21.1.
26540 @c No-merge comment: The paragraph added in v5-10 here must not be
26543 @node Gnus Development
26544 @subsection Gnus Development
26546 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
26547 discussion on the development mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}, where people
26548 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
26549 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
26550 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
26551 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
26552 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
26553 have names like ``Oort Gnus'' and ``No Gnus''. @xref{Gnus Versions}.
26555 After futzing around for 10-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
26556 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
26557 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.10.1'' instead. Normal people are
26558 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
26559 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup. This newgroup is mirrored to the
26560 mailing list @samp{info-gnus-english@@gnu.org} which is carried on Gmane
26561 as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.user}. These releases are finally integrated
26565 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
26566 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
26567 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
26568 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
26569 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
26571 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
26572 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
26573 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
26574 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
26575 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
26576 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
26577 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
26578 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
26579 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
26580 can't be assumed to do so.
26582 So if you have problems with or questions about the alpha versions,
26583 direct those to the ding mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}. This list
26584 is also available on Gmane as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.general}.
26587 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
26588 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
26589 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
26590 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
26591 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
26594 @subsection Contributors
26595 @cindex contributors
26597 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
26598 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
26599 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
26600 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
26601 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
26602 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
26603 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
26604 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
26605 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
26606 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
26608 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
26614 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
26617 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el,
26618 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
26619 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
26620 functionality and stuff.
26623 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
26624 well as numerous other things).
26627 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
26630 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
26633 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
26636 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
26639 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
26640 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
26643 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
26646 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
26649 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
26652 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
26655 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bug detection and fixes.
26658 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
26661 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
26662 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
26665 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
26668 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
26671 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
26674 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
26678 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
26681 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
26684 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
26687 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
26688 well as autoconf support.
26692 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
26693 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
26695 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
26710 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
26712 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
26716 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
26726 Alexei V. Barantsev,
26741 Massimo Campostrini,
26746 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
26747 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
26751 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
26754 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
26760 Michael Welsh Duggan,
26765 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
26769 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
26777 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
26779 Michelangelo Grigni,
26783 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
26785 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
26787 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
26795 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
26796 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
26797 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
26799 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
26809 Peter Skov Knudsen,
26810 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
26812 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
26813 Thor Kristoffersen,
26816 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
26834 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
26835 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
26842 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
26847 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
26851 John McClary Prevost,
26857 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
26862 Christian von Roques,
26865 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
26872 Philippe Schnoebelen,
26874 Randal L. Schwartz,
26888 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
26893 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
26913 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
26914 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
26915 (550kB and counting).
26917 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
26920 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
26921 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
26925 @subsection New Features
26926 @cindex new features
26929 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
26930 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
26931 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
26932 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
26933 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
26934 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
26935 * No Gnus:: Very punny. Gnus 5.12/5.13.
26936 * Ma Gnus:: Celebrating 25 years of Gnus.
26939 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
26940 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
26941 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
26944 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
26946 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
26951 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
26952 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
26955 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
26956 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
26959 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
26962 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
26963 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
26964 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
26967 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
26968 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
26969 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
26970 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26973 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
26974 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26977 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
26978 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
26979 (@pxref{The Active File}).
26982 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
26983 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
26986 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
26987 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
26988 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26991 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
26992 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
26993 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
26996 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
26997 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
27000 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
27001 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
27004 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
27005 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27008 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
27009 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
27012 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
27013 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
27016 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
27019 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
27020 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
27023 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
27024 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
27027 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
27028 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
27031 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
27034 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
27035 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27038 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
27042 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
27046 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
27047 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
27052 @node September Gnus
27053 @subsubsection September Gnus
27057 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
27061 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
27066 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
27067 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
27071 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
27072 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
27076 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
27080 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
27081 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
27084 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
27088 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
27091 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
27094 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
27097 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
27101 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
27102 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
27105 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
27109 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
27113 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
27117 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
27121 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
27124 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
27125 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
27128 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
27132 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
27133 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
27136 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
27139 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
27140 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
27141 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27144 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets.
27147 The Gnus cache is much faster.
27150 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
27154 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
27155 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
27158 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
27159 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
27162 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
27163 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
27166 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
27167 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
27168 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
27171 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
27172 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
27175 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
27178 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
27181 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
27184 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
27187 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
27188 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
27191 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
27195 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
27198 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
27203 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27206 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
27210 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
27213 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
27216 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
27217 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
27220 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
27221 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
27225 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
27226 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
27229 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
27233 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
27234 buffer to allow easier treatment.
27237 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
27240 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
27244 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
27248 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
27249 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
27252 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
27256 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
27257 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
27260 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
27261 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
27264 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
27268 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
27271 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
27274 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
27280 @subsubsection Red Gnus
27282 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
27286 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
27293 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
27296 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
27297 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
27300 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
27301 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
27305 Article washing status can be displayed in the
27306 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
27309 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
27312 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
27313 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
27316 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
27320 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
27321 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
27325 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extensible (@pxref{Document
27326 Server Internals}).
27329 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
27333 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
27336 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
27337 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
27340 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
27341 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
27342 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
27345 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
27346 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
27349 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
27350 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
27353 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
27357 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
27358 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27361 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
27362 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
27365 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
27369 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
27372 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
27376 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
27377 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27380 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
27381 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
27384 A new command for reading collections of documents
27385 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
27386 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
27389 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
27393 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
27394 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
27397 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
27398 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
27399 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
27402 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
27403 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
27407 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
27411 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
27415 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
27420 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
27424 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
27428 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
27429 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
27432 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
27438 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
27440 New features in Gnus 5.6:
27445 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
27446 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
27447 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
27450 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
27451 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
27452 group, which is created automatically.
27455 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
27459 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
27462 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
27463 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
27466 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
27470 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
27473 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
27474 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
27477 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
27480 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
27484 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
27485 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
27488 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
27489 control over simplification.
27492 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
27495 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
27499 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
27502 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
27505 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
27506 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
27507 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
27510 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
27511 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
27514 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
27518 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
27519 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
27522 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
27523 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
27526 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
27530 A history of where mails have been split is available.
27533 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
27536 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
27537 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
27540 A new function for citing in Message has been
27541 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
27544 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
27547 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
27551 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
27552 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
27555 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
27556 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
27559 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
27562 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
27566 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
27567 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
27569 New features in Gnus 5.8:
27574 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
27575 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
27577 If you used procmail like in
27580 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
27581 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
27582 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
27583 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
27586 this now has changed to
27590 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
27594 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
27597 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
27598 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
27601 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
27602 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
27605 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
27606 called to position point.
27609 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
27610 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
27613 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
27614 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
27617 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
27618 subtly different manner.
27621 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
27622 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
27623 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
27626 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
27631 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
27634 New features in Gnus 5.10:
27638 @item Installation changes
27639 @c ***********************
27643 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
27645 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
27646 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
27647 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
27648 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
27649 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
27650 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
27651 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
27652 isn't save in general.
27655 Lisp files are now installed in @file{.../site-lisp/gnus/} by default.
27656 It defaulted to @file{.../site-lisp/} formerly. In addition to this,
27657 the new installer issues a warning if other Gnus installations which
27658 will shadow the latest one are detected. You can then remove those
27659 shadows manually or remove them using @code{make
27660 remove-installed-shadows}.
27663 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
27665 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
27666 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
27667 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, if you want
27668 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
27669 the second parameter.
27671 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
27672 automatic recognition of XEmacs and Emacs, generates
27673 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
27674 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
27675 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
27676 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
27677 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
27678 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
27679 cycle used under Unix systems.
27681 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} and @file{xemacs.mak}
27682 superfluous, so they have been removed.
27685 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
27687 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
27688 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
27691 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
27692 @c the repository. We should find a better place for this item.
27694 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
27696 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
27697 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
27698 lisp directory into load-path.
27700 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
27701 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
27705 @item New packages and libraries within Gnus
27706 @c *****************************************
27711 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
27712 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
27715 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
27717 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
27718 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GnuTLS.
27721 Improved anti-spam features.
27723 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
27724 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
27725 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
27726 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
27727 are also new. @ref{Thwarting Email Spam} and @ref{Spam Package}.
27728 @c FIXME: @xref{Spam Package}?. Should this be under Misc?
27731 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
27733 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
27734 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
27735 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
27736 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
27737 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
27741 @item Changes in group mode
27742 @c ************************
27747 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
27751 Retrieval of charters and control messages
27753 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
27754 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
27757 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
27759 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
27760 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
27761 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
27762 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
27763 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
27766 (setq gnus-parameters
27768 (gnus-show-threads nil)
27769 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
27770 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
27771 (to-group . "\\1"))))
27775 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
27777 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
27778 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
27779 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
27780 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
27781 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
27782 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
27783 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
27784 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
27785 when getting new mail, remove the function.
27788 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
27790 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
27791 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
27792 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
27795 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
27796 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
27798 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
27799 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
27800 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
27802 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
27806 Old intermediate incoming mail files (@file{Incoming*}) are deleted
27807 after a couple of days, not immediately. @xref{Mail Source
27808 Customization}. (New in Gnus 5.10.10 / Emacs 22.2)
27812 @item Changes in summary and article mode
27813 @c **************************************
27818 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
27819 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
27820 region if the region is active.
27823 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
27824 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
27829 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
27830 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
27831 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
27832 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
27835 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
27840 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
27841 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
27843 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
27844 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
27848 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
27849 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
27852 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
27855 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
27856 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
27859 Warn about email replies to news
27861 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
27862 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
27866 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
27867 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
27871 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
27872 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
27875 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
27876 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
27879 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
27880 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
27883 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
27885 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
27886 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
27887 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
27888 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
27891 The new command @kbd{W Y f}
27892 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}) allows deuglifying broken
27893 Outlook (Express) articles.
27896 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
27898 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
27899 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
27900 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
27901 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
27903 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
27904 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
27905 message cited below.
27908 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now displayed graphically in
27911 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
27915 Face headers handling. @xref{Face}.
27918 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
27919 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
27922 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
27925 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
27927 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
27928 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
27929 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
27930 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
27931 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
27935 Deleting of attachments.
27937 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
27938 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
27939 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
27940 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
27941 that support editing.
27944 @code{gnus-default-charset}
27946 The default value is determined from the
27947 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
27948 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
27949 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
27952 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
27954 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
27955 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
27956 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
27959 Extended format specs.
27961 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
27962 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
27963 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
27964 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
27965 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
27966 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
27969 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
27970 @c FIXME: Was this a user-visible change?
27972 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
27973 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
27974 out other articles.
27977 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
27979 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
27980 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
27981 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
27982 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
27985 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
27989 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
27990 @c ****************************************************
27997 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
27998 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
27999 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
28002 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
28003 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
28006 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
28007 Gcc articles as read.
28010 Externalizing of attachments
28012 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
28013 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
28014 local files as external parts.
28017 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
28018 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
28021 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
28023 Earlier it was generated when the user configurable email address was
28024 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
28025 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
28026 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
28027 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
28028 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
28029 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
28030 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
28031 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
28034 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
28036 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
28037 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
28038 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
28039 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
28040 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
28041 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
28044 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
28045 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
28049 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers. @xref{X-Face}.
28052 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
28054 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
28055 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
28056 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
28057 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
28058 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
28059 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
28060 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
28061 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
28062 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
28063 was inserted directly.
28066 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
28068 @c FIXME should that not be 'message-user-agent?
28069 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
28070 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
28071 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
28072 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
28075 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
28077 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
28079 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
28080 'bbdb-complete-name)
28084 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
28086 Add a new format of match like
28088 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
28089 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28091 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
28093 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
28094 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28098 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
28100 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
28101 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
28102 need add those two headers too.
28105 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
28106 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
28107 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
28111 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
28112 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
28113 inline PGP signed messages. @xref{Flowed text, , Flowed text,
28114 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
28115 @c This entry is also present in the node "No Gnus".
28118 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
28120 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
28123 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
28125 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
28129 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
28131 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
28132 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
28133 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
28134 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
28135 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
28136 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
28137 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
28138 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
28141 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
28142 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
28144 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
28145 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
28146 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
28147 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
28150 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
28153 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
28154 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
28157 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to the symbol
28160 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
28161 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
28162 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
28163 invalidate the digital signature.
28166 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
28167 decompressed when activated.
28168 @c FIXME: Does this affect article or message mode?
28171 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
28173 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
28174 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
28175 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
28176 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
28177 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
28180 @item You can now drag and drop attachments to the Message buffer.
28181 See @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} and @code{mml-dnd-attach-options}.
28182 @xref{MIME, ,MIME, message, Message Manual}.
28183 @c New in 5.10.9 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.1)
28185 @item @code{auto-fill-mode} is enabled by default in Message mode.
28186 See @code{message-fill-column}. @xref{Various Message Variables, ,
28187 Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
28188 @c New in Gnus 5.10.12 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.3)
28192 @item Changes in back ends
28193 @c ***********************
28197 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
28200 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
28203 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
28205 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
28208 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
28210 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
28211 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
28212 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
28213 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
28214 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
28215 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
28216 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
28217 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
28218 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
28219 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
28220 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
28230 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
28231 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
28234 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
28235 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
28236 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
28237 message, Message Manual}).
28240 The tool bars have been updated to use GNOME icons in Group, Summary and
28241 Message mode. You can also customize the tool bars: @kbd{M-x
28242 customize-apropos RET -tool-bar$} should get you started. This is a new
28243 feature in Gnus 5.10.10. (Only for Emacs, not in XEmacs.)
28245 @item The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly
28246 in the group buffer, see the variable @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}.
28247 Its default value depends on your Emacs version. This is a new feature
28252 @item Miscellaneous changes
28253 @c ************************
28260 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
28261 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
28262 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
28263 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
28264 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
28265 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
28266 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
28267 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
28268 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
28269 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
28270 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
28271 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
28272 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
28273 is not needed any more.
28276 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
28278 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
28279 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
28280 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
28285 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
28286 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
28287 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
28291 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
28294 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
28296 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
28303 @subsubsection No Gnus
28306 New features in No Gnus:
28307 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
28309 @include gnus-news.texi
28312 @subsubsection Ma Gnus
28315 I'm sure there will be lots of text here. It's really spelled 真
28318 New features in Ma Gnus:
28322 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
28323 @c ****************************************************
28328 The new hooks @code{gnus-gcc-pre-body-encode-hook} and
28329 @code{gnus-gcc-post-body-encode-hook} are run before/after encoding
28330 the message body of the Gcc copy of a sent message. See
28331 @xref{Archived Messages}.
28341 @section The Manual
28345 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
28346 either @code{texi2dvi}
28348 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
28349 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
28351 to get what you hold in your hands now.
28353 The following conventions have been used:
28358 This is a @samp{string}
28361 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
28364 This is a @file{file}
28367 This is a @code{symbol}
28371 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
28375 (setq flargnoze "yes")
28378 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
28381 (setq flumphel 'yes)
28384 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
28385 ever get them confused.
28389 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
28390 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
28391 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
28392 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
28393 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
28394 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
28395 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
28401 @node On Writing Manuals
28402 @section On Writing Manuals
28404 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
28405 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
28406 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
28407 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
28408 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
28409 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code go hand
28412 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
28413 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
28414 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
28417 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
28418 reference manual as source material. It would look quite different.
28423 @section Terminology
28425 @cindex terminology
28430 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
28431 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
28432 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
28433 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
28434 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
28438 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
28439 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
28440 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
28441 not posting, and replying is not following up.
28445 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
28449 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
28454 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
28455 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
28456 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
28457 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
28458 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
28459 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
28460 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
28461 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
28462 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
28465 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
28466 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
28467 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
28468 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
28469 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
28470 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
28472 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
28473 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
28474 access the articles.
28476 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
28477 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
28478 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
28483 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
28484 default, way of getting news. Groups from the native select method
28485 have names like @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}.
28489 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same
28490 time. These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends
28491 for getting news. Foreign groups have names like
28492 @samp{nntp+news.gmane.org:gmane.emacs.gnus.devel}.
28496 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and
28497 being foreign, but they mostly act like they are native, but they, too
28498 have names like @samp{nntp+news.gmane.org:gmane.emacs.gnus.devel}.
28502 A message that has been posted as news.
28505 @cindex mail message
28506 A message that has been mailed.
28510 A mail message or news article
28514 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
28519 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
28524 A line from the head of an article.
28528 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
28529 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
28531 @item @acronym{NOV}
28532 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
28533 @acronym{NOV} stands for News OverView, which is a type of news server
28534 header which provide datas containing the condensed header information
28535 of articles. They are produced by the server itself; in the @code{nntp}
28536 back end Gnus uses the ones that the @acronym{NNTP} server makes, but
28537 Gnus makes them by itself for some backends (in particular, @code{nnml}).
28539 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
28540 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
28541 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
28542 normal @sc{head} format.
28544 The @acronym{NOV} data consist of one or more text lines (@pxref{Text
28545 Lines, ,Motion by Text Lines, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual})
28546 where each line has the header information of one article. The header
28547 information is a tab-separated series of the header's contents including
28548 an article number, a subject, an author, a date, a message-id,
28551 Those data enable Gnus to generate summary lines quickly. However, if
28552 the server does not support @acronym{NOV} or you disable it purposely or
28553 for some reason, Gnus will try to generate the header information by
28554 parsing each article's headers one by one. It will take time.
28555 Therefore, it is not usually a good idea to set nn*-nov-is-evil
28556 (@pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}) to a non-@code{nil} value unless you
28557 know that the server makes wrong @acronym{NOV} data.
28561 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
28562 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
28563 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
28564 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
28565 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
28566 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
28568 @item killed groups
28569 @cindex killed groups
28570 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
28571 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
28573 @item zombie groups
28574 @cindex zombie groups
28575 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
28578 @cindex active file
28579 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
28580 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
28581 is rather large, as you might surmise.
28584 @cindex bogus groups
28585 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
28586 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
28587 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
28590 @cindex activating groups
28591 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
28592 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
28593 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
28597 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
28598 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
28599 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
28603 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
28605 @item select method
28606 @cindex select method
28607 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
28610 @item virtual server
28611 @cindex virtual server
28612 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
28613 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
28614 whole is a virtual server.
28618 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
28619 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
28622 @item ephemeral groups
28623 @cindex ephemeral groups
28624 @cindex temporary groups
28625 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
28626 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
28627 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
28630 @cindex solid groups
28631 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
28632 group buffer are solid groups.
28634 @item sparse articles
28635 @cindex sparse articles
28636 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
28637 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
28641 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
28642 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
28646 @cindex thread root
28647 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
28648 articles in the thread.
28652 An article that has responses.
28656 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
28660 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
28661 specified by RFC 1153.
28664 @cindex splitting, terminology
28665 @cindex mail sorting
28666 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
28667 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
28668 incorrectly called mail filtering.
28674 @node Customization
28675 @section Customization
28676 @cindex general customization
28678 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
28679 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
28680 for some quite common situations.
28683 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
28684 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
28685 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
28686 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
28690 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
28691 @subsection Slow/Expensive Connection
28693 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
28694 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
28695 Gnus has to get from the server.
28699 @item gnus-read-active-file
28700 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
28701 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
28702 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
28703 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
28704 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
28706 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
28707 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
28708 Usually this one must @emph{always} be @code{nil} (which is the
28709 default). If, for example, you wish to not use @acronym{NOV}
28710 (@pxref{Terminology}) with the @code{nntp} back end (@pxref{Crosspost
28711 Handling}), set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to a non-@code{nil} value
28712 instead of setting this. But you normally do not need to set
28713 @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} since Gnus by itself will detect whether the
28714 @acronym{NNTP} server supports @acronym{NOV}. Anyway, grabbing article
28715 headers from the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast if you tell
28716 Gnus not to use @acronym{NOV}.
28718 As the variables for the other back ends, there are
28719 @code{nndiary-nov-is-evil}, @code{nndir-nov-is-evil},
28720 @code{nnfolder-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnimap-nov-is-evil},
28721 @code{nnml-nov-is-evil}, and @code{nnspool-nov-is-evil}. Note that a
28722 non-@code{nil} value for @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} overrides all those
28727 @node Slow Terminal Connection
28728 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
28730 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
28731 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
28732 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
28736 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
28737 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
28738 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
28739 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
28740 horizontal and vertical recentering.
28742 @item gnus-visible-headers
28743 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
28744 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
28745 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
28746 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
28748 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
28750 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
28751 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
28752 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
28755 @item gnus-use-full-window
28756 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
28757 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
28758 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
28759 want to read them anyway.
28761 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
28762 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
28766 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
28767 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
28768 lines, which might save some time.
28772 @node Little Disk Space
28773 @subsection Little Disk Space
28776 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
28777 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
28781 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
28782 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
28783 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
28784 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
28787 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
28788 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
28789 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
28790 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
28793 @item gnus-save-killed-list
28794 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
28795 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
28796 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
28797 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
28803 @subsection Slow Machine
28804 @cindex slow machine
28806 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
28807 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
28809 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
28810 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
28812 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
28813 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
28814 summary buffer faster. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
28818 @node Troubleshooting
28819 @section Troubleshooting
28820 @cindex troubleshooting
28822 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
28830 Make sure your computer is switched on.
28833 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
28834 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
28838 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
28840 @samp{Ma Gnus v0.6} @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change this line!
28842 you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old @file{.el}
28843 files lying around. Delete these.
28846 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
28847 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
28850 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
28851 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
28852 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
28853 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
28854 something like that.
28857 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
28860 @cindex reporting bugs
28862 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
28864 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
28865 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
28866 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
28867 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
28869 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
28870 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
28871 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
28872 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
28875 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
28876 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
28877 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
28878 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
28879 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
28880 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
28882 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
28883 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
28884 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
28888 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
28889 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
28892 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
28893 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
28894 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
28895 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
28896 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
28897 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
28898 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
28899 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
28900 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
28901 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
28902 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
28903 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
28904 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
28905 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
28910 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
28911 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
28912 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
28913 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
28914 helps isolating the real problem areas).
28916 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
28917 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
28918 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
28919 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
28920 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
28921 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
28922 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
28923 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
28924 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
28925 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
28926 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
28927 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
28928 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
28931 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
28932 @cindex ding mailing list
28933 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
28934 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
28935 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
28936 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
28940 @node Gnus Reference Guide
28941 @section Gnus Reference Guide
28943 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
28944 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
28945 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
28946 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
28949 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
28950 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
28951 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
28952 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
28953 and general methods of operation.
28956 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
28957 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
28958 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
28959 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
28960 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
28961 * Group Info:: The group info format.
28962 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
28963 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
28964 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
28968 @node Gnus Utility Functions
28969 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
28970 @cindex Gnus utility functions
28971 @cindex utility functions
28973 @cindex internal variables
28975 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
28976 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
28977 Below is a list of the most common ones.
28981 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
28982 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
28983 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
28985 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
28986 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
28987 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
28989 @item gnus-group-real-name
28990 @findex gnus-group-real-name
28991 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
28994 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
28995 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
28996 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
28997 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
28999 @item gnus-get-info
29000 @findex gnus-get-info
29001 Returns the group info list for @var{group} (@pxref{Group Info}).
29003 @item gnus-group-unread
29004 @findex gnus-group-unread
29005 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
29009 @findex gnus-active
29010 The active entry (i.e., a cons cell containing the lowest and highest
29011 article numbers) for @var{group}.
29013 @item gnus-set-active
29014 @findex gnus-set-active
29015 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
29017 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29018 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29019 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
29022 @item gnus-continuum-version
29023 @findex gnus-continuum-version
29024 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
29025 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
29028 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
29029 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
29030 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
29032 @item gnus-news-group-p
29033 @findex gnus-news-group-p
29034 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
29036 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29037 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29038 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
29040 @item gnus-server-to-method
29041 @findex gnus-server-to-method
29042 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
29044 @item gnus-server-equal
29045 @findex gnus-server-equal
29046 Says whether two virtual servers are essentially equal. For instance,
29047 two virtual servers may have server parameters in different order, but
29048 this function will consider them equal.
29050 @item gnus-group-native-p
29051 @findex gnus-group-native-p
29052 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
29054 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
29055 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
29056 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
29058 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
29059 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
29060 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
29062 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
29063 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
29064 Returns the parameter list of @var{group} (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
29065 If given a second parameter, returns the value of that parameter for
29068 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
29069 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
29070 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
29072 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
29073 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
29074 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
29076 @item gnus-check-backend-function
29077 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
29078 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
29079 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
29082 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
29086 @item gnus-read-method
29087 @findex gnus-read-method
29088 Prompts the user for a select method.
29093 @node Back End Interface
29094 @subsection Back End Interface
29096 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
29097 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
29098 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
29099 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
29100 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
29101 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
29103 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
29104 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
29105 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
29106 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
29107 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
29108 been opened, the function should fail.
29110 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
29111 name. Take this example:
29115 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
29116 (nntp-port-number 4324))
29119 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
29120 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
29122 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
29123 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
29124 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
29126 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
29127 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
29128 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
29130 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
29131 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
29132 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
29133 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
29134 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
29135 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
29138 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
29139 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
29140 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
29141 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
29144 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
29145 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
29146 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
29147 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
29148 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
29149 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
29150 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
29151 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
29152 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
29153 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
29155 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
29156 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
29157 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
29158 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
29159 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
29160 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
29161 of numbers as long as possible.
29163 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
29164 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
29165 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
29167 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
29170 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
29173 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
29174 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
29175 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
29176 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
29177 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
29178 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
29182 @node Required Back End Functions
29183 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
29187 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
29189 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
29190 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
29191 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
29192 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
29194 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
29195 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
29196 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
29197 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
29199 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
29200 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
29201 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
29202 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
29203 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
29204 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
29205 number, do maximum fetches.
29207 Here's an example HEAD:
29210 221 1056 Article retrieved.
29211 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
29212 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
29213 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
29214 Subject: Re: Something very droll
29215 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
29216 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
29218 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
29219 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
29220 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
29224 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
29225 these in the data buffer.
29227 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
29231 head = error / valid-head
29232 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
29233 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
29234 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
29235 header = <text> eol
29239 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
29241 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
29242 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
29246 nov-buffer = *nov-line
29247 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
29248 field = <text except TAB>
29251 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
29255 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
29257 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
29258 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
29260 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
29261 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
29262 server. In fact, it should do so.
29264 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
29265 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
29268 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
29270 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
29271 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
29274 There should be no data returned.
29277 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
29279 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
29280 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
29281 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
29282 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
29284 There should be no data returned.
29287 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
29289 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
29290 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
29291 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
29292 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
29294 There should be no data returned.
29297 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
29299 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
29301 There should be no data returned.
29304 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
29306 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
29307 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
29308 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
29309 it would be nice if that were possible.
29311 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
29312 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
29313 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
29314 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
29315 into its article buffer.
29317 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
29318 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
29319 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
29320 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
29321 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
29322 on successful article retrieval.
29325 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST INFO)
29327 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
29328 making @var{group} the current group.
29330 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
29333 If @var{info}, it allows the backend to update the group info
29336 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
29339 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
29342 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
29343 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
29344 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
29345 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
29346 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
29347 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
29348 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
29349 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
29350 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
29354 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
29355 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
29356 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
29360 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
29362 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
29363 a no-op on most back ends.
29365 There should be no data returned.
29368 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
29370 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
29373 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
29376 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
29377 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
29380 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
29381 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
29382 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
29383 and the highest as 0.
29386 active-file = *active-line
29387 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
29389 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
29392 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
29393 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
29394 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
29397 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
29399 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
29400 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
29401 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
29402 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
29403 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
29404 clear if the posting could not be completed.
29406 There should be no result data from this function.
29411 @node Optional Back End Functions
29412 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
29416 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
29418 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
29419 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
29420 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
29422 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
29423 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
29424 former is in the same format as the data from
29425 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
29426 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
29429 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
29433 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
29435 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
29436 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
29437 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
29438 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
29439 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
29440 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
29441 the network resources).
29443 There should be no result data from this function.
29446 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
29448 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
29449 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
29450 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
29451 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
29452 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
29453 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
29454 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
29455 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
29457 There should be no result data from this function.
29460 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
29462 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
29463 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
29464 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
29465 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
29466 propagate the mark information to the server.
29468 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
29471 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
29474 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
29475 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
29476 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
29477 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
29478 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
29479 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend}, and
29480 @code{forward}, but your back end should, if possible, not limit
29483 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
29484 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
29485 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
29486 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
29488 An example action list:
29491 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
29492 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
29493 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
29496 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
29497 mark on (currently not used for anything).
29499 There should be no result data from this function.
29501 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
29503 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
29504 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
29505 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
29506 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
29507 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
29509 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
29510 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
29511 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
29514 There should be no result data from this function.
29517 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
29519 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
29520 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
29521 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
29522 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
29523 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
29524 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
29525 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
29526 local if that's practical.
29528 There should be no result data from this function.
29531 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
29533 The result data from this function should be a description of
29537 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
29539 description = <text>
29542 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
29544 The result data from this function should be the description of all
29545 groups available on the server.
29548 description-buffer = *description-line
29552 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
29554 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
29555 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
29556 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
29557 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
29558 in the active buffer format.
29560 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
29561 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
29562 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
29563 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
29564 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
29565 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
29566 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
29569 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
29571 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
29573 There should be no return data.
29576 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
29578 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
29579 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
29580 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
29581 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
29582 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
29585 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
29588 There should be no result data returned.
29591 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
29593 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
29594 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
29596 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
29597 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
29598 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
29599 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
29600 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
29601 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
29603 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
29604 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
29607 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
29608 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
29610 There should be no data returned.
29613 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
29615 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
29616 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
29617 this function in short order.
29619 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
29620 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
29622 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
29623 article for that group.
29625 There should be no data returned.
29628 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
29630 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
29631 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
29633 There should be no data returned.
29636 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
29638 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
29639 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
29640 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
29642 There should be no data returned.
29645 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
29647 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
29648 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
29650 There should be no data returned.
29655 @node Error Messaging
29656 @subsubsection Error Messaging
29658 @findex nnheader-report
29659 @findex nnheader-get-report
29660 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
29661 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
29662 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
29663 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
29664 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
29665 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
29668 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
29670 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
29673 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
29674 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
29675 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
29676 takes one argument---the server symbol.
29678 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
29679 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
29680 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
29683 @node Writing New Back Ends
29684 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
29686 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
29687 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
29688 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
29689 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
29690 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
29693 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
29694 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
29695 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
29697 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
29698 package called @code{nnoo}.
29700 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
29701 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
29707 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
29708 parameters. For instance:
29711 (nnoo-declare nndir
29715 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
29716 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
29719 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
29720 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
29721 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
29723 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
29724 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
29725 a function in those back ends.
29728 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
29729 "Where nndir will look for groups."
29730 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
29733 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
29734 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
29735 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
29737 @item nnoo-define-basics
29738 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
29742 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
29746 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
29747 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
29748 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
29750 @item nnoo-map-functions
29751 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
29752 functions from the parent back ends.
29755 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
29756 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29757 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
29760 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
29761 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
29762 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
29763 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
29766 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
29767 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
29768 haven't already been defined.
29774 nnmh-request-newgroups)
29778 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
29779 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
29780 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
29785 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
29788 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
29789 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,1996 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
29793 (require 'nnheader)
29797 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
29799 (nnoo-declare nndir
29802 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
29803 "Where nndir will look for groups."
29804 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
29806 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
29807 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
29810 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
29812 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
29813 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
29814 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
29816 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
29817 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
29819 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
29821 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
29823 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
29824 (setq nndir-directory
29825 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
29827 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
29828 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
29829 (push `(nndir-current-group
29830 ,(file-name-nondirectory
29831 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
29833 (push `(nndir-top-directory
29834 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
29836 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
29838 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
29839 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29840 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29841 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
29842 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
29846 nnmh-status-message
29848 nnmh-request-newgroups))
29854 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
29855 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
29857 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
29858 @findex gnus-declare-backend
29859 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
29860 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
29861 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
29863 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
29864 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
29869 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
29872 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
29874 The abilities can be:
29878 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
29880 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
29882 This back end supports both mail and news.
29884 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
29887 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
29888 articles and groups.
29890 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
29891 true for almost all back ends.
29892 @item prompt-address
29893 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
29894 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
29895 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
29899 @node Mail-like Back Ends
29900 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
29902 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
29903 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
29904 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
29905 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
29908 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
29909 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
29910 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
29913 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
29914 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
29917 This function takes four parameters.
29921 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
29924 @item exit-function
29925 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
29927 @item temp-directory
29928 Where the temporary files should be stored.
29931 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
29932 performed for one group only.
29935 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
29936 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
29937 find the article number assigned to this article.
29939 The function also uses the following variables:
29940 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
29941 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
29942 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
29943 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
29947 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
29948 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
29952 @node Score File Syntax
29953 @subsection Score File Syntax
29955 Score files are meant to be easily parsable, but yet extremely
29956 malleable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
29957 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
29959 Here's a typical score file:
29963 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
29970 BNF definition of a score file:
29973 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
29974 element = rule / atom
29975 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
29976 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
29977 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
29978 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
29980 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
29981 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
29982 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
29983 date-header = "date"
29984 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29985 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29986 score = "nil" / <integer>
29987 date = "nil" / <natural number>
29988 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
29989 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
29990 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
29991 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
29992 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29993 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29994 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
29995 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29996 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
29997 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
29998 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
29999 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
30000 exclude-files / read-only / touched
30001 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
30002 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
30003 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
30004 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
30005 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
30006 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
30007 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
30008 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
30009 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
30010 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
30011 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
30012 eval = "eval" space <form>
30013 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
30016 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
30019 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
30020 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
30021 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
30022 one looong line, then that's ok.
30024 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
30025 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
30029 @subsection Headers
30031 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
30032 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
30033 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
30034 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
30036 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
30037 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
30038 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
30039 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
30040 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
30041 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
30042 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
30044 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
30045 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
30046 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
30047 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
30048 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
30050 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
30051 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
30057 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
30058 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
30060 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
30061 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
30062 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
30063 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
30065 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
30069 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
30072 is transformed into
30075 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
30078 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
30079 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
30082 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
30085 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
30086 is slightly tricky:
30089 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
30095 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
30098 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
30104 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
30111 and is equal to the previous range.
30113 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
30114 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
30115 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
30119 range = simple-range / normal-range
30120 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
30121 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
30122 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
30123 number *[ " " contents ]
30126 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
30127 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
30128 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
30129 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
30130 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
30135 @subsection Group Info
30137 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
30138 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
30139 describes the group.
30141 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
30142 second is a more complex one:
30145 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
30147 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
30148 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
30150 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
30153 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
30154 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
30155 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
30156 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
30157 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
30158 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
30159 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
30160 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
30161 this section is about.
30163 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
30164 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
30165 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
30167 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
30170 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
30171 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
30172 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30173 group = quote <string> quote
30174 ralevel = rank / level
30175 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
30176 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
30177 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
30179 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
30180 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
30181 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
30182 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
30185 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
30186 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
30189 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
30190 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
30193 @item gnus-info-group
30194 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
30195 @findex gnus-info-group
30196 @findex gnus-info-set-group
30197 Get/set the group name.
30199 @item gnus-info-rank
30200 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
30201 @findex gnus-info-rank
30202 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
30203 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
30205 @item gnus-info-level
30206 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
30207 @findex gnus-info-level
30208 @findex gnus-info-set-level
30209 Get/set the group level.
30211 @item gnus-info-score
30212 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
30213 @findex gnus-info-score
30214 @findex gnus-info-set-score
30215 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
30217 @item gnus-info-read
30218 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
30219 @findex gnus-info-read
30220 @findex gnus-info-set-read
30221 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
30223 @item gnus-info-marks
30224 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
30225 @findex gnus-info-marks
30226 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
30227 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
30229 @item gnus-info-method
30230 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
30231 @findex gnus-info-method
30232 @findex gnus-info-set-method
30233 Get/set the group select method.
30235 @item gnus-info-params
30236 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
30237 @findex gnus-info-params
30238 @findex gnus-info-set-params
30239 Get/set the group parameters.
30242 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
30243 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
30245 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
30246 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
30247 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
30248 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
30251 @node Extended Interactive
30252 @subsection Extended Interactive
30253 @cindex interactive
30254 @findex gnus-interactive
30256 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
30257 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
30258 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
30261 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
30262 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
30267 The best thing to do would have been to implement
30268 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
30269 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
30270 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
30271 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
30272 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
30273 @code{interactive}.
30275 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
30280 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
30281 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
30285 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
30286 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
30287 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
30290 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
30294 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
30298 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
30304 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
30305 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
30309 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
30310 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
30311 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
30313 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
30314 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
30315 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
30316 Gnus, that's very useful.
30318 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
30319 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
30320 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
30321 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
30322 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
30323 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
30324 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
30325 following function:
30328 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
30332 (,function ,@@args))
30336 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
30337 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
30338 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
30341 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
30342 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
30343 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
30345 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
30346 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
30347 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
30350 @node Various File Formats
30351 @subsection Various File Formats
30354 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
30355 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
30359 @node Active File Format
30360 @subsubsection Active File Format
30362 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
30363 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
30366 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
30369 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
30370 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
30371 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
30372 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
30373 no.general 1000 900 y
30376 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
30379 active = *group-line
30380 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
30381 group = <non-white-space string>
30383 high-number = <non-negative integer>
30384 low-number = <positive integer>
30385 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
30388 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
30389 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
30392 @node Newsgroups File Format
30393 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
30395 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
30396 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
30397 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
30400 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
30401 Here's the definition:
30405 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
30406 group = <non-white-space string>
30408 description = <string>
30413 @node Emacs for Heathens
30414 @section Emacs for Heathens
30416 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
30417 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
30418 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
30419 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
30420 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
30421 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
30422 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
30426 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
30427 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
30432 @subsection Keystrokes
30436 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
30439 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
30442 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
30443 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
30444 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
30445 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
30446 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
30447 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
30449 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
30450 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
30451 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
30452 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
30453 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
30454 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
30455 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
30457 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
30458 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
30459 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
30460 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
30461 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
30462 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
30463 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
30465 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
30466 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
30467 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
30468 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
30469 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
30475 @subsection Emacs Lisp
30477 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
30478 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
30479 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
30480 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
30482 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
30483 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
30484 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
30485 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
30486 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
30487 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
30488 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
30489 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
30490 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
30491 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
30493 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
30494 write the following:
30497 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
30500 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
30501 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
30502 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
30503 change how Gnus works.
30505 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
30506 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
30507 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
30508 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
30509 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
30511 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
30512 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
30513 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
30517 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
30521 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
30524 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server-file} to
30525 @samp{/etc/nntpserver}'', that means:
30528 (setq gnus-nntp-server-file "/etc/nntpserver")
30531 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
30532 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
30535 @include gnus-faq.texi
30537 @node GNU Free Documentation License
30538 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
30539 @include doclicense.texi
30557 @c Local Variables: